Funeral at Eckington. AlI Eckington joined in the mark of sympathy and respect paid to the memory of Mr James Fidler at the funeral on Saturday and associated with the residents of the village and district were leading representatives of the building trade in Sheffield.
The first portion of the service was read the Parish Church, fully a mile distant from the deceased residence, but as the cortege passed through Eckington there was no house in which blinds were not drawn or any business premises without shutters.
Carrying the wreaths, over 100 workmen and apprentices in the employ of the firm walked in procession before the hearse, and on-the arrival the churchyard they, with other general mourner lined either side of the pathway along which the coffin was borne into the sacred building. There were besides large number of residents of Eckington and the neighbourhood attendance, and the church was quite full.
The service was fully choral. As the funeral party entered, the deputy organist (Mr J Gaskell) played “O Rest in the Lord,” “I know that my Redeemer liveth,” and other beautiful and consolatory music. The hymn sung was “There is a blessed home.”
Both in church and at the graveside the service was conducted by the Rector (the Rev W Hewson), the lesson being read by the Rev J R Godfrey.
It was a striking funeral which made its way to the cemetery on the hillside, where the interment was made. Besides the deceased’s employees, practically all of whom went over from Sheffield, there proceeded the hearse representatives of public bodies, religious institutions of which Mr Fidler had been a warm supporter, friends and others who had be associated with him business, and residents of Eckington.
The bearers were the firm’s foremen. Messrs D Sheldon, T Stafford, C Otter, F Rowlinson, A Ball, W Bower. A Nice, and S Barker, and the whole of the funeral arrangements were carried out under the supervision of Mr H Wilson, general foreman The polished oak coffin with a sold brass mountings was the work of employees, the inscription on the name plate being “James Fidler, born 25th March 1838, died 10th January 1905”.
BNA copywrite
