Search the site

FEBRUARY 2010 - HERITAGE - FUNERAL OF LORD CARSON

An important addition has been made to the archives of the Cathedral: a full recording of the funeral of Lord Carson, which took place in St. Anne’s on Saturday, 26th October, 1935. The service was broadcast and the BBC gave the Cathedral a recording of the event on seven gramophone records. Unfortunately when these were rediscovered recently four of them were found to have been broken. The records that had survived were unplayable on an ordinary gramophone since they had to be played from the centre outwards. The BBC in Belfast was approached for help and as a result of the efforts of the Rev. Dr. Tosh and production manager Ian Burns, and with the help of the BBC archives in London, a full recording on CD is now available.

After the address, the coffin, carried by eight sergeants of the RUC., and accompanied by Lady Carson and members of the family, was taken to the grave in the south aisle of the Cathedral, where the burial service collects were read by the Dean and the words of committal spoken by Dr. d’Arcy. Earth from the six counties of Northern Ireland was scattered on the coffin by the Rev. John Duke, ex-President of the Methodist Conference. The concluding prayers were said by the Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr. MacNiece.

The Cathedral doors were opened and the sound of the Last Post and Reveille echoed through the building before the congregation joined in singing “O God, our Help in ages past”, described as Carson’s favourite hymn.

The Primate then pronounced the benediction and the congregation stood while organist Captain Brennan played “The Dead March in Saul” and the National Anthem.

Photographs in the Telegraph’s souvenir booklet show crowds outside the cathedral and the newspaper’s offices in Royal Avenue listening to the relayed service.  

« More News