Funeral Of Lord Byron.
The Times, 1824-07-19T00:00:00

Late on Friday last the initernment of the remains of Lord Byron took place in the family vault in the viUage church of 1iuciknall, E miles beyond Notnogh3sm,and within two miles of Newstead-abbey, once the patrimonial property ol' the Bvrou family. Trhe fumeral moed slowlIy froml London to Nottinglamslhire, and till the decorum Of such a ceremony was strictly observed in the plO- gress of the he3rse to its final destination. The whole of the mourners quitted the procession as it left London on Alonday, and tile heurse was a iferwa,rls escorted by the undertaker and his assist- ants, who occupied the three mourning coacles and six which fol- lowed the body; and tle executors (lr. Hobhouse and Air. Han- son), together with Colonel Leigh, the chief m-7ourner, did not again meet, the fineral until it reached Nottingham. Tihe funeral preces- sion, after its (leparture froni London, took wbiat is called the high Leeds road, and not the morc general and better road througi l,ei. cester. It halted the first night at iVelwyn, the second at Higham Ferrars, on Wednesday night at Oaklrain, and arrived at Notting- ham at fivc o'clock on Thursday evening. A large concourse or people were assembled at the south end of the town, which rapidly increased to thousands as the procession moved along Fisher-gate, ! CarLcrgate, liockley, and up Carlton-strect, oni its way to (tie Blaekinoor's Ilead inmn, at the bottomi of Pelham, -street. The hcarse, followed by the mourning-coaches, having cntered I the yard, the gates were instantly shut. 'Tlhe coffin wias tUen taken out oi the heaise,and the case or urn out of the first mourniing-coach, l and carried into the room at the nortlh-wcest corner of' the yard. 'I'his room was hung with black, and three escutcheons of the Byrons larmit were fixed on each of the four walls of the room. The coffin was then placel on trestles in the centre, with tlie case ibr the heart, &c., at thie teiadt; six very large wax candles were pl.aced round thie coftin, and a few other lights being fixedl in the roum,tle public were admuitted, by about twenty at once, tu see the lying in btate; but l such was the prCEsSure and anxiety, that a very large body of consta- bles was necessary to clear the way, and to keep clear ingress anti cgress. Many thousands were tlits adtimitted in the course of thie l evening, and up to nirre o'clock on Friday moninig. When the futreral entered Noutilglham on tihe previous evening, an offer was made to attend it with an escort frorrr the corporation but tiis mark of respect was then declined, on account of the urtir condition of the hearse and mourning-coaches, for any display, after travelling on the road for four days. The bells of the churches were, however, tolled, and the town clerk waited upon the execu- tors, and presented them with the following copy of' resolutiuns, which were unanimnously agreed to by the coryoration, as a tributt of their respect tbr the iieremory of Lord Byron:- " Town of Nottingham to wit.-At a meeting of'the iMayor, Alder. mear, Comimon Council, and Livery of tlie said town, helo (ir conse- quenee of' a requisition addressed to the Mayor) at tie police-offict in the said town, on Wednesday, the 14th day or' July, 11124, " Resolved, on tire motion of Mlr. Hurst, seconded by Mlr. Alfred Fellowes, that tins corporation desire to ofder a public testimonv oh their respect for the memnory of the late Lord Byron,upon the present occasion of his remains passing through the town to ?Iuckrtall, for interment. "Resolved, on the motion of Mlr. JamesRogerAllen,seconded by MUr. Dunn, that, in testimony of the respect which this corpolatior: bear the memory of the late Lord Bvron, a deputation from their body do on Friday next (if the executors of the deceased will give permission) join the funeral procession at Nottingham, and accom. parry the sante to the place of interment. " Resolved, Tha.t dte deputation consist of the Mayor, Alderman Soars, the Sheriffs, the Under-SleSiff, th:e Chamberlains, one of the C:ouncil,-and the Town-Clerk. "Resolved, That tire Tlown-Clerk convey the foregoing resolu- tions to John Cam Hobhonse, kisq., and request the answer of the executors." The executors immediately acceded to the iequest so lharndsomely conveyed; and lr. Hobhiouie in person thanked the Mlayor fbr the manner in which he had come fbrward to evince his respect for the deceased. Placards with mourning edges were, early on Friday morning, posted throughout Nottingham, describing the arrairge- inents for ttie funeral aind announcing that it was a mistake to sup- pose a fu' moueiprg oc ess was required for those who were to form in the line of the proce_sion f'rom Nottirrqham to Hlucknall churcir, and that, as the mourning consisted more in a feeling of the heart than in external appearances, care would be taken to afford room for all who wislhed to attend, in whatever attire, upon this mournful occasion. At eight o'clocl on Friday irrorning Lord Rancliffe (a distant re- lative of the deceased) arrived in Nottingham, and was soon after followed by a large body of bis tenantry in mourning, and with crapeand hat-bantls, who formed an equestrian cavalcade in the AMarket-place. Colorel Wildman, of Nawstead Abbey, with sOme of' his enantry, arrived in a similar mnanner. Ten o'clock on Friday morning being the time fixed upon for the procession to leave Not- tingham, the beUls were tolled at that hour, the zhops were chiefly shut, and vrast numbers of PersOr48 ame into town frmn s11 th neigbouring villages. Lxong belore the appointed hour many thou- sands of spectators had assembled in front of the Black's Head, in the Poultry, Clumber.treet, and Pelam-street, but particularly in the Market-place, and those streets through which the mournful cavalcade was to mUOVe. At a quarter before eleven o'clock, the hearse, adorned with twelve large sable plumes, drawn by six beautil black horses, eachi having a plume of teathers on his head, was ordered to the front of the Blackmoor's Head Inn, for the purpose eo receiving the body of his Lordship, which, on being brought out and placed therein, the Zirst mourning coach and six came up, in whichi was put the urn, containing the heart, d& , covered with a rich black siik velvet pall, ornamented with escutcheons of the Byron urins on a white ground. The utmost silence prevailed during this ceremony, and considering the prodigious concourse of people that filled the streets, windows, and roofs of the houses, the decoruni preserved on the occasion re- flected the highest credit on the inhabitants. The arrangements having been corupleted a* the town clock struck eleven, the proces- sion set out in the fbllow,ing order, all the individuals composing it being furnished with hat-bands:- Two Constables on horseback. Two Bailiffs on horseback. Lord Rancliffe's Land Steward. Mlr. Wooddeson, the undertaker, with Mr. Toovey, who assisted him. Two Mutes, on horseback. A Page. fA large Plume of black Featlers,l A A Page. t borne on a man's head. f Page. Six Horeemen in cloaks, riding two by two. Two Autes on horseback. (The State Horse, richly caparisoned, and led] I by two Pages, the ltider carrying on hisl A Page. arms the Coronet of the drceased Lord on a > A Page. imeon velvet. cushion, ornamented witht l gold tassels and fringe. J Pages. J The Brarse containing the I Pages. A Page. .4fournhlig Coaci and six, with Urn contain A Pa Page. {Mourning ing the Heart. c ge Alourning Coach and six, c6ntaining tile Chief) Ai Pag. J l\loumers, Colonel Leigh, Colonel Wild- IA Page ge man, John Cans Hoblhouse, Esq., M. P., l and John Hanson, Esq. (tlhe executors.) J Alourning coach and six, with the late Lord Byron's heusehold. Mourning coach and six, containing the Mayor and two Aldermen ot the C,orporation of Nottingham, attended by three of their ser- vants in fall moufning. Mtourning coach end six, containing the Sheritfs, Town lcrlt, and the remainder ot the deputation from the corporatc body, attended by three servants in full mourninag. The Right Hon. Lordl Rancliffe's oarriage and four horses, with Ishis Lordship therein. Colonel Wildman's carriage, containing the pall-bearers, Mlessrs. Edward Stavelev, Alred Thomas Fellows, Jpnathan Dunn, Charles ileywood Bonier, James Fellows, and T. C. Smith, jun. A number of private carriages, antd 40 or 50 gentlemen in tull mourning, upon horseback, closed the processian, which slowly ad- vanced, accompanied by immense crowds of r:eopie ofo all classes, down Smnithy-row, across the Market-place, -up lhapel-bar, along Parliament-streer, up iMilton-strect, and the ,m1ansfield-road, to Papplewick-lane, near the seventh mile-stone, then to Papplowick and Hucknall Torkard. The great body of the people on toot fol- lowed to the outskirts of the lberies of the'town, and then the greater part ot them halted; a few followed all the way, and the number increased greatly; when the procession patsed through the villages contiguous to the place-of intermeilt. - At IiucknaJlJ and the villages leading thereto, the utmost anxiety was manifested- -to learn which way the funeral would come, and. vast -numbers were -assembled on: thc rotnd sides, eager to catch the least intelligence upon aisnatter in swhich all seemed deeply interest- ed; and much disappinrtment.was filt at the procession not coming through Bastord and Bulwell, as had been expected. The doors of Hucknall churclE were ,thrown open, alnd grett numbers of persons were there atan early hours inspe4ting the vault which was to be the last- resting. -place of ?the: noble lord. The vault is but small aud will not hold more than three coffins ubreast upon the floor. '&hose which- were -already there spoke loudly of thie vanity tf worldly grandeut. Scarcely a -bit of wood or velvet t'asi viiblc - Nothing but six vr seven leaden coffinls reLmained, of atl the grindeur which had- been deposited in,that lonely habitation, the mosi Ieible in- seription is that1 of the -fion. uatherine6(inrdon Bgron, fihotlier of him .whoie Wishe8 were thih day utlfilled, wheoe he said, spealking of thennobleddedtsbfhis anceators - : "-Like yoauwill helive or likeyou w-ill he perlsh; : "When deayid,usay Ie iningle kli& dui with yjusr own." The following was the inscription upon the coffin of Lord Byron's mother:- " The Bonourable Cathedine Gordon, of light, riother of George Lord Byron, and lineal descendant of the Earl of Huint- ley and the Lady Jean Stuart; daughter of King James the Ist of Scotland. Obic in the 46th year of her age, August 1, Idll." Although her ladyship was so recently interred, the coffin had. faUen in, the escutcheona, brass gilt plate with the. inscriptio6, and detacbed drapery, from tnie coffin furniture, lay detached, among the disjointed fragments of thetimnber, and thesacdlegious hands of many among the immense crowd, admitted freely throughout the day into the vault. without distnction of perons, removed as tro- phies of.their attendance upon this meaesacholy occasion, pasts of the remnants of useless granteur,wlitch noblepageantr8soidlywastes upon the dead, ant] consigns to moulder with their ashes. The vault was remarkably small and incommodious: it is constructed at the footof a small flight of stone steps under the pavement near the chancel, and about five yards in front of a neatlv obliterated mural monument, in white marble, affixed to the wall, at the north side of the comnmunion table with the foliowinginscription:- geneath in a vault lies interred the body of RsCI{AaD LoaD BY1to.r, who with the rest of his family, being seven brothers, Faithfully served King Chlarles the First in the civil wars, who suffered much for their loyalty and lost aU their present fortunes; Yet it pleased God so to bless the humble endeavours of tbe said Richard L.ord Byron that he reparchased part of their ancient inheritance which he left to his posteritv with a laudabie memory for his great piety and charity he departed this life upon the 4th day of October An. Dom. 1679, in the 74th year of his age. In the game vault is interred the Lady Elizabeth, his nirst wife, daughter of Gcor&e Russel, Esq. by whom he had 10 chtldren, and ye Lady Elizabeth his second wife, daughter to Sir Gieorge Booth. Knt and Barronet, who appoyntedt this monument to be erected to the memory of her dear husband and tbr her great piety and goodness acquired a name better than yt of sonsB and daughters The church itself is very smiall, and merely adapted for the con- venierce of a village throng. It was wite.washed (we know not wlhether or no for tile occasion), and as ntuch pains aS could con- sistently be applied, were devoted tO the accommodation of those who were attracted t. the spoL on the present occasion. At half-past II o'clock, a number of the under-aker's men ar- rived, and immediately began to clothe the pulpit and reading desk with blaci cloth. A large seatnext to the pulpit, together witl the communion table andi rails, were also covered with biack cloth. An escutcheon of tbe arms, witls the motto, " Crede Byron," under- neatli, was hung in front of' the pulpit, below the casliion. AlI therse preparations, were finished by hal&past one, at whichi hour the mi- nute bell begtn to toll. The churcli and little village were crowded to excess at tliib hour, and all eyes were fixed on the road which the proxessien had to pass: it came by the Alansfield road, fbr the purpose of being drawn near to Newstead-Abbey. Although the procession left Nottingham at 11 o'clock, and had only eight miles to traverse, it did not reach .lucknall church utiil half-past three o'clock. The Rev. Mr. Nixon, the vicar, who was in attendance all day. imme- cllately repaired to the churchyard, where he received the body At a quarter befbre four o'cloeft the procession entered the church. The body and urn being broughr in, and placed on two trestles fixed in the caisle, the mourners passed to theseats prepared for them. Tre coronet and cushion were then placed upon the case containing the urn, and upon the coffin was placed the noble plume of sable feathers. The Rev. M r. Nixon, the vicar, clothed in his w*hite sur- p lice, then read a part of the beautitul service of the Church of Eng- .and; anti in a few minutes the undertaker ancdhis attendants slowly remnoved the coflin and urn to the opening of the vault, the state- bearer of the coronet supporting it on the cuahion at the hea(l of the tomb, wlhilst the Reverend Vicar read lle remainder of the service. The coffini was then gradually lowered, and placed on an old leaden cofin, said to be that (for no vestige oflettersor ornaiient remained) of the Lord Byron whose name and deeds are recorded rupon tie mural monument. Thle original intention was, that it should have been laid upon liis mother's cofinl, but the mutlilated and decayed state of the latter rendered that impossfble; it rests, however, exactly next to it,with the case containinlg the urn, &c., at the head. Around the vault stood Colonel Leigh, chief mourner, (the present Lord Byron was said to be indisposed at Bath); next him Air. Hob- house and Alr. Hanson; then Lord Rancliffe and Colonel Wrildman; the Household of the deceased ir, the rear. During the final performance of the obsequies. and as the coffin was lowering iito the tomb, the unaffected anti overpowering dis- play of feelings, which attested the recollection of much departed worth was of a nature to arouse, from the ordinary spectators who behielJ it, the warmest sympathy. The funeral was, at its close, unattended by the great who had accompanied it through Vestmiaster. The poets and statesmen who at its departurc had, by their presence, attested their regard and attachment for the indred geittus ard patriet principles of ethe deceased, were aot around the tomb to excite, or to invite, by the expression of their own feelings, the reverence and admiration which are, under such peculiar circunistances, so freely rendered by the public, when they behold the most sditinguished men ef their time assembled to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the possessor of great talents, who expired in exerting them,.1 "when best employed and wanted most," in the cause of liberty. But if these objects of pa- triotic excitement were not operating at the cemetery of the noble deceased, there were others which could not fall to be felt, for they went hone to the hearL The poor blackservant never took his eyes from the coffin, and bent his body that they should follow it to the last eimpse, which its gorgeous reflection still cast from the gloomy abyss of the tomb to which it was consigned. The Italian servnt seemed as if he were,a stranger and friendless; and the valet (Fletcher), from his ite master's childhood hisvattendant, was so overpowered as the coffin was lowering into the vault, that he was obliged to draw back from the chief mourners, among whom the do- mestics unconsciously mixed, in prcssing forward to take a farewell glance, and to support himself against a pew in an agony of rie'. All t e moturners, Mlr. Hobisouse in particular, were much afected: he ran down into the vault, and mixed with theundertaker's attendants, to see that the coffin of Lord Byron was laid next his mother's, to whom ihe had ever been most affectionately attached. The whole ceremony was finished at 20 minutes past four o'dockn One wish of the late distinguished lpoet is grautfied by ptis remains being deposited in his native land, and in the tonib of his ancestors, and in ahs own words, to mingle with _" The crush'd relics of their vanished might." In the last canto of ChciMe fl'erold, he alludes witlh a sigh to the chance of dying far " from the inviolate i8land of the sage and free," and beautifuily expresses himself_ . And should I lay ".5y ashes in a soil which is not mine, Aly spirit shall resume it-if we may "Unbodied choose a sanctuary. I twine "My hopes of being remembered in my Ine, "Withi my land's langaage: if too fbnd and far These aspirations in their scope inclitte "I f my fame should be a s my fortunes are " 01hasty growth and blight, and dull oblivion bar "My name from out the temple where the dead "Are honoured by the nations-let it be- " And light the laurels on a loftier head! LAnd be the Spartan's epitaph on me- " Sparta hath many a worthier son than he." lVhen the t'uneral was finished, Alr. Hobhouse departed with Lord Rancliftte nd Colonel Wildman. The hearse and mourning coaches returnied to Nottingham in the course of the evening. FUNMJRAL OF LORD BYRON.