The Rev Edmund Willis

THE LATE REV. EDMUND WILLIS.- HORSHAM. INTERMENT AND FUNERAL SERMON, A gathering representative of all sections of the residents assembled around the grave of the late Rev. Edmund Willis at the Horsham Cemetery on Friday afternoon to pay a last tribute of respect to the memory of one whose popularity in the town was widespread. Mr. Willis since 1873 had laboured as a curate at Horsham, and since 1877 he had been in charge of St. Mark's Church, where he succeeded the present Archdeacon of Chichester. The deceased gentleman sustained a cycle accident whilst spending a holiday at Hunstanton in Norfolk. On returning to his residence at Arun Lodge, he was confined to his house with a wound on his leg, below the knee, from the effects which he was making progress towards recovery. On Monday in last week Mr. Willis was seized with a fit during the night, and before his medical attendant could arrive at the house he had passed away. Every evidence was afforded on Friday of the great respect in which the deceased clergyman was held in the town. Nearly the whole of the business premises, and a large portion of the private houses had blinds drawn and shutters erected. Early in the morning the flower-laden coffin was carried to the parish church, where it was deposited in the chancel. The body was met at the entrance by the Rev. J. F. Cole, the Rev. A. F. Young, and the Rev. H. M. Alston. A celebration of the Holy Communion took place, attended by several of the relatives of the family. Shortly after two in the afternoon the bells rang a muffled peal at St. Mary's, and soon a large number of residents were to be seen wending their way to the church, the interior of which was completely filled at the time fixed for the commencement of the service. The seating arrangements were superin-! tended by the churchwardens. As the congregation were filling the pews, Mr. Buttifant, the organist, played some solemn voluntaries. The mourners occupied seats in the chancel, those present including Mrs. Willis, the widow, and children, the Rev. Philip Willis and Miss Willis, Mr. and Mrs. Basil Jones, Miss Hodgson, Miss Ethel Hodgson, Miss J. M. Hodgson, the Rev. Henry Hodgson (Beddington), Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Captain Manley Lowe, Mr. W. Lowe, Mr. Cyril Hodgson-Taylor, Miss Hodgson-Taylor, the Rev. Hugh Hodgson (rector of Beddington), Mr. A. Pullen (Beddington), Mr. W. Gee (Bishop's Stortford), the Rev. Arthur Hayes (rector of Holmbury, St. Mary, Dorking), Mr. Arthur Willis, the Rev. James Fraser (Chichester), Mrs. Overton, and others. The clergy present were Archdeacon Mount, the Rev. Prebendary Masters (rural dean, Slinfold), the Rev. C. J. Robinson (vicar of Horsham), the Rev. H. Bickersteth Ottley (of Eastbourne), the Rev. A. F. Young, the Rev. H. B. Betts, the Rev. H. M. Alston, the Rev. R Seddon (Horsham), the Rev. G. K. Boyd (Nuthurst), the Rev. R. Bowcott (Warnham), the Rev. J. Moses (Itchingfield), the Rev. G. Rideout (Rusper), the Rev. K. G. Hellier (Billingshurst), the Revs. R. M. Rosseter. R. A. C. Bevan, F. Moore, and H. France Hayhurst (former curates at Horsham), the Rev. E. S. Arkle (Shipley}. The Rev. J. F. Cole (Roffey) was unavoidably prevented from attending. There were also present the Rev. G. O. Frost (Congregational), the Rev. C. M. Greenaway (Wesleyan), the Rev. R. W. Burnett (Primitive Methodist), Col. Lyon, J.P., Mr. R. H. Hurst, J.P., Mrs. Hurst, Mr. C. R. Scrase- Dickins, J P., Mr. F. W. Pigott, J.P., Capt. and Mrs. A. G. Smith, Mr. E. Alleard, Mr. Bethune, Mr. J. Innes, J.P., Mr. A. C. Oddie, Mr. W. Lintott, Mr. Cotching, Mr. R. Henwood, Mr. A. W. Rawlison, Mr. M. H. H. Vernon, Mr. A. Juckes, Mr. H. Churchman, Mr. Stanford, Mr. Pocock, Mr. J. Barnett, Mr. R. Gallier, and the representatives of various temperance organisations in the town. The service, which was conducted in the church by the Vicar, was of an exceedingly impressive nature, many members of the congregation evincing visible signs of grief. At the opening the hymn, "Brief life here our portion," was sung, and at the finish of the reading of comforting words contained in the lesson the choir rendered the hymn, "There is blessed home." Then the choir, followed the clergy, led the way from the church to the cemetery. The grave was lined with marguerites and ivy, and was situated near the place of interment of the Rev. Canon Hodgson, for 48 years Vicar of Horsham, who was father-in-law of Mr. Willis. On arriving at the grave side, the remaining portions of the sacred rite were read Archdeacon Mount, the Rev. H. Bickersteth Ottley, and the Rev. R. M. Rosseter, all of whom had been associated with the Rev. E. Willis in his clerical work at Horsham. The choir sung in an effective manner the "Nunc Dimittis," and the appropriate words of the hymn, "Now the labourer's task is o'er." The concluding prayer was reverently offered by the Vicar, and then many of the deceased's former colleagues approached the open grave to obtain a last glimpse of the coffin. The inscription upon the plate was:-

EDMUND WILLIS,
Born 30th Jan., 1849,
Died 27th Sept., 1892.

A large number of wreaths and crosses were sent by relatives and friends, amongst the contributors being : The congregation of St. Mark's, the organist and choir of St. Mary's, the organist and choir of St. Mark's, the organist and senior members of St. Mark's, the district visitors, old choirmen, members of the mothers' guild and mothers' meeting, the teachers of St. Mark's Sunday School, the Ven. Archdeacon Mount, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Hurst, Major-General, Mrs., and Miss Tyndall, Captain and Miss. A. G. Smith, Mrs. Scrase-Dickins, Captain and Mrs. Lowe, Mrs. Oliver, Mrs Allcard, Mrs. Whitaker, Mrs. Stewart-Orley, Miss Sanctuary, Mrs. Aldridge, Mrs. McConnell, Miss Bigg, the Misses Rawlison, Miss A. C. Helmes, Miss H. F. Helmes, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Rawlison, the Misses Paget, Mrs. and Miss Sargeant, Mrs. Christopher, Mrs. and Miss Boxall, Mrs. Courthope, Mrs. Bridges, Mr. and Mrs. E. Taylor, Mrs. Pratt, and Mr. and Mrs. J. Stanford. A funeral sermon was preached at St. Mark's Church on Sunday morning by the Rev. Mr. Sewell, who was ordained with the late Mr. Willis in 1843, and was assoiated with him as a curate at Horsham under the late Canon Hodgson. The preacher selects for his text Hebrew 9th, 27th, "And as it appointed unto men once die, but after this the judgment." He spoke of the uncertainty of life, and dwelt upon the comfort Christians were able to derive from prayfulness, joyfulness, and hopefulness. He remarked that thoughts such as he had mentioned had been forced on him now living far from the scenes of his early work. A shock had come upon them all, which had made them for the moment stagger, by the death of one loving and loved. He was one tried and still found true; one devoted, with a double devotion to a true sense of duty, both to God and man. He was one who thought nothing too good for the service of God, and one who always felt that the sense of duty must be uppermost in his mind, and that he must do that which his conscience told him was right. One they knew had passed from their midst, and from whom many had received messages of abiding comfort. Nineteen years that very day they were ordination candidates together in Chichester, hoping to come to a curacy in Horsham, The day came when they were ordained, when side by side they knelt together by the altar at the parish church, and there received the orders of deacons. Now the first of the five had been taken - why they knew not, for there was a reason deeply hidden in the mysteries of God. So soon was he to follow home one whom they had both learnt to honour and revere, and under whom they were thankful to serve. The preacher, who 19 years ago come to minister amongst them had gone, and had they not seen reflected in his life the comforts of prayerfulness, joyfulness, and hopefulness. Those who had been closely associated with him could not but say that he was a man of prayer, and was thus strengthened in his work, His life at Oxford, the same as when he was ordained, was an example to others, although he did not shun manly pursuits. He lived in the world, although not of the world. Then he went to the Theological College at Wells, where he learnt the lessons which he taught to them. He came there as man who had consistently served God from his early days, and with this prayerfulless there was joyfulness. His bright and kindly greetng had given pleasure to many, cheering those who were disconsolate, trying to bring to them some of that brightness of his life, and with all this there was developed in his character the spirit of peacemaking. His life was an example to others, and it would live in their hearts and happy memories. It would not fade away, but in its cheerfulness, joyfulness, and hopefulness, it would linger amongst their tenderest and most loving memories, Though he had gone to the next stage of life, the voice would still heard even in the silence of their thoughts. At the parish church, the Vicar (Rev. C. J. Robinson), at the close of his sermon, made a touching reference to the loss the Church had recently sustained. He based his discourse on some verses in Acts 12, first speaking of the gradations of rank and duties in the angelic host. Was it another, asked the preacher, or the same angel of life and liberty that visited Peter in prison, who, in the past week, entered a sleeping chamber hard by, and found one lying there bound with the chain of infirmity "Thou art loosed from this infirmity" was the message which the angel seemed to bring, and, the chain fell off, and the burden of the flesh was cast aside, the angel said unto him "Follow me," and he went out and followed him. Followed him. not back to the haunts of men, where his consistent life, his simple piety and freedom from self-seeking had gained him universal respect; not to the chamber of the sick and suffering where his kind and sympathising voice was ever welcome ; not even to the church he loved so well and in whose service he had shown himself a faithful and diligent minister. No, not that. The angel he followed was indeed the angel of life and liberty, and though the shadows of those things which here allure yet cheat our hopes, he has led him to the things themselves, the true life, the perfect liberty, the life of the redeemed in the many mansions of the Redeemer and the boundless liberty of the sons of God. Twas at thy door, O friend! and not at mine, The angel with the amaranthine wreath Pausing, descended, and with voice divine, Whispered a word that had a sound like death. Then fell upon the house a sudden gloom, A shadow on those features, fair and thin ; And softly, from that hushed and darkened room, Two angels issued, where but one went in. All is of God! If he but wave his hand, The mists collect, the rain falls thick and loud, Till, with smile of light on sea and land, Lo he looks back from the deporting cloud Angels of Life and Death alike are his ; Without his leave they pass no threshold o'er; Who, then, would wish or dare, believing this, Against His messenger to shut the door. Sussex Agricultural Express - Tuesday 04 October 1892