The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-25 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE 013 SERVER.

THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE LORD
MAYOR OF LONDON.
The funeral of Alderman Nottage, late Lord
Mayor of London, took place at St. Paul's Cathedral
on Saturday. The funeral procession was formed up
in the yard of the Guildhall shortly after ten, when
it was found that the number of those who wished to
pay a last tribute of respect to the late Chief Magis-
trate of the City of London exceeded that which had
been anticipated by the officials. Nevertheless, there
was no hitch in the arrangements, and at a signal
from the City Marshal the carriages, draped in black,
and the horses with black rosettes over blinkers and
shoulder-blades, moved off in the direction of the
Mansion House. The whole of Cheapside was closed
for traffic, and the tradesmen on either side had
placed black shutters in front of their windows.
Every now and again the muffled bells of St. Mary-le-
Bow and the cathedral were tolled. It is estimated
that nearly 100,000 persons assembled between the
official residence of the Lord Mayor and the
cathedral to witness the procession. The number
of carriages was so great that the head of the
column had to form up opposite Queen-street
before the hearse and the members of the family
of the deceased could enter the special carriages
which had been provided for them. Well in advance
was the band of the London Rifle Brigade, which,
under the direction of Mr. Sibley, played the Dead
March in "Saul." When the coffin was brought out
and placed on an open hearse, the band of the Hon.
Artillery Company played Spohr's "Funeral March." o
The multitude utside uncovered, and then the pro-
cession was set in motion. With arms reversed, the
City Volunteers lined the route, and at the entrance
to the cathedral the infantry company of the Hon.
Artillery Company, wearing the sign of military
mourning on the sleeve of the left arm, acted as the
guard of honour, and at the head of the procession
were the Under Sheriffs, and these in turn were
followed by representatives of the Common Council
of the ward the late Lord Mayor represented. Then
came others containing the chairmen of the various
Corporation committees and the officers of the
Corporation who were followed by the Sheriffs of
London and Middlesex. Following them again were
the carriages of the Aldermen, the Recorder, and
the City Marshal, and. then the Lord Mayor, who
was attended by the Sword Bearer, the Mace Bearer,
and his chaplain. Immediately following was the
band of the Hon. Artillery Company. The funeral
car, which was an open one, was attended by the
State servants, ward beadles, and the beadles of the
livery companies. There were in all fifteen mourning
coaches, containing the relatives of the deceased and
some of his personal friends. Along the nave of the
cathedral on the south side, and in close proximity
to the bier which had been erected beneath the dome,
sat the provincial mayors, some half-hundred in
number, and wearing in many instances their robes
and chains of office. Opposite to them sat the
Common Councilmen of the City, while the broad
path which ran between was kept clear by the General
Purposes Committee of the Corporation, the mem-
bers of which bore wands of office, hung with weepers
of crape. The first intimation of the approach of
the procession was given by the strains of Chopin's
"Funeral March," which faintly entered the building
as the cortege marched slowly round from Cannon-
street. Soon, however, the sound of the majestic
"Dead March" was beard, and then the great
western doors were thrown open, revealing to those
who were placed in the choir an unbroken and most
magnificent vista, through the grand nave of the
cathedral to Ludgate-hill, where the crowded roof-
tops contrasted darkly with the brilliant sunshine.
Then there entered the choir the new Bishop of
London (Dr. Temple), whose first public act upon his
translation from Exeter has thus been to perform
the last sad office over the chief civic authority in his
new see. With him were the Venerable Dr. Hessey,
the Archdeacon of Middlesex, and the Rev. Dr. For-
rest, who occupied the post of chaplain to the late
Lord Mayor. Almost immediately afterwards came
his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh (who it
was not expected would be able to attend in person)
and his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge.
The Royal personages were then shown to their places
in the choir, situated respectively on the right and left
hand of Mr. Alderman Fowler, M.P., who fulfils the
duties of chief magistrate for the remainder of the
year. Then came the Chairman of Committees of the
Common Council at the head of the procession,
which had now arrived from the Mansion House.
They were succeeded by the officers of the Corpora-
tion, Sheriffs, and Under-Sheriffs, the Aldermen
below the chair, the Recorder, and the Aldermen
who have passed the chair. After a brief interval
the City Marshal, whose uniform was heavily draped
with emblems of mourning, preceded the Lord Mayor,
who wore, instead of the customary scarlet robe of
office, a black gown, relieved only by a border of gold
lace. At twelve o'clock the choir, headed by the Rev.
Dr. Simpson, the Acting Percentor, went to the west
door to rec2ive the body, the great bell tolling mean-
while at brief intervals. Returning up the nave, the
choir sang "I am the Resurrection and the Life,"
with affecting solemnity, and in a few seconds the
coffin enclosing the remains of Mr. Nottage, and almost
hidden by wreaths of azaleas, lilies, and stephanotis, was
deposited on the bier. Following it came the mourners,
who included the Right.- Hon. J. Shaw-Lefevre,
M.P., Postmaster-General, as representing her
Majesty's Government the Servian Minister, the
Bishop of Bedford, Sir James Anderson, Mr.
Puleston, M.P. Mr. Ritchie, M.P. and many other
members of Parliament. As the body was resting on
the bier, the choir sang the 39th Psalm to the music
of Purcell, and the burial chant by Felton in E flat.
The Dean of St. Paul's then ascended the lectern and
read the Lesson, I Cor. xv. 20: "Now is Christ risen
from the dead and become the first fruits of them
that slept." Upon the conclusion of the Lesson, the
choir sang with the utmost pathos "Blest are the
departed,' from Spohr's "Last Judgment." Then
the body was again taken up, and, followed by the
mourners, was borne up the choir almost to the steps
of the altar, where it was lowered into the crypt to its
last resting-place, side by side with the remains of
Wellington and of Nelson. The deceased was the
first Lord Mayor who has been interred in the
Cathedral.