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ASKAM STATIONMASTER.

FUNERAL OF A POPULAR PERSONALITY

There was a very large and representative attendance at the funeral in the Ireleth Churchyard, on Friday afternoon, of Mr. Henry Oldfield (56), station master at Askam, every department of the Furness and Cumberland section of the L.M.S. Railway between Carnforth and Whitehaven sending delegates. In fact it was the largest funeral seen in Askam and Ireleth for a long time. Such was the popularity of Mr. Oldfield. The railwaymen were the bearers. from the deceased's home¹, Station House, to the churchyard, and the Askam station staff carried the coffin into the church, where an impressive service was conducted by the Rev. E. W. Ridley, vicar of Ireleth. The hymns, "Jesu, lover of my soul," and "Rock of ages" were sung, and at the close of the service the "Dead March" was played on the organ by Mr. A. Ellis.
The family mourners were the .widow, Annie and Bessie (daughters, Harry and Mary (son and daughter-in-law), Fred and Chrissie (son and daughter-in-law), Mary and Ned (daughter and son-in-law), Nellie and Jack (daughter and son-in-law); Cecil and Kennie (son and daughter-in-law), Maggie and Willie (daughter and son-in-law), Mr. W. Oldfield (brother), Mrs. Bragg (sister-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. Tyson .(brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Mrs. T. Swindle (sister-in-law), Mr. and Mrs. F. Swindle (brother-in-law and sister-in-law), Misses Nellie and Winnie Bragg (nieces), Messrs. F. Bragg and Thomas Swindle (nephews), Mr. and Mrs. R. Moffat (cousins), Miss C. Moffat, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Walker (stationmaster, Heversham), Mrs Denny (Millom).
Mr. Marsden. represented .the superintendent of the line, Mr. Frank Todd. the accountancy dept., and Messrs. J. J. Parker and Aaron Akister the goods manager. The station masters present were : Messrs. R.. Marsden (Barrow Central), H. Sleep (Kents Bank), G. Stephenson (Dalton), J. B. Fox (Lindal), H.. Brown (Roose), T. Hosking (Arnside), C. Fitzjames (Silverdale), T. Clarke (Haverthwaite), I. Kendall (Grange); M. Edmondson (Park), T. Stevens (Piel), G. Fleming (relief station master), R. Webb (Foxfield), R. Grisedale {Green Road), S. Almond (Bootle) R. Rolls (Ravenglass) J. Richardson (Sellafield), W. Richardson (Eskmeals), Douthwaite (assistant station master, Millom) ; Inspectors Fleming, Fox, Eccles, G. Richardson (permanent way inspector), R. Hosking (Barrow Central), Messrs. G. Picthall (chief booking clerk Barrow Central), N. Jones (late goods agent, Barrow), W. B. Lewis (signalman, Bootle), Edward Tyson (signalman, Millom), Peter Ormand (signalman, Sellafield), J. Jones (Millom), J. Whinnerah. (Millom), J. Atkinson (Millom), W. R. Farnworth¹ (foreman, Askam Ironworks), F. Long, J, Sandham, G. Stephens .(Askam station staff), J. Steele, F. Webster (permanent way), and A., Chaplow (Ulverston).
The Askam and Ireleth St. John Ambulance Brigade was represented by Supt. J. Phifer, Sergts. Brockbank and G. Woods, Ptes. N. Benson, J. Atkinson, W. Tyson, A. Thompson (Kirkby), G. Vickers (Dalton), N. Wilson and R. Newton. Among the large assemblage of the general public were noticed Couns. J. Gill, W. H. Buxton, G. Holmes, Messrs. T. Vickers (gasworks manager, Askam), J. Vickers (assistant manager), J. Walker (Daltonroad), T. Taylor, J Greenop, J. Millican, J. Twinamie, J. Ormandy, (Ireleth), T. Couture, J. Stubbs, A. Brown, L Dixon, T. Seward, M.. Satterthwaite, H. Blakeman (postmaster), Isaac Holmes (retired railway. guard). The members of the Millom ambulance team, of which the deceased was a member, was represented by Messrs. Ormand, Whinnerah, Lewis and Jones.
There were floral tributes from wife and family, All at Endmoor, All at Disington, Mr and Mrs. Penny and Tom (Millom), Mr. and Mrs. Fox (Lindal), Fred, Dorothy and family, Mrs. Watson and family (Carlisle), Mr. and Mrs. Shepard (Silecroft), Mrs. Myers (Silecroft), Mr. and Mrs. Mark Edmondson (Askam), Mr. and Mrs. D. Jackson (Silecroft), Mr. W. J, Thomas (Millom), Tom, Lizzie, and Hilda (Dalton), Mrs. J. Kidd (Whitehaven), Stationmasters end Agents Branch R.C. Association, Askam station staff, L.M.S. staff Park Station, Askam and Ireleth Branch St. John's Ambulance Brigade, Mrs. Bateson (Askam).
 

1    Another newspaper cutting is almost identically worded except that

    - it states that the stationmasters were bearers from the heceased's home
    - the foreman of Askam Ironworks is named as W.E. Tarnworth, not Farnworth.