The Estate - Bevendean History Project
Funeral for Mr. Steyning Beard at Rottingdean
MR. STEYNING BEARD, J.P.
FUNERAL AT ROTTINGDEAN
Many
personal friends, tenants and village were gathered under a leaden sky
in Rottingdean Churchyard yesterday afternoon, when all that was mortal
of the late Mr. Steyning Beard, J.P., was laid to rest in the family
vault. On its way to Rottingdean the funeral cortege passed from the
residence of the deceased, 20, Denmark Villas, Hove, along the Front
where many of the flags were lowered to half-mast; and in the village
itself almost every house had lowered blinds as a last tribute to a man
universally respected.FUNERAL AT ROTTINGDEAN
A crowded congregation filled the little church, where the first part of Church service was held, the clergy being the Rev. A. E. Wynne, Vicar of Rottingdean, the Rev. J. F. Poole, Rector of Telscombe, and the Rev. H. W. Maycock, Rector of Horsted Keynes, and late of St. Barnabas', Hove. The hymns were "Rock of Ages" and "O God, our Help in ages past," and in hushed tones the beautiful 39th Psalm was chanted, with its solemn reminder of how brief and transient is this early life: “Behold, Thou hast made my days as a span long: and mine age is even as nothing in respect of Thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity."
PRINCIPAL MOURNERS
The
principal mourners were; The four sons, Mr. Charles Steyning Beard, Mr.
Ernest Percival Beard, Mr. Bertram Ferryman Beard, arid Mr. Ralph
Thomas Beard, Mr. H. Phillips, Mr. H. Phillips, the Rev. H. W. Maycock,
Mr. R. Baker Penoyre, and Mr. Murrell and among those in church
were:—Mr. F. Allcorn, the Rev. F. Andersen, Messrs. Charles C. Bailey, Bateup, G. Blackman, Montague Blaker, W, Brown, J.P. the Hon. Charles Brand, J.P. the Rev. F. W. Champneys (Rector of Rotherfield), Mr. C. Cowley, Mr. W. H. Cockburn (Hon. Secretary, Brighton and Brookside Harriers), Captain Clarke, R.N., Messrs. Ed Dawson, William Elder, A. Gorham, Hillman, John Hodson, J. Holman, W. H. Hudson (East Brighton Golf Club), R. Humphrey, F. Holman, W. F. Ingram, W. Keen, H. Kemp (Mr. Beard’s nurse), Sir Thomas Lennard, Messrs. G. Mason, Kennedy Megaw (Hon. Secretary, Southdown Foxhounds), E. Monk, Dr. E. Miller, Messrs. C. S. Moens, F. Noakes, C. Phillips, Ed. Potiphar, A. Reed, W. Reed, Julian Ridsdale, Charles A. Rubie, S. Skelton, Fred Stacey, C. E. F. Stanford, Thornton, H. H. Taylor, F. Verrall, Welfare, George Whitfield, Major Welch (Late Master Brighton and Brookside Harriers), Mr. J. J. Wilson, &c. Mr. George Beard, of Lewes, was unable to attend owing to an attack of influenza.
The organ moaned out the sorrowful notes of the Dead March in “Saul” as the coffin was borne from the church to the grave, and there amid bowed heads the last tremendous words of the burial services were uttered: . . . “we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earthy ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto His glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to sustain all things to Himself." And as the coffin was slowly lowered into the vault the restless waves beating on the cliffs boomed a solemn requiem.
BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS
Round
the grave were piled a profusion of beautiful flowers, among them a
handsome wreath of yellow chrysanthemums and violets from the Brighton
and Brookside Harriers. The inscriptions were as follows: —“For our darling, from Frances and little Bay, his loving wife and daughter”; “To dear old Governor, from his four sons, Charlie, Ernest, Bertie, and Ralph”; “In affectionate remembrance, from George and Gladys”; “With much love and many happy memories, from Elizabeth and his granddaughters"; “In loving memory of dear cousin Steyning, from little Lilla”; “From Charlie and Lil, with loving sympathy”; “from Lilla and Mary”; “from Grannie, in loving memory”; “With best love, from Harry”; a cross from Mr. W. Brown, J.P., and Mrs. Brown; “with deep sympathy, from Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bird”; “with sincere regret, Mr. and Mrs. Mabson”; “With Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Lawson’s sincerest sympathy”; “From an old friend, Mr. Charles C. Bailey”; “In memoriam, Miss Frances Griffith and Miss Agnes Griffith”; “With sincere sympathy, from the Dean, Rottingdean”; “In memory of happy days at Rottingdean, Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Helme”; With sincerest sympathy, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas F. Foxwell”; “With sympathy, Mr Croxton Johnson”; “With sincere sympathy, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Carey”, “With sincere sympathy, from Mr. and Mrs. E. Miller”; “With sincere regrets, from Mr. and Mrs. George Elliot and family”; “With deep sympathy, Mr. Herbert Morrell”; “In affectionate remembrance, from Stanley Danette Skelton”; “With deepest sympathy, from Mr. and Mrs. Blatspiel Stamp”; “With our united sympathy, Major and Mrs. J. Douglas S. D. Archer”; “With kindest and sincerest sympathies, from Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Taylor”; “From Rosie, in loving memory”; “With sincere sympathy, from Mr H. Kemp” (deceased’s nurse); “With sincere and deep sympathy, from Nan and Alice” (maids); “With deep sympathy, Mr J. F. Murrell”; “In affectionate remembrance, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Morrell and family”; “In affectionate remembrance, from Canon and Mrs John Danette Nairne and family”; “With deep regret, from a few tenants – Mrs G. Humphrey, W. Wright, A. West, S. Holford, A. Reid and others”; “With sincere sympathy, from members of Brighton and Brookside Harriers”; “With deepest sympathy, from Dr. H. C. Tweedy and family”; “In loving memory, from Ada”; “With fondest sympathy, from Mrs. Seaburne Meons and the Misses Meons”; “With Mrs. F Knowles and the Misses Knowles love”; “With kind sympathy, from his old gardener, Trayton Young”; “Mrs. J. Douglas Adamson, with deep regret”; “With sympathy, from Mr. and Mrs. Swan”; “Mr. and: Mrs. W. Keen, and Mrs. Keen, with sympathy"; "With much sympathy, Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. Davie K. Robertson”; “Mr. Delamark Banks Roffey, Master of the Brighton Foot Beagles"; “With sincere sympathy, Mr. Frederick Holman"; “In affectionate remembrance, from Captain and Mrs. H. J. Langford Clarke"; "With loving sympathy, the Misses Cadwallader and Miss Mainland.
The funeral arrangements were carried; out by Hanningtons, Ltd.
FAMOUS THIRTY - THREE YEARS AGO
An
old reader of the Sussex Daily News recalls the fact that, besides
being presented with a testimonial after his more than thirty years
Mastership of the Brookside Harriers, the late Mr. Steyning
Beard’s merits as a Master and sound sportsman were recognised by
a presentation just-on thirty-three years ago. The account of the
event- records that at a meet of the Brookside at Kingston village,
when that cheery and hospitable fellow sportsman, Mr... Richard
Woodman, entertained the Hunt, the Master was preserved with a
beautifully-toned silver horn. The inscription on this was: "Presented
to Steyning Beard, Esq., on the 1st January, 1877, by his friends and
the members of the Brookside Hunt.”The presentation was made by Mr. James Philcox, of Preston, and those present included Dr. Jex Blake, Mr. W. Keen, Mr. and Mrs. Woodman, Charles Beard, and little Charlie Philcox." In the course of a felicitous speech Mr. Philcox said: "I think you may consider the horn an "emblem of true friendship, because each time you draw it from its case you, in effect, shake hands with your field and hold them in friendly grasp, and each time you speak through it to your pack it is surely a friendly call to them. I trust it will hang at your saddle bow for many years to come, and that we may all be spared for some time, at all events, to follow its silvery sound, and when, in the course of nature, we go to ground, I hope, with all my heart, that our sons may be able to enjoy hunting as fully in every way as those who now surround you.”
From: The Sussex Daily News on 16 December 1909
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