FUNERAL OF CLARA JANE HANNAFORD

Report of the Funeral taken from The Western Morning News

23rd November 1908

 

Another stage in Tuesday nights tragedy at Plymouth was enacted yesterday morning when the victim Clara jane Hannaford was buried in Plymouth Cemetery.

 

The dimensions of the crowd yesterday exceeded all anticipations and it is estimated that the number of spectators must have exceeded three thousand.

 

The funeral was timed to leave the house at 8.30am and although the weather was wet and foggy people began to assemble before 8am. On the arrival of the hearse, two mourning carriages and a cab, so great was the crush, that Sergeant Body had to place police constables in Henry Street to secure access to the premises.

 

Ten minutes before the funeral was timed to start, there must have been 1,500 - 2,000 persons in the street. Windows of surrounding houses were thrown open and filled with sight-seers, in some instances roofs of houses were occupied. The female element were vastly preponderated in the crowd, many of them were hatless and wore shawls and aprons. Several carried infants in arms and little children moved in and out the crowd bootless, but good order and reverence were displayed.

 

In Henry Street a hymn was sung by the North Quay Working Men's Mission led by Mr Thomas who had agreed to carry out the funeral. The hymn they sang was, "Though the night be dark and dreary" and was followed with a prayer.

 

It was twenty minutes to nine before the coffin was placed into the closed hearse. The coffin was covered with beautiful wreaths and so numerous were the floral tokens that more than a score of additional tributes had to be conveyed to the cemetery in a cab.

 

The mourners were the father Mr George Henry Hannaford, John Pasmore Hannaford  a younger brother of the deceased. an Uncle, Able Seaman John Richard Hannaford, a brother in law John Charles Pasmore and Able Seaman William Johnstone Lilley (with whom the deceased had spent a night at the theatre before the fateful event), Mr Charles Andrews (uncle) plus other family and friends. The streets were lined with people and at the junctions on route, crowds had congregated. At the cemetery it was found to be impossible to close the gates against all those who were not attending Miss Hannafords interment, in consequence of several funerals taking place at the same time. Two flower sellers were in the roadway and when it became knowledge of the people that a bunch of flowers (supposed to be for relatives) would gain them admittance to the cemetery, the flower sellers had a remarkable ready sale.

 

In the cemetery the crowd was of enormous proportions and from the entrance right up the drive to the chapel, each side was lined with spectators. The crowd was greatest around the chapel and to enable the coffin to be taken from the hearse to the edifice, the police had to make an opening and to make an appeal to the people not to press forward. The service in the chapel was only for the mourners and personal friends, but by the time the service had finished the crowds outside had increased. An opening had to be made for the funeral procession by police and members of the North Quay Working Mens Mission before the way was cleared. but so great was the crowd that the Missioner Mr Thomas was separated and had to make his way to the graveside separately.

 

The interment was at the Mutley end of the cemetery and there the police reserved a place for the mourners. The great majority of people irreverently trespassed on a large number of graves displacing wreaths and flowers on them. They had to be appealed to, because of the damage they were causing to headstones. At the graveside Mr Thomas offered prayer and the service was concluded with the singing of the hymn "Shall we meet beyond the river".

 

There was again eager desire to view the coffin in the grave and the police had to exercise the greatest caution in regulating the traffic of the crowd as they passed by the grave.The coffin bore the inscription:

 

Clara jane Hannaford died 17th November 1908 aged 15 years

 

The undertaker placed wreaths on the grave and they were closely inspected. Most of them were from the family and personal friends. It was just 10am when the cemetery cleared.