The Blackpool Herald. — 1886-05-21 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

THE CHILDREN.—AFFECTING SCENE.  The interment of the three murdered children took place on Tuesday afternoon, at the Kirkham Parish Church in the presence of over two thousand people, and the scene was perhaps the most affecting that has ever been witnessed in the old town. Shortly after the close of the inquest on Monday afternoon, the children were laid out by Mrs. Stafford, Mrs. Camp, Mrs. Riley, and Mrs. Robinson. On account of the great number of people who desired to see them, the bodies were removed from the bedroom, where they had been lying, to the lower front room, and placed in coffins side by side on a table, the youngest being in the centre. This precaution was deemed necessary to prevent the possibility of Alfred Bligh, the father, who 000upiea the adjoining bedroom, where he is in constant charge of two police officers, being disturbed by the noise of footsteps, passing up and down the stairs. From that time some scores of people to whom the children had been known in life visited the house and saw them in their coffins. This almost constant flow of sympathy was not interfered with till about two o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, when Superintendent Stafford deemed it advisable to place an officer on duty at the gate to prevent any further visits except from the most immediate friends. On Tuesday great numbers of beautiful wreaths, crosses, and other floral tokens from sympathising friends were sent in from all quarters to be placed on the coffins. They were composed of narcissi geraniums, lilies of the valley, roses, primroses, and other simple flowers prettily arranged in appropriate designs. Amongst the more noticeable were three from the children at the National Infant School, which the elder of the girls had attended up to the time of her death. They were sent per Miss Astley, the schoolmistress, and ' were respectively inscribed "Lilly," "Nellie," and "Gerty, " with love from the scholars of the Kirkham Infant School." Among other contributors of wreaths, crosses, and flowers were Mrs. Dr. Walker, the Misses Shaw, Mrs. Whalley, Mrs. Stafford, Miss Antley, the Misses Gardner, Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Parkinson. The coffins in which the children were placed (supplied by Mr. Richard Woods, of Orders-lane, Kirkham, who had charge of the funeral arrangements) were of pitch pine, polished, and upon each was a shield bearing the name and age of the occupant, viz., "L. Ada Bligh, aged six years," "Gertrude Maria, aged four years," and "Eleanor, aged 18 months," and the words, "died May 15th, 1886." At the appointed time for the funeral, half-past four on Tuesdayl afternoon, the weather was somewhat threatening, and before the obsequies were concluded there was a smart shower. Notwithstanding this the short route from the Police Station to the Parish Church was thickly lined with spectators. The simple procession which left the Police Station at the time named, comprised the three coffins laid side by side on a bier, each covered wreaths, crosses, and flowers, borne by six of the undertaker's men, followed by about a dozen relatives and friends on foot. Among the latter were Misses Alice and Maria Turner, relatives of the late Mrs. Bligh, mother of the children; Mrs. Pickford, housekeeper for Alfred Bligh ; Mrs. Nowell, Supt. and Mrs. Stafford, Sergeant and Mrs. Camp, P.C.'s Knott, cßea, and Finehan ; and Mr. and Mrs. Mellor, connnections of the Blighs, from Ashton-underLyne. After the procession had passed, the crowd followed to the church. At the gates of the churchyard the cortege was met by the Rev. G. Powles, Vicar of Weeton, who had undertaken to conduct the obsequies in the absence from town of the Rev. H. W. Mason, Vicar of Kirkham. The rev, gentleman at once commenced the opening sentences of the Church of England Burial Service, meanwhile preceding the mourners to the church. After the funeral party had taken their places the body of the edifice was filled by a large miscellaneous congregation, embracing all classes in the town and district. The Rev. G. Powles read the remaining portion of the Ber vice appointed to be said within the church, and afterwards—impelled doubtless by the large con.