Death and funeral of Reverend Henry Fearon

Reverend Henry Fearon: on the 135th anniversary of his death and funeral

On Friday 12 June, 1885 ⁽¹⁾, at the age of 82 ⁽²⁾, and only 8 days off his 83^rd birthday, the Reverend Henry Fearon, Rector of Loughborough, and Archdeacon of Leicester, passed away. Fearon had retired from the archdeaconry in early April, 1884, due to failing health, but had been granted permission by the Bishop of Peterborough to retain the title of archdeacon. Reverend Fearon had been in declining health for some time, and had refrained from taking part in the services of the church for several months. The final two months of his life were spent confined to his bed, under the care of Dr Eddowes ⁽³⁾ right up until the time of his death.

The living at Loughborough, which became vacant upon the death of Fearon, was variously described as being valued at anything from £800, through £988 to over £1,000 per year, a substantial amount, and probably one of the highest in the country at the time. It was not until the beginning of August 1885, that a successor to Fearon was appointed, when Reverend Thomas Pitts, MA and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, accepted the living of Loughborough. Reverend Pitts had previously been a master of the Haileybury School, an independent school in Hertfordshire. By contrast, the Bishop of Peterborough was quick to confer the 8^th Honorary Canonry on Reverend John Martyn Collyns, MA, and Rector of Daventry, and Reverend Collyns was installed at a service on the afternoon of Saturday 27 June 1885. Reverend Canon Assheton Pownell, MA, and graduate of Brasenose College Oxford, and Rector of South Kilworth, had been appointed to the archdeaconry of Leicester immediately upon Fearon’s resignation in April 1884.

Fearon’s death was reported widely in the press of the day ⁽⁴⁾. He was variously described as a most learned and courteous divine, and a moderate Liberal. Some newspapers reported on the admirable and kindly manner in which he performed his important duties, and how he gained the respect and esteem of the community of Loughborough. It was also said that one couldn’t over-estimate the value of his dedication to the cause of education, and his unfailing interest in the welfare of the working classes. During his time as rector, the church of All Saints had been improved, the ecclesiastical affairs of the parish had been developed, and all in a quiet and unostentatious manner. Fearon was reported to be earnest, making practical efforts to improve the condition of those around him, and a striking feature of his life was the charitable way in which he treated those of differing religious beliefs to his own.

Reverend Fearon’s funeral took place on Friday 19 June, the service being held at All Saints church, and the burial at the town cemetery on Leicester Road. The ceremony itself was simple, and the whole day was declared a day of mourning. Most of the shops in the town centre closed just before the time of the funeral, and even the blinds of private houses were drawn. All the town factories were closed for several hours so that the workers could pay their last respects to Reverend Fearon: as such thousands of townsfolk were able to attend the funeral or line the route of the funeral procession. The bells of All Saints, Holy Trinity church and Emmanuel church were tolled, and the flag on the tower of the Grammar School was mounted at half-mast.

The funeral procession was extensive, comprising both relatives and friends of Fearon; both clergy from the archdeaconry and non-conformist ministers from Loughborough; representatives from different public bodies and tenants of the reverend. In fact, so extensive was the procession that entry to the church service at All Saints was by ticket only. The cortege arrived at the church just before 2.30 on the afternoon of Friday 19 June, where, on entering through the west door, it was met by the sounds of a combined choir of over 80 voices from All Saints, Holy Trinity church and Emmanuel church, singing ‘When our heads are bowed with woe’.

Members of the congregation who were not part of the procession had been seated for over an hour before the procession entered the church. Once everyone was seated, the, which was taken by the Reverend James Mountain, the curate of All Saints, began. The lesson was read by Reverend L.L. Cooper of St John’s church in Leicester, and Dr Briggs, the organist at All Saints, brought the service to a close with a rendition of ‘Dead march’ from Handel’s Oratorio, ‘Saul’ ⁽⁵⁾.  

The funeral procession then made its way to the cemetery on Leicester Road, led by the sexton, Mr T. Grundy. Leaving the church at about 3pm, the procession went down Church Gate, passed the edge of Market Place, then along High Street and up Leicester Road to the cemetery, passing hundreds of mourners along its way. The whole journey of just under a mile-and-a half took about an hour to reach its destination. The massed choir sang ‘Jesus lives no longer now’ as the procession entered the cemetery gates, and did so also at the graveside. The service at the graveside was read first by the Reverend J. B. N. Woodroffe, followed by the Reverend Mountain, and the benediction was pronounced by the Venerable Archdeacon Lightfoot. The grave was layered with dark leaves, a cross of white flowers, and circles of daisies, and on the ledges were white blossoms fringed with ferns. The locally made oak coffin, with brass fittings and an inscribed brass plate, was covered in wreaths and crosses.

On the Sunday following Reverend Fearon’s funeral, a funeral service was held at All Saints, the sermon being preached by Reverend Lewis Clayton of St Margaret’s church in Leicester, assisted by Reverend Mountain and the Reverend R. H. Parsons. The chosen text read from the bible, was from the 9^th verse of the 4^th chapter of Phillippians, which was chosen for its appropriateness to the situation in Loughborough, and for its obvious application to the Reverend Fearon, a man who most certainly practised what he preached, and a man who was always ready to forgive. Later that same evening, the Reverend Martin preached to another large congregation, whilst the Reverend E. Bell held a special service at Holy Trinity church, and reference was made to the funeral of the Reverend Fearon at Emmanuel and other churches across the town.

Post-Script Further details of the life of the Reverend Henry Fearon can be found elsewhere on this blog, as can memories of happy times for the Reverend Fearon. 

Footnotes

(1) Newspaper reports of the time vary widely in their statements about the date of Reverend Fearon’s death: some quoted 7.50 on the evening of Thursday 11 June, others Friday 12 June and yet others Saturday 13 June. Friday 12 June is the date recorded in the probate record.

(2) Again, newspaper reports of the time claim the Reverend Fearon was 82, 83, 85 or even 89 at the time of his death. His birth is recorded as 20 June 1802, and he was baptised on 8 September 1802.

(3) I am unclear which Dr Eddowes was attending Reverend Fearon: this could have been John Henry (jun.) or his brother, Arthur Benjamin Jackson Eddowes. 

(4) The report of the funeral and burial of Fearon which appeared in the ‘Nottinghamshire Guardian’ of 26 June 1885, was ironically immediately followed by an article describing the opening of a new reservoir at Park Row, Nottingham, which cost around £12,000, the reservoir being capable of holding 2.25 gallons. In 1870 Fearon had been instrumental in providing Loughborough with a clean supply of fresh water from Nanpantan Reservoir, and presented the town with the Fearon Fountain, which, along with the more recent ‘Sockman’ is an iconic feature of Loughborough’s Market Place.

(5) The librettist who wrote 'Saul' was Charles Jennens, from Gopsall Hall, in Leicestershire, with whom Handel had a close friendship, and whom he visited often. 

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Dyer, Lynne (2020). Death and funeral of Reverend Henry Fearon. Available from:https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-and-funeral-of-reverend-henry.html  [Accessed: 7 June 2020]

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