FUNERAL OF THE LATE THOMAS BECKHAM.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1703, 3 August 1875, Page 3

FUNERAL OF THE LATE THOMAS BECKHAM.

The burial of this lamented gentleman and magistrate took place this afternoon in the Church of England Cemetery. The funeral cortege started" from the residence of the deceased in Grafton Road a few minutes after three o'clock, and consisted of a plumed-hearse, and two mourning carriages followed byjjabout twenty carriages containing the representatives of the Provincial Government, City Council, and Harbour Board. In these we noticed his Worship the Mayor, Councillors Daldy, Brett, Holdship, and other gentlemen. The body of the

! Auckland police (under Mr. Inspector Broham and Sergeant - Major Pardy) also fell in with the procession. Almost every solicitor in the city was present in token of respect for the deceased. As the afternoon was remarkably fine, several hundred persons had assembled outside the house in Grafton Road, to watch the procession which bore the corpse of Mr Beckham to its last resting-place, and many were the expressions of respect made use of in relation to the general character and public actions of the deceased. The touching burial service was impressively read by Dr Cowie, Bishop of Auckland, in the presence of the hundreds that stood silently and reverently around the open grave, and when the words "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," were uttered, tears fell from eyes unused to weep. The funeral was conducted in a satisfactory manner by Mr H. P. Hayward, undertaker, of Upper-Queen-street. In compliance with the wish of the deceased, the funeral was as plain as possible, the coffin was covered with cloth, and on the plate was simply inscribed the name, date of death, and age of the departed. We have only to add Hequiescat in face.