Thomas Parker's Funeral

Thomas died on Sunday 5th December, 1915, and was buried at Madeley Parish churchyard in the Fletcher vault. The funeral was as follows:

The funeral took place on Wednesday at Madeley churchyard. For a distance of two miles blinds were drawn and shops closed on route to the church, whilst a great representative gathering turned out to pay a last tribute of respect to their departed friend.

The cortege consisted of local policemen, followed by the bearers, the hearse, three coaches and a number of mourners.

Policemen Police Inspector Jones (Wenlock), Sergts. Morris (Ironbridge), and Durnall (Highley); P.C. Edwards (Broseley), and P.C. Eccleston (Madeley).
Bearers Messrs. W. J. Crawford, Russ, J. Taylor, B. Aston, E. Bowen, F. Aston, J. Growcott, and H. Child.
1st coach Mr. Edwin Thorley Parker, Mr. Thomas Hugh Parker, Mr. Charles Parker, Mr. Alfred Edward Parker (sons).
2nd coach  Mr. Walter Faraday Parker (son), Mrs. Robbins (daughter), Mrs. H. Burton Smith (daughter), Master Broughton Parker (grandson).
3rd coach Mr. Charles Dean King (son-in-law), J. T. Thorne, G. R. Thorne, M.P.

Also present were: Messrs. W. Taylor, A. Owen, G. Morris, W. Alfred, J. Williams; from Court Works, Dr. Whitfield, Dr. Ogle, Alderman A. Dyas, and Miss Owen and Mr. F. H. Potts; from Coalbrookdale County School.

Messrs. J. Bayley and J. F. Robinson; from Wellington Liberal and Labour Association, Mr. D. Lanyon; from Hadley Works, Mr. H. C. Simpson; from Horsehay, and the Revs. E. Pillifant and A. E. Shields, from Ironbridge.

Messrs. H. Jones and F. J, Jones, B. Wilson; from Coalbrookdale, A. W. Roberts, W. J. Jeffrey, W. W. Marrion, W. J. Legge, H. G. Castle, W. Roberts, J. Burr, C. Clark-Bruff, and Mr. and Mrs. E. Owen from Ironbridge.

Messrs. G. E. Stokes, J. Grant, G. H. Espley, B. Maddox, T. D. Thomas, B, Wilson, R. Jones; from Horsehay, H. Pellows, C. R. Bartlam, W. Jones, W. F. Bryan, W. P. Pope, T. Dorsett, J. Richards, Mrs. H. Parker, etc.

The service was most impressively conducted by the Rev. E. Bulstrode Pryce (vicar). The body was interred in a vault, and there was one wreath of laurel. By request there were no flowers. The undertaking arrangements were excellently carried out by Messrs. W. Lloyd and Sons, Ironbridge.

Courtesy of the Ironbridge George Community Archive.
 

Thomas's youngest daughter Jessie is on the left, inspecting the grave. She had the old memorial stone removed, and added iron railings, along with a new memorial stone.


The Fletcher vault as it is today, containing the graves of Thomas, Jane and Jessie.


Another view of the grave.

Jessie added a memorial stone to the grave, which carries the following inscription:


Thomas and Jane's memorial stone.

Also buried in the grave is the Parker's youngest daughter, Jessie. The family also added a memorial stone to her. It is inscribed as follows:


Jessie's memorial stone.


The plate on the railings.

Condolences:


Courtesy of Sarah Roberts of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.
A letter from Court Works Limited, at Madeley.

Courtesy of Sarah Roberts of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

From a newspaper cutting describing the happenings on Tuesday 17th December, 1915 at Wolverhampton Magistrate’s Court:

The Late Mr. T. Parker JP.

Magisterial References at Wolverhampton

The magistrates sitting at Wolverhampton Police Court today (Tuesday) were the Mayor (Councillor A. C. Skidmore), Messrs. J. F. Beckett, J. W. Hamp, and W. Hodgson.

After the one case on the list had been adjourned, Mr. Beckett said: “As senior magistrate sitting on the Tuesday’s) Bench. He and I were honoured by being placed on the Commission of the Peace at the same time, and for some years Mr. Parker very assiduously attended to his duties as Justice of the Peace here until he left the neighbourhood. He was always very careful, very exact, and if he had any inclinations at all they were more towards the prisoner in the dock than towards the prosecutor. But a fairer-minded man, as a magistrate I think it was very rarely our opportunity to meet with. I had known him for many years. He was a somewhat unique character; a man who had risen from low position, and who was never too proud to acknowledge the position from which he came. My colleagues and I am sure, everyone who has been accustomed to sit in the Court, will agree that we should send our deep sympathy to Mrs. Parker and family in their great loss.

The Mayor said although he was not associated with Mr. Parker as a brother magistrate, he knew him intimately, and could endorse everything that Mr. Beckett had said. Mr. Parker was a man of the strictest rectitude, one who took great interest in public affairs, and one who was always imbued with a sense of justice, and at the same time tinged that justice with mercy. He seconded the proposal of Mr. Beckett that a message of sympathy be sent to Mrs. Parker and family.

The Chief Constable (Captain Burnett) desired that his name should be associated with the expression of sympathy with Mrs. Parker and family, and remarked that last summer he had a long conversation with Mr. Parker at his home. He was very ill then.

Mr. Dallow said that on behalf of the solicitors practising at the Court he would like to be associated with the remarks that had been made.

Mr. A. W. Jones (assistant Magistrate’s Clerk) undertook to see that the instructions of the magistrates were carried out.

Courtesy of Sarah Roberts of The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.
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