Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 23 May 1929
Funeral Delay.
Unfortunate Misunderstanding at Edlington.
For nearly two hours the funeral of a Edlington man was yesterday delayed under most unusual circumstances. The deceased was Mr. Fred James, of 78, Staveley Street. Arrangements were made for the first part of the burial service to be held at the new Edlington St. John’s Church, and was expected that the Rev. E. H. Rawlins, the curate-in-charge, who shortly returns to Sheffield, would officiate.
However, he made arrangements for the service to be taken by the Vicar of Conisborough, the Rev. H. Lee, but the latter, for reasons of indisposition, was unable to do so. Mr. Lee, therefore, arranged for the funeral to conducted by Mr. Coleman, who is a layman at Conisborough.
The cortege was at the church at 1.30, but no clergyman was present.
Mr. Coleman arrived at the cemetery, a mile away, at 2 p.m., which was 15 minutes after the caretaker, Mr. Burbridge, anticipated the arrival of the cortege.
As some misunderstanding appeared to have been made to whether Mr. Coleman should have gone to the church, the caretaker hastened there, where he found the mourners and the undertaker were still anxiously waiting. Then a car was used to fetch the layman and the funeral was carried through