The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-09 00:00:00

REMA REABL E FUNERAL CEREMON .

In last night's Grimy/jun the funeral o' a laiv
which took place a few days ago in a very smell
country parish in the diocese of Lincoln, is thus
described :—The deceased, who was the patron of
the benefice, had adopted the rector in early infancy
as her own son, and was the widow of an officer
in the Indian army, who had served under
Sir David Baird at the siege of Seringapatam,
where he was severely wounded. She entered
into her rest, having fallen asleep int he faith and
fear of God, and in the communion of the church,
at the advanced age of 84 years, 62 of which
she had spent in the East Indies. The body
was placed in a coffin covered withviolet cloth, there
being on the lid a long Latin cross of brass, enriched
with a fillet of trefoils which ran round the members.
These, at the intersection, were enriched with a
band bearing in old letter the words, " Requiescat
in pace." At the foot of the cross was a small
brass plate, bearing the name, age, date of depar
tore, and the words, "Mercy, Jesu." The Litany
was sung in the church at noon, after which the was placed in a darkened chamber, which was
temporarily fitted up as an oratory, with several
tapers burning, and the parishioners and others
awezeandtmh itotfedbay
to view
.cNotsh,e coffin,on which was placed
young female atteenallsld.aidastnAatlh, son,h er
ec-
tuwii-olalntveehonefrdyai
no over Carcuagtrhi
tenderness oafp ho ei nt e d
body was placed on an oaken bier, covered
lni deceasedodmi
t the
ify
ith
h a
silken pall of violet and white. A procession was
formed in the following order :—The undertaker
and tradesmen employed ; the architect, vested in
tl'conStu'llharslheode,ewb.i/t.hthheerhaadnodpsteodf
surplice and square cap, bearing a large wooden
cross, coloured violet and gold ; a choir of sixteen,
in surplices and black scarfs ; a priest, in his vest-
ments ; the body, borne by the churchwardens,
sacristan, and three other communicants, the
pall being supported by six vested priests ; the
rector, in his vestments, as chief mourner ; the
friends and members of the family, male and
female ; the principal farmers of the parish and
their wives ; the domestics—all two and two. As
the procession slowly moved . along, the choir
chanted tt De Prfundis"-to the Gregorian tone, the
verses being sung alternately in unison and har-
mony, which had a very solemn and pleasing effect.
At the churchyard-gate they were met by the offi-
ciating priest, who began the cheering sentences of
our beautiful burial office, the choir taking them up
• and singing them as an anthem. The bier was
placed at the foot of the steps leading to the chancel,
and surrounded by several burning tapers ; at the
head stood the cross-bearer. On the altar were
burning the two lights, and it was vested in violet
and white ; so were the pulpit, lectern, &c. The
church was decked with flowers of violet, white, and
crimson ; and branches of yew-trees and bay, and
was crowded with worshippers. After the proper
lesson the Eucharistic was proceeded with, being
chorally rendered ; the rector celebrated, and a
short but most appropriate and touching sermon
was preached by the rural dean. No less than
sixty persons received the blessed sacrament, and the
alms amounted to £9 18s. sd. They were devoted
to the London Diocesan Penitentiary for fallen
women. After the benediction the procession
moved to the grave, which was dug at the east
end of the churchyard, behind the chancel. The
son committed, with the church's words of glorious
hope, the body of his much-loved mother to the
ground, as was her own desire. The office being
ended, the procession returned to the rectory,
singing the 118th Psalm (Confitemini Domino) to
the eighth tone, second ending, the rector lead-
ing the way, and joining in the strain of jubi-
lant thanksgiving. 'We understand that a
coped tomb of white Mansfield stone, with a fiat
cross of red polished Aberdeen granite inlaid on the
top, is to be placed over the remains. We have
also reason to believe that the rector intends, by
God's blessing, immediately to rebuild the nave,
aisles, spire, and south porch of the church, as well
as a couple of almshouses, to the memory of his
departed friend, who was a benefactor not only to
himself, but to the church at large, and to whose
"continual almsdeeds which she did," and kind,
thoughtful care, many a poor widowed and sorrow-
ing heart could testify. Enough has been provided
to complete the material part of the structures, but
the decoration and adornment of the sacred
edifice remains to be provided for.