Funeral Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

the times on william huskisson s funeral, 27 sep 1830

emily huskisson planned william huskisson buried near family home in eartham in small service. on 17 september, 3 days after huskisson s death, lord granville , delegation of liverpool clergymen visited eccles vicarage present emily huskisson petition, signed 264 liverpool dignitaries, requesting remains may interred within precincts of town, in distinguished public worth , private virtue secured him respect , esteem of whole community , , agreed burial in liverpool instead. refused allow form of parade or pageantry, or suggested gun salute.

on 18 september huskisson s body placed in coffin , covered black silk. shortly before midnight team of men prepared move coffin hearse had been parked outside since afternoon, emily huskisson refused allow them take body. instead, spent night in vicarage coffin. next morning left in horse-drawn carriage windows covered. coffin, meanwhile, set off in hearse liverpool. although funeral party changed horses @ remote , quiet coaching inns avoid attention, gathered followers progressed; time reached liverpool town hall late evening, hearse followed @ least 10 carriages , more 500 mourners on foot.

for william huskisson s funeral on friday 24 september, every business in liverpool closed. huskisson had been popular figure in liverpool, , authorities expected large numbers of people wishing attend. in effort control numbers announced wishing join cortège submit written request in writing town hall. proved impractical, , authorities put posters around town advising in mourning dress allowed join procession. colour coded tickets issued wishing attend burial, each colour representing different section of cemetery, in effort control crowd numbers @ burial service; total of 3,000 tickets issued.

although emily huskisson had wanted keep service small-scale , free pageantry, william huskisson had been instrumental figure in development of liverpool , there huge amount of sympathy , respect him. city s inhabitants in position attend funeral lined route; estimated 69,000 people, half city s population, attended. reports spoke of available space @ every window being packed onlookers, other house in duke street in huskisson had stayed 10 days before journey, , of people climbing trees , crowding onto roofs better view, despite rain , hail.

huskisson s coffin placed on trestle table in town hall, draped black velvet , covered feathered plumes. between 9.00 , 10.00 am stream of mourners guided coffin group of truncheon men. @ 10.00 2 mutes guided mourners out of town hall , mounted horses; rain , hail had eased. mutes led procession, followed mourners town hall , around 1,100 other mourners had waited outside. these mourners marched 6 abreast, , followed funeral committee, 28 local clergymen , 2 more mutes. behind group marched joseph brandreth , rev blackburne, , behind them came carriages carrying pall-bearers, group of local dignitaries had known , worked huskisson, followed 2 more mutes. behind pair of mutes hearse carrying coffin, followed huskisson s colleagues , surviving brothers thomas , samuel. these in turn followed around 900 locals in mourning dress had decided join procession, bringing cortège around half mile (0.8 km) in length. duke of wellington, pleading prior commitment attend dinner in birmingham, did not attend.

the procession left town hall , went 2,000 yards (1,800 m) via hope street iron-lined grave in st james cemetery, accompanied muffled church bells. iron rails erected along length of funeral procession hold crowd of around 50,000 people lined route. emily huskisson, devastated grief, did not attend funeral. despite objection gun salutes 32-pounder cannon fired mark departure of coffin town hall , 6-pounder fired mark body s arrival @ cemetery, , smaller guns fired procession passed. on arrival @ cemetery short 15 minute service held, after huskisson s close mourners moved graveside , huskisson placed in grave, accompaniment of weeping brothers. shortly before 1.00 pm cannon shot marked end of service, , crowd dispersed; pubs , restaurants throughout liverpool remained shut rest of day.

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