PETERSFIELD.
THE LATE MR. GLASSE
Another good man has fallen, and this day (Good Friday) laid in his grave, in the charming rural churchyard of Catherington.
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap.
’Tis just to speak well of the dead, particularly of one in whose bosom beat a heart so true to Nature’s mould, and who did good service to his country in the sphere of life in which it pleased God to call him. On Sunday morning last, as the lamented deceased was proceeding up the hill at Horndean, leading to his parish church, his steps were observed to faulter by some friends in the road, who at once, rendered assistance, and conveyed him back to his residence, at the post-office, in the village, where, about midnight, he expired, at the age of 58. Upon the mournful event becoming known, a degree of sorrow rarely witnessed was observed throughout the wide district in which he was known and esteemed; and as it may be interesting to many of our readers, we give a brief memo of his public services, before we proceed to describe the funeral procession which attended his remains to their last resting place:—
‟The late Mr. Henry Glasse was born in the parish of St. Maurice, in the city of Winchester, on the 20th of January, 1807, of respectable parents, and at an early age was placed in the Central School, established there on Bell’s national system, where he received a good sound education, which he improved by persevering industry as to render his services so beneficial in after life. On the 1st of May, 1830, he was appointed master of the National School, at Horndean, by the Rev. J. V. Short, the present Bishop of St. Asaph, and Richard Littlehales, Es., banker, of Winchester, which he held till 1836. On the 7th of April, 1835, he was appointed clerk to the board of the Catherington Union, and, in 1836, collector for the Union, both of which he held at the time of his death. In May 18837 he was appointed unexpectedly by the justices of the Petersfield petty sessions, paid surveyor of the highways of Catherington parish, under the highway act 1836, in which office he continued 23 years, and at intervals during this period, he served as overseer and churchwarden. In 1842 he was appointed the parochial assessor of levied and assessed taxes, and property and income tax for Catherington; and shortly afterwards, for a district comprising five parishes, which appointments he retained to his death. Under the recent acts (1862) he was appointed clerk to the union assessment committee and highway district board. In August 1855 he was appointed postmaster of Horndean, which he also held at the time of his death. In odd-fellowship, the deceased stood high, having passed through the various grades, during which he rendered valuable service to his own lodge of St. Catherines, established in 1846, was in 1849 elected Prov. D.G.M. and was in the following year elected Prv. G.M., when he was presented with a silver medal. And for the valuable services given as secretary to the Southampton district, a subscription was entered into for a testimonial, and on the 7th of January, 1861, he was presented with four silver cups, each bearing the following inscription:— ‟Presented to P.P.G.M. Glasse, 7th January, 1861, by the Southampton District Odd-fellows, M.U., as a mark of esteem, and in acknowledgement of eminent services rendered by him as district secretary.” The late Mr. Glasse was also a freemason, and honorary forester. Upon raising the 12th Hants Volunteers, Mr. Glasse was sworn in at the Town Hall, Petersfield, with the first batch of members; in which corps he continued to the time of his death, and to his praise be it spoken he rendered good service, more particularly so in the Horndean contingent of which he was more intimately connected.”
The Funeral.—At the appointed hour of four o’clock a large number of the 12th Hants R.V., under Captain Seward, from Haslemere, Liphook, Petersfield, &c., with one hundred and fifty Odd Fellows, and a large number of persons from the immediate neighbourhood and surrounding district (in spite of the very unfavourable weather) assembled opposite the Post-office, in Horndean-street. Upon the coffin being placed in the hearse, and his relatives and friends taking their seats in their mourning coaches, the procession proceeded to the parish church, distant one mile and a half, in the following order:—First, the firing party of eighteen, one sergeant, and corporal. The Havant volunteer band, playing the ‟The Dead March in Saul.” The hearse, supported on each side by volunteers. Three mourning coaches containing his relatives and friends. Then followed the Odd Fellows, two and two, brought up by a long train of followers, together 1,000 in number. On reaching the church the coffin was met by the Rev. Mr. Baugh, M.A., and taken into the sacred edifice, and the space soon filled, amongst whom it was gratifying to notice the presence of Sir J.C. Jervoise, Bart., M.P., Sir W. W. Knighton, Bart., Major Briggs, and other gentry. After the service within the church the coffin was carried to the grave, and the ritual of the sweet consolatory service for the dead had been offered up, the firing party gave three volleys over the grave, the large gathering separated for their respective homes.