We now come to the last funeral of the last person to die at the gunpowder mills.
Most Whaley folk or readers of this forum will notice many familiar names within this next report.
R. S-S
Ashton Reporter
4 September 1909
FUNERAL of Mr P. SOUTHERN
of WHALEY
many people at the ceremony
The funeral of the late Mr Percy Southern, of Whaley Bridge, the third victim of the Fernilee gunpowder explosion, took place on Friday afternoon at the Fernilee Wesleyan Burial Ground. As in the case of the two previous funerals, the greatest respect and sympathy were shown, the blinds at all the cottages being drawn, and the tradesmens’ shutters half closed.
The obsequies were impressively conducted by the Rev. J. Bonsall, Wesleyan minister, of Chapel-en-le-Frith, there being a large congregation in the chapel.
There were also present a large number of employees of the Chilworth Gunpowder Co., including the following officials: Messrs J. Ashby, J.T. Mellor, A. Shaw, D. Sherwood, R.D. James, G. Macbean, G. Vaughan and J. Roberts. Deceased was a member of the Whaley Bridge Ambulance Division, which was represented by eleven members of the corps under Sup. S. Bagshaw. The Whaley Bridge Wesleyan Sunday School was represented by Messrs E. Ashby, R. Fergie and A.H. Burgess (superintendents), the “Rock” Division of the Sons of Temperance by Bro. A. Weate, G.W.P., and J.W. Lomas P.G.W.P., the Whaley Bridge Cricket Club by Mr Harold Collier (secretary) and the Whaley Bridge Post Office (deceased being the firm’s private postman) by Mr W. Scholes. Mr Gosselin-Grimshaw, of Errwood Hall, Mr T. Shuker and Mrs John Lowe attended.
The bearers were Corporal H. Allen, Privates J. Lomas, W. Lamb and R. Clayton of the Ambulance Brigade, and Messrs H. Morten junr., F. Wharmby, W. Harrop and O. Goddard of the Wesleyan Sunday School.
The mourners were:- Mr and Mrs J.W. Southern (father and mother), Mrs S. Jodrell and Miss E. Southern (sisters), Messrs Joseph and Ernest Southern (brothers), Miss Neate (fiancée), Mr and Mrs G. Jones, Buxton (uncle and aunt), Mr S. Goddard (uncle), Mr T. Goddard (cousin), Mrs Jos Southern (sister-in-law), Mr S. Jodrell (brother-in-law), Mrs J. Jodrell, Mrs R. Goddard, Mrs Morris, Mrs Chas Bagshaw, Mrs Hill, Mr Fred Brookes, Miss E. Corrigan, Miss J. Corrigan, Mr M. Heary, Mr J. Barnes and Mr James Southern.
There were many floral tributes, including the following:- From Father, Mother, Ernest, Eliza, Polly, Stephen, Mary, Jos and Hester “In affectionate remembrance of our dear Percy;” Uncle Sam and Family, Aunt Eliza and Uncle George, Elsie; from his companions, F. Brookes, F. Wharmby, W. Harrop, F. Collier, A. Morten and H. Morten, his Cousins at Buxton, Officers and teachers of the Whaley Bridge Wesleyan Sunday School, the Chilworth Gunpowder Co., Mr E. Kraftmeir (managing director), Mr Cox (manager of the works) and Mrs Cox, Mrs Gosselin-Grimshaw and Mrs Preston, Mr and Mrs Preston, Mr and Mrs Rowley (Fernilee), Mr J. and Mrs Corrigan and Family, Mr & Mrs Herbert Burgess, Mr and Mrs Allan Heather and Family, the Post Office staff at Whaley Bridge, the Servants at Fernilee Hall, the Staff at the Fernilee Mills, artificial wreath under glass globe, Mr G.W. Little, Park House, Whaley Bridge Ambulance Division, Whaley Bridge Cricket Club, 2nd eleven, Mr T. Redfern, May and Will Neate, Mr and Mrs F. Jowle, Mr and Mrs Mellor, Mr and Mrs W. Jodrell, Lizzie, Frank and Clement Morris.
The superintendents of the Wesleyan Sunday School conducted a short service at the house, and at the graveside Bugler Haughty sounded the “Last Post”, the scene being most impressive and moving many to tears, as they thought of the many good qualities of the young man who had been laid in an untimely grave.
Messrs Collier Bros., who had charge of the previous two funerals, conducted this one also.
MEMORIAL SERVICE
A special service in memory of the late Mr Percy Southern was held at Fernilee on Sunday afternoon. A procession was formed at Whaley Bridge comprising members of the “Rock” Division of the Sons of Temperance, the employees of the Chilworth Gunpowder Co., the scholars of the Whaley Bridge Wesleyan Sunday School and the Whaley Bridge Ambulance Brigade. The procession was headed by the Whaley Bridge Public Band playing hymn tunes. There was a great crowd of people at Fernilee, and it was quite impossible to accommodate them in the Wesleyan Chapel. The service was accordingly held in the burial ground adjoining at which it was estimated there were 700 people present. Many other stood on the road and it is stated there must have been at least a thousand people there, the most numerous congregation there has ever been at Fernilee. The preacher was Mr E.E. Daish, of Whaley Bridge, who made touching reference to the sad calamity and the deceased young man’s useful life. Hymns of an appropriate character were sung, and Mr Shuker ably presided at the organ. Miss Wainwright sang a solo very sweetly. The service was of a most impressive character.