Peter Leonard BURRILL Obituary 1933
From a newspaper cutting dated 14 January 1933 – TIMES – RIPON
A STALWART OF DALLOWGILL
FUNERAL OF MR PETER LEONARD BURRILL
Dallowgill buried one of its stalwarts on Tuesday. In doing so its inhabitants covered a portion of a typical dale’s journey, the whole of which this stalwart had covered two or three times every Sunday to take part in Sunday School or class meeting at Greygarth – a place-name that, in itself, stands for Dallowgill’s Methodist chapel and school.
Mr Peter Leonard Burrill had made the journey Sunday by Sunday for probably half a century, and on many weekdays too; for whatever happened at Greygarth he has had a part – and for many years a leading part – in it. He had been warned that his heart would not stand in continuance of these foot journeys, and he had died in his sleep early on Saturday morning, in his 68th year.
The many dalespeople, and people who have a link with the dale, who followed his coffin across that steep, rough gill, and reached the church and graveyard, so easily seen from his farm – yet so cut off from it – had still a considerable distance to go to complete his frequent journey, for Greygarth stands much higher – almost on top of the hill that continues up behind the church. This might explain why there was no service at Greygarth, though it is doubtful whether a Methodist of the dales, if not buried by the rites of his parish church, would be thought to rest.
Of course there was the preliminary service at the old home. In the midst of the many bearers and many friends, this was held in the rough roadway that runs along the hillside in front of Dallow Hall and the few adjoining cottages: the coffin resting on two polished yellow chairs before the garden gate, and the long string of relatives forming a shaped living link with the home, as they stretched back from its gate-stead to its door-step.
In the absence of a minister, a senior local preacher – Mr Thompson Buckle, of Harrogate – reads two verses of “Jesu, lover of my soul,” and, started by the choirly voice of Mr T W Jennings (one of the circuit stewards), unaccompanied in the open-air, the words are sung to the universal tune. The simple extempore prayers in which Mr Buckle then leads the friends are largely for divine blessing and comfort on the bereaved, and thankfulness for the example and inspiration vouchsafed to the dale in the life now departed.
A Crowded Church
Then begins the long last trek; turning down past the stackyard, into the “second” walled pasture, and thence, picking their way down the wooded ravine – where a hill-stream tumbles from rock to rock, and disappears under the path, to tumble again into the valley waters beneath – go the bearers, the 15 working in relays to take a turn at the white bearing cloths, and those waiting their turn walking in a group immediately in front.The valley stream is reached and crossed by the substantial but narrow bridge, where the coffin can have no side bearers and where the tall silk-hatted undertaker and leading bearded bearer,
Mr Humpleby, “who has carried this way once or twice afore,” have to share the greater part of the burden between them. There is some easier going across the turf, before the long winding ascent that brings the cortege at length on to the high road, and eventually at the churchyard gate and porch.
Here there are substantial additions to the followers, so that the church is full to its door. The Rev I H Boon (Vicar of Grewelthorpe) conducts the service, in the Vicar’s enforced absence, and the lesson is read by the Rev F Cunningham, of deceased’s own Methodist Church. The service includes “The King of Love my Shepherd is” (how fitting to the hill country!) and “Rock of Ages” (how equally so!), and soon the gathering disperses from the grave, in which the hillman rests at length. They leave him there, half-way, as it would seem, to a brighter heaven than that which he sought to build at Greygarth.
The chief mourners present were: – Mrs Burrill, the widow: Mr George Burrill
(Snape),son: Mr and Mrs John Burrill, son and daughter-in-law: Messrs William
and Peter Burrill, sons: Mr and Mrs S Lobley (Carlesmoor), daughter and son-
in-law: Miss J E Burrill and Miss Eva Burrill (Ripon), daughters: Mr and Mrs J
Nelson (Grantley), daughter and son-in-law: Miss Ada Burrill, daughter: Mrs Robert
Burrill (Harrogate), daughter-in-law: Messrs William and Robert Lobley (Carlesmoor), grandsons: Mr Leonard Peter Burrill (Carlesmoor), brother: Mr and Mrs John Burrill
(Lady Hill), brother and sister-in-law: Mrs W J Burrill (Swetton), sister-in-law: Mrs
G Chandler and Mr and Mrs Lewis Burrill (Lady Hill), nephew and nieces:
Mr and Mrs F Almack (Harrogate), brother-in-law and sister-in-law: Mrs J Thackray
(Otley), sister-in-law: Mrs J Jackson (Azerley), niece: Mr and Mrs Charles Thirkill
(Kirkby Malzeard), Mr G Almack (Keighley), cousin.
Others present were:- Mr L Watson (Sawley), the Rev F Cunningham, the Rev W L
Hann, Mr T W Jennings and Coun S G Moss (circuit stewards): Coun R J Hall (The
Old Vicarage), Mr J Spilman (Tanfield), representing local preachers of the Masham
Circuit: Mr John Rayner, JP, Miss King, Mr and Mrs M Ward, Mrs Weatherhead, Mr
C J Neesam and Mr J Clarke (Ripon), Mr and Mrs Tom Verity (Bramley), Coun G
Craggs, Mr W Loughton and Mr A Hymas (Burton Leonard), Mr Goodrick (Bishop
Monkton), Mr Dearlove Ellis, Mr J T Tipling, Mrs M Buckle, Mr G Watson, Mr F Boynton
and Mr H Lobley (Kirkby Malzeard), Mr E Buckle JP, Mr J Goundry, Mr J Barker and
Mrs Dobb (Grewelthorpe), Mr and Mrs W Wise, Mrs A Ashby and Mr J C Mallaby
(Masham), Mr J King (The Knott), Mr W Hammond and Mr W Hammond, jun
(Castiles), Mr and Mrs E Metcalfe, Mr W Metcalfe and Mr H Ingleby (Barnoldswick),
Mr W Graham and Mr W Chandler (Greygarth), Mr R Pickering (Knaresborough),
Coun W H Gill (Langthorpe), Mr Thompson Buckle (Harrogate), Mr Fred Peacock (Hoggerstone), Mr E Stubbs (Lunterstone), Mr G Croft, Mr W Trenholme, Mr and Mrs
E Harland, Mr and Mrs M Cartwright, Mr J Dowson, Mr D Andrew, and Mr F[or P]
Ashby. Mr V Willoughby (Agent for the Leeds Corporation Estate), Mr A Ellis (Azerley),
Mr Fred Ellis, Mr J Braithwaite, Mr A Brewster, Mrs Jackson and Mr E Filer (Laverton),
Mrs E Wilkinson (Snape), Mr C Dent, Mrs E Ashby and Mr Walter Ingilby (Galphay),
Counc W Brayshaw and Mr James Hammond (Skelding), Mr W Corner (Lady Hill),
Mr and Mrs J W Pearson (Wakehill), Mr T King and Mrs C Nichol (Sawley), Mr John
Barker (Thorpe Grange), Mr T Longster (Sour Ling [sic]), Mr A Ashby (Marton-le-
Moor), Mr J T Trenholme (Swetton), Mr G Lister (Craven Gill), Mr S Thorpe (Bagwith),
Mr A Pattison (Vicar’s Pasture), Mrs Graham (Belforth), Mrs Howell (Bence House
[sic]), Mrs A Frankland, Mr and Mrs H Batty, Mr J Allanson (Grantley), Mr W Smith
(Beck Meeting), Mr T W Armstrong (Birkby Nab).
The bearers were:- Messrs L Humpleby, C Watson, Jonathan Graham (Greygarth),
Mat Spence (Tom Corner), A Rough, F Lofthouse (Wakehill), J Howell (Grey Green),
E Nelson, R Burton (Swetton Farm), J W Calvert (Mossmire [sic]), F Ashby, Robert Newbould, F Sidgwick (Swetton), T Kirkley, and W Hammond.
There were flowers from:- “His sorrowing wife”: “All at Glen Cottage”: “George and grandchildren”: “Annie, Sydney and grandchildren”: “Lily, Joe and grandchild”: “Son John and Clara and grandchildren”: “Jennie, Eva, Ada, William and Peter”: “Annie at Harrogate”: “Lillie, Ellick, Herbert and families”: Mr and Mrs A Ashby and family (Marton-le-Moor): the Rev and Mrs T Thompson (Clifton Field, York): Mr and Mrs S G Moss: Members of the Greygarth Methodist Chapel: Sunday School teachers and scholars: and Managers, teachers and scholars of Dallowgill Council School.