The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-05-14 00:00:00

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THE DEATH OF ARCHDEACON HONE

By the death of the Yen. Archdeivon Richard
13rind!ey Hone one of the most eminent of
clergy has been lost to tie C• urch of England. The
Qvent w not wholy unexpec!ed. Arldeacon
Hone was s ize l with illne.s towards the end of
February, and tbouv,ll n.t et once so prostrated a,
to he confined to IA; bed, was incapacitated for the
performance of his duties as re,:tor of Halesowen,
which have since tnat time devolved upon ha
tweoe.kes 4
u..a;4-es and other ckrical f.iends. About three
w
o the indispositioa took a more serious
tutu. 'rite stomash and liver ,ffectionsfro•li which
be .rulfered told severely upon him at his arivity.ed
a ,e—seventy:six last mouth—andl after confine-
ment so his bed room for three wt'eks. during which
time bis condition awakened toe most anxi ius and
widespread fears, he died at haif-p..st ten on
Thursday night the 6th inst. at Hslo.,owen, where
he had resided for nearly half a c,mtnry. During
his il:ness he was attended hv Dr. Ker, of Cridi4y
Heath, and Dr. Foster, of Birmingham. The
vent-Table Ole•gpian reamed his in.ut,il fiCnitjß
thro;i4liou7 8 ::1.•:,;:36, 01y Ell,Ttrubing to un-
cou-cioustiess am eq by exuan tm u for a f w tiours
pr evio'i, to his d. h., Up to the tine of his -
tiess he lo,:t cuj yed adwirable lva,lll, with; the
excieptiOu 434 t W‘ll veal muck ehaliati tif grief

at the deaah of his wife ttheat tan years azo. A 3
Is iatimated above Arch beacon Ilene Was born in
laaa. He was &breve,' a itrasenose Colt ge at
o‘ford, where he took in 1827 the d earee of 8.A.,
and in 1831 the degree of M.A. B-fore the latter
event a tok place li. waa o daiteal deman ii 1828
by. the Bsha) of Caloaa ster, and priest in 1829
by the Bishop -Of Winchester. lit 1831, wailst
curate at Portsmouth, he obtained from Vie late
Lord Lyttelton the preseetatien to the vicarage of
Hairaowen, then a naiting village poseessing a very
old caurch but a very bad cearacter. It is told
how that tee noble patron when in want of an in-
cumbent wr to up to the then Bishop of L -indon
for the names of some promas;ng young clergymen
who might be eligible, and haw that the Bishop
sent the names of three, of wham the late Arch-
deracen as the first received the appeintment. What
with deg fights and pigeons, and other mutts.-
meets of the cneductea nailers of Halesowenin
that ante-police age, the new vicsr feud he ha 1 a
veritable Auaean ?stable to cleanse, but he coin-
mencea the task in earnest and carried it out by
ureteviating straightforwardness of action and
consistency of charact which soon created for
him a lasting endearment in the minds ot his
parishioners He even postponed getting married
till after two or three years of work in his incum-
beney, when he fetched from Portsmouth Miss
Rickman- to be mistress of the Halesoaan vicarage.
At Ursa time the church had a large and popu-
lous but poor disti ici, for there were then no
churcaes at the Quinton, Langley Green, and
Blackheath, *here by the late Archdeacon's efforts
an' selad niai places of worship !lave now been
provided. One of his first works wea the found-
ation of the National sceo es, which now provide
an excel eut edneatian for considerably over a
thousa,ud day and Sarela,y scholars. Anoth-r
, important matter to -which he early turned his
attention was the repairing of the patish church,
wllieli he found in a most dilapidated conitiou.
It was renovated at considerable expen-e, but in
such a manner that abent *en years ago a much
more complete restoration was fou•.d necessary,
; an i was carried out at a cot of some thousands of
pounds. under the designs of Sir Gilbert Scots. At
this time also the whole of tae seats wera declared
tree and unappropriated—a wise measure, which
to the gratifieation of the Archdeacon result- d in
the regal ir attendsnce of larger congreaati •us tan
! over b••forat. Ream fling, however, to trace the .
ste a in At eivieaceit's Horie'e career, he was made
an he ra y eanon of Worcester Catia dral in 1845,
raid Arcadeaeon of Worcester in 1849. About
twenty years ago true la' e Lord Lytielton a solved
upon foregoing his a cto..ial rights in the sevetal
Auretiee in which tie w s intereste a and converted
all his vicarages into rec•orships Halesowea
amongst the number. Frnia that time till the •day
of is decease the hue achleaeou lived quietly at
Itilesowen in the enjoyment of his reciorship,
with its net inceme (according to (.rocal ad) of
.taoo a year snd a house, and of his ca:noery and
archdeacouate, attached to which was a readier
• yearly incense of ii2oa. The la- e Archdeacon VS
not perhaps what word,' be termed a knilliant
divine, but posses-ed st rlnz qualities; of character
wide engeederea respect and affection not only
amoagat ali hi- ittaneeiate friends ad pariehioners,
hut amongst the wide circle of all wit-, tinow him.
His tall manly figure, his d gnitied bearing, his
calm gave taee, and his w :iteneii locks, were
alw Las •haracteratics aatica eat rtcd raspect and
admiration, whether in the Cathedral at Worcester
or *he pulpit at Halesowea. Thouah posseased of
rare at i witertaiaing conversational abilities, a
, keen wit, and firsteclass pavers of ogucal reasoning,
he never pretended, much to eioquerial rir flowers of
rhetoric la his sera-ions, which iv i re always grave,
prac ical, ea-i!y comprehended, and instru.aive.
Tn it- a Sundae—morning and evening—it was his
custam to preaah at Halesowen. .His views as to
The Churce senice were in consonance with what
• ace Caned Evangelical opiniens. He tolerat-al no
High Church display. yet retained tho-e musaml
beauties of psaims and hymns waicrii go far towards
the attractiveness of the Church of England service.
Outside as well as in•ide his chu•ah his character
and condu t were mest exemplary. Whilst,
esehewiog politics as outside the functions of a
minisasr ef Gail he warmly interested himself in all
Via pertain. d to att.) social or spiritual wolf ire
his pa is rloners their Grammar School, their
public jtnlnts, all ciiarirabas funds and move-
ments, in mother's meetines, f.•ca ab
varied in chinery of parochial work. In this he
was greatfy aasiste I by his five daughters ani his
sort. In it lii ion to his cl,rical uu i= s he also
fouud leisure to write several thaleaical and
elig oua orks, of which the prineipal are " late
Future Life of Blesselncsi " and " Lives of
Eujet Ciarietian
TIE FUNERAL.

If it had be ti rnisite to prove the affeceion
with which the let Archdeacon was regarded, both
by his own I arisht ers and his brother clergy.
ample testimony w.is afforded by the spectacle
which Halesowen presented on Wednesday, before,
during and after his fun .ral. Probably there
Lever was so great a stir in the town before, unless
the exception be a aim tar- occssion a few yore ago
when the late Mr. N,..ah Hingley was tuned.
There was ni part of the town which did not par-
take ia the observance f the funeral. Through
al the slretts shutters were up, blinds down,
business suspen.led as en the Sahb Ale. That Me-
tallic clinking which Mr. Carlyle noticed as a
peculiar char acterst:c of the place eas •ilenced on
all lands The aeves, ham:lsere and forges were
resting. whilst all thea lileis and na-leresses aml
all the shopk epers and children, assembled either
in the g:aveyard or in ths) streets near by toxitne,,s
the payment ot the las, rites to a man who fot
dos- 01 half a e...n.tury had ministered amongst
th m. the guide, phi'. s Ther, and friend g.f ail.
Q rite early in the day the church e ard was the
gene-al r,rl tezvous. I was a mill summery da::,
with the sun gleamitig warmly threigh a temper-
ing haze ;aol people were not avers.: to sittting or
standing an hour or two amongst the grass and tee
gravestones in hope of securing a good point of
vi w. Many stron„-museled vaileresses with bare
h-tehit ilea whit .t aprons sat pa:ieutly clust-red in
of a knell f :cites. the rectory, when e they
looked d iwn over a wall upon the funeral pr
cession as it wound anng tlin road to the church
gates. Ot er spectators assenbled in the church
nearly an tour before the funeial. To keep order
' in the graveyard and vicinity a posse of half-a-
-d, Zen policstrem were iti attendance, under Super-
int-relent Hard Tian, of Oldbury, an,' Superintend-
ent Ketup. of Pers ore; but uncouth and rough-
lool.ing as were the poor n il rs who formed a large
prop Ttion of the spectators, be it. stid to their
credit that tie scrvic. a f the gentlemen in blpe
were of a very ligiit chars ter.. It had been
arranged that the clerey who attended to take
part in t.l.e funeral should assemble at the Sat,onal
School licons, which abut up, n t!:e graveyard.
cpite clo-e to both church ind rectory. Those who
thus asseni'ded, besides twelve wit° acted as
boners, were ids lordship rho Bish p 1 Worceste•
C :non Nle!ville (Worcest r), Canon Douglas (Sa -
earpey ranou Bowlby (Birmingham), the Revs
Dr. Cosens ( Dudley). F. W. Buritlge (-3altley
celleze), R. R. Davies (Lye), E. 11. L. Noott
(S:. John's, H W. Aqrineon (Old Hill), J.
Bench (Cradl y), E. Smith (Aston Book), E.
jale Roberts ;Lozells), E. R ,bert, (Harboty ne), J.
S. Cowley (.s,. Mark's, Bit-in:m..llam), E. B. M is7n
(Rugby). S. J. Matelot (NA:lerton), T. !.. Claugh
ton (Kingswinford), J. Goodwin (Bremsgro.se
Lit:key). G J. Taylor ilted,lal Hill) Knish BaclL!
(Hagle.). C. S. Wordsworth (Oldswinford), C. H
o,dfiel I Quinton), E. J. Houghton (Blockley). J.
E-1.. Bourlay (Frankley), R. R. Fowler (Broadwas),
G. Gilbanks (Wollaston', R. F. Wood (Moreton
CorbEt, Shrewsbury), H. Hardy and Biggs
(Crates of Halm yen). After forming three
abr fe-st at the schools a. so gentlemen walked to
th.• rect ry, who cc to rho chu.ch the proces:--iou
was in tl e t)llowing order:—Sun ay School
teachers (about 60),„ ceoir, clergy, doctors (Drs
F l ester Ker, and Goitider), coffin, mourners, frienes.
The coffin, • which was supplied by Mr. W. Connop,
of Halesewee, was of pelish.-d osk, with brass fur-
niture, and bo-e the following inscription :
"Richard Brindley Hone. Born 12th M,rch, 1805.
Died sth May, 1881." When borne into the
church it was covered with the most beautiful
wreaths. Ti.e bearers were selected for their
having been curat u under the late Archdeacon.
They were the Revs. E. A. K. mpson, C. Oldfield,
A, C. D. Ryder, —Lewis, F. Keach, F. Wood, E.
liackinJ, D. Robertson. H. Fisher, J. Kidd, B.
Roberts, and B. P. Bouverie. F llovving them as
mourners were the Rev. Evelyn Hone, the Rev. p,
Waller, the Rev F. Hone, the Rev. R. L. U. Pith
co-k. the Rev W. A. Bathurst, Miss Bone, Miss
Her ha. Ilene, Miss Edith Hone, Miss Dora Houe,
Mrs. Lefmy, Mrs. Waller, Nile Gr. en, und Mager
Campbell Hone. In the long tra,;n f M.-eels who
also sttended the funeral care Major Bond, Messrs.
E. Gem F. D. Lea Smith, J. P. Hurt, W. Somers,
E. B. Philips, W Bassauo, B. Hingley, J. Horn- .
fray C. J. c ooper, Barrington-Ward, G. A. Haden
liest,"A. Burr, Ray, T. Gem, Ball, It. Smart, A. G.
Hayes, S. G dman, Coanop, &c. ; a large numbz
of members of mission and other cl.tsses coadu aed
by the late Archdeacon and his daughters. The
church was of course crowded. Here the first part
of the burial service vvas c.eiducte I by the Bishop
of Woreest, r• assisted by the Rev. H. hardy
(senior curate of Ilalesowen). One feature was the
singing of a beautiful and appr ,priale hymn—
COMMencing
Hush ! blessed are the dead
sus' arms wee rest,
A id lean V.eir head •
I or ev r en his biefel.

'[hi . p lliol of Mk- s'rvice et/len:del. the ProceA-
sion iefoo,! ed, an the Coffin was slowly borne
thiough a long line cr spectators from the church
th, vault destiaoci for it roopticc, situaiod in

the upper part of the graveyard close under the
eaves of the schools. From this distant spot as the
long procession of clergy and mourners, with un-
covered t ends, wound its slow- length upwards
from the church, there floated the music of that
beautilul familiar hymn, " A few more years shall
r sung by the choir assembled around the
grave. When th vault had been reache4, the
coffin stripped ef 111, tit, of its wreaths and loweted
into tee gaping mouth of the subterranean
chamber, and sit-lice restored whilet the Bishop
read the last portion of the burial service, the scene
of tee ce•reeneey was as soleenti and impressive as
could
.he twagin d. ilarWy a breath of wind rust-
led the boughs ut the spreading tree wh-ch over-
shadowed the vault where the late aichdeacen's
wife, nioJier, and hafant child weie alretey in-
. terre I. The sun Beene upon the vsedte surplices of
• the clergy, the tearful eyes of wavy a mourner,
and the un overed hen s of a crowd which streiched
away Amos' as far as ceulci be seen from the
vicinity of the grave. It seemed theroughly ap-
propriate treat Nature should wear so calm, and
peacerl, and ba•my an a-pect on a day when the
mortal remains ut an agea and beloved pastor, dead
in the fuldess of time after a well-spent, quiet life,
were committed to ther last resting-place hard by
the ta.porrng spice oh the fane where for half a cen-
tury he laboured. Not few were tie wet eyes when
from the lips of the preacher fell those sally
famdiar words, "Ash,:s to asees, and dust to duet''
Respectful telence was s•.rie ly observed until the
ceremony was ended and tho•e immediately around
the grave hid began te dispense. Then, however,
there was a eeneral convergence of the cro eel to the
vault, everyone eager to tate; a last look from its
brink before it should be sealed up and the wooden
shell, wh;ch include' the body et the pastor shut
out from the s grit of his trim:els. Tae school cnit-
dren came irt order te tee vault „ utrance, looked in,
and passed on, to tire .umber of five or six hundred
What with thin and the many others who did ihe
same this hind ceremony of 1: ave-raking lasted
very long. lany persons as they passed added to
the he ,pa of flowers and wri-alhs upon • tee stone
face of the vault, wi,ere were deposited, in tact,
about forty such memorials of esteem received from
all reading people et the district. It is an inter
esting fact that the flret of all the floral memory
-
offerings riceiyed by these who conducted the,
funeral wirs tategift of a lit Ic g •rl, who brouget as
her eitniee tribu e a bunch of priaireses that she
hel gethered. This, with others, 'Jay on the sur-
face of the vitut.. Ae has been said, there was
much crushing and scrambling around tf,e vault at
the conclusion of the ceretnony, but order was de-4
c ntly preserved, and, thanks to th, god manage-
meot of the undertaker, Mr. Trewolla, and genie-
men who assisted him, everything passed off as
quetly and satistacwrily as could be wished.