Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 09 December 1909
A Village in Mourning.
Denaby’s Farewell to “The Doctor.”
Denaby Main was a village in mourning yesterday afternoon, when moving scenes were associated with an unusually impressive funeral—that of Dr. Frederick Graham Twigg, whose death on Sunday morning, a short illness, cast universal sadness into the humble homes of the thousands of local toilers.
And yesterday, when “the Doctor” was interred in the quiet country cemetery, most of the blinds were drawn, and the Denaby streets were thronged with miners, glassblowers, women, and children, many with wet eyes, and all with voices hushed.
The deceased’s 20 years’ connection the Denaby Main Ambulance Corps was recognised in the only way possible, in the sad circumstances, the officers and members parading in strong force show a last mark of respect to their late Hon. Chief Surgeon. Under the Commanding Officer, Chief Superintendent W. H. Chambers (Managing director of the Denaby and Main Collieries Company, Limited), the corps, which included the Denaby, Cadeby, Mexborough, and Wath Divisions, lined either side of Anerley Street, and stood at the salute as the coffin, upon which rested wreaths from the widow and relatives, and the deceased’s ambulance belt and cap, was borne on an ambulance stretcher to the front of the cortege, which was over a quarter of a mile long, and included Superintendents A. H. Barnard, H. S. Witty, Hon. Surgeons Forster, Ram, J. J. Huey, ,the division of nursing sisters (also in full uniform), Sisters Stead and Steel, of the Fullerton Hospital (where the deceased carried out most of the operations), colliery officials, Drs. Harvey and Blythman (Swinton), Messrs. McClure, McArthur, and Sutcliffe, Councillors J. Clayton and T. Athron, Mr. J. W. Hattersley, Mr. G. F. Garter (Mexborough), Mr. H. Baker and Mr. J. Gibbs (Conisborough) and others.
To the solemn strains of the “Dead March” the cortege slowly made its way to the church.
At the Church.
At the portals of the Parish Church the coffin was met by the Vicar, the Rev. S. F. Hawkes, who officiated, and hundreds of people were unable to obtain admission to the sacred edifice. The first part of the service included the hymn, “Peace, perfect peace,” and the rendering, as the people were leaving the church of “O, rest in the Lord,” Mr. Green officiating the organ. From the church to the cemetery the Vicar and surpliced choir members holding the crucifix aloft, led the way, the band again playing the “Dead March.”
At the graveside the committal sentences were reverently spoken, and the crowd drew back as the widow and relatives took a last look at the coffin ere proceeding to their sorrow-stricken home. The coffin was solid oak, with solid brass fittings, and bore the inscription “Frederick Graham Twigg, Died December 5, 1909, aged 44 years.”
The large number of floral expressions of sympathy included the surface workmen at Cadeby Main Colliery, the nurses, secretary’ and staff of the Fullerton Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. W H Chambers, officers of the Main Corns of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, surface officials at the Main Colliery, officers and men of the Mex borough Division, members of the Montagu Lodge of the Order of Druids, the women’s working party at the church. “In loving memory of out dear doctor, from two little drummer boys,” “From the sorrowing sisters and deepest sympathy for our beloved head sister in her great bereavement.” the underground officials at the Denaby Main Colliery, the St. John Ambulance Class, Denaby and the surface workmen at Denaby Main.