Somerset Gazette August 1886
BUTLEIGH
THE LATE MR. RALPH NEVILLE-GRENVILLE.
Great regret is felt in this division owing to the death of a gentleman who for many years represented it in Parliament - Mr. Neville Grenville - which sad event took place at his residence Butleigh Court, at six o'clock on Friday morning. The deceased gentleman was the eldest son of the late Hon. and Very Rev. George Neville-Grenville, Dean of Windsor, and Lady Charlotte, second daughter of the third Earl of Dartmouth. He was born at Hawarden on the 27th February, 1817, and married, in 1845, Julia, daughter of the late Sir Robert Frankland Russell, bart., and he leaves several children, his eldest son, Robert born in 1846, being a magistrate for Somerset, and having married in 1879 Gertrude Agnes, daughter of the Rev. Fitzhardinge Berkeley Portman, rector of Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset. He was educated at Eton and at Magdalene College Cambridge, where he graduated M.A. He was a deputy Lieutenant of Somerset, was a Lord of the Treasury in 1816, sat for Windsor (as Mr. Neville) from June, 1841 to July, 1817; for East Somerset from July 1865 to December 1868, then for the Mid-Division till his retirement through ill-health in 1877. It may be remarked that Mr. Neville (as he then was) held the post of Junior Lord of the Treasury in Sir Robert Peel's Government, at the time of the Repeal of the Corn Laws. He was a very popular officer in the Yeomanry, in which he held the post of Lieut.-Colonel. Mr. Neville-Grenville died somewhat suddenly, and although not in robust health, he had been out driving as late as the Tuesday before his death. Since 1878 he has lived a somewhat retired life at Butleigh Court, though he has always taken a warm interest in all county matters, and gave them his personal attention so long as his health permitted. Mr. Grenville was a good specimen of an English country gentleman, and was highly esteemed not only in his own division but throughout the county. He was a very humorous speaker, and would often propose the health of persons present in verse. One of his most effective addresses was on the occasion of setting up a memorial to Admiral Blake in the Shire Hall. It was always a pleasant incident to see the late Sir Frederick Hare and Mr. Grenville discussing, at quarter sessions, matters of county interest, as each possessed considerable powers of wit and sarcasm. At one time of his life it was supposed that the title of the Earl of Glastonbury would have been conferred upon him. Mr. Neville Grenville possessed a rare collection of the engravings of all our Somersetshire worthies from the earliest period to the present time. The funeral of the deceased gentleman took place on Wednesday afternoon, when the fact that a friend had been lost to the parish was manifest by the tokens of mourning on all hands. The flag at the Court floated at half-mast, and the bells of the parish church rang a muffled peal. The funeral cortege left the Court shortly after three o'clock. The coffin containing the body, which was made of oak grown on the estate, and borne by the tenants of the deceased, was covered, instead of the usual pall, with a flag bearing the Neville Arms. The following was the order of the procession: -
MOURNERS.
Mrs. Neville Grenville, Messrs. Robert Neville, Hugh Neville, Louis Neville, Claud Neville, and Percy Neville (sons of the deceased); Mrs. Maitland, Miss Neville, Mrs. Stopford (daughters), Mrs. Robert Neville (daughter-in-law), Mr. Maitland, Captain Stopford, R.N. (sons-in-law), Mrs. Peel, Miss C. Neville, Mrs. Mildmay (sisters), Rev. S. Neville, Colonel Neville (brothers), Mrs. Frederick Neville (sister-in-law). Rev. A. Mildmay (brother-in-law), Mrs. Arthur Bigge, Miss Grace Neville (nieces), Mr, Frank Neville, Rev. F. Bryrner, Major Bigge, C. B., Rev. Algernon Mildmay, Mr. P. Mildmay. Mr. W. H. Gladstone.
SERVANTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD.
GLASTONBURY TOWN COUNCIL.
Alderman Bulleid (Mayor), Alderman Austin, Alderman Baily, Dr. Bright, (ex-Mayor), and Councillors J. O. Mills, J. Baily, B. V. P. Barker, J. A. Poreh, and J. Brock.
CLERGY.
Revs. C. S. Ross, C. Grant, G. Beilby, and C. Carey.
VISITORS.
Colonel Berkeley Napier, Colonel Prevost, Admiral Hickley, Captain J. T. H, Butt, Captain Vincent Stuckey, Mr, James Clark, and Messrs. C, R. Wainwright, J. Beswetherick, A. Baily Junr., T. T. Mallett, B. H. Roach, Pepperill, W. D. Knight, J. Godden, H. B. Crouch, W. D.
Windmill, R. E. Dickinson, F. H. Dickinson, C. Groom, Stevens, E. R. Hann, Alonzo King, J.. Pearce, T, R. Higgins, W. Evans, John Laver, G. H. Smith, Maidment, R. W Pear, H. S
Baily, J. Merrick, F. Merrick, W. H. March, W, Hodge, J. Hunt, H. T. Silcox, Duffill, C.
Dyer, G. Millard, &c. The service was choral, and was intoned by; the Rev. W. Neville (nephew of the deceased), assisted by the Revs. T. P. Nunn. Mallett. and C. Perkins, the whole ceremony being of a very impressive nature. The grave, which adjoined that of the Lady Charlotte Neville Grenville, was lined with moss, and fringed with flowers and evergreens, and at its head bore a cross.
Mr. Neville Grenville assumed the additional surname of Grenville on succeeding, at the death of his father in 1854, to the Butleigh estates, which were left to the Neville family by James, Lord Glastonbury, and he will be succeeded by his eldest son, Robert Neville.
We are justified in stating that Major Swayne (Town Councillor of Glastonbury), and Mr. E. Bath (Town Clerk), would have attended but for the unavoidable absence of the former in
Switzerland and the latter in Scotland. As the coffin was lowered to the grave beautiful wreaths and crosses were laid upon it by the mourners.
The flag on the Glastonbury Town Hall floated at half-mast, and the bells of St. John's church rang a muffled peal, and of St. Benedict's tolled during the ceremony.