HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Charles Farrar Forster (29 February 1848 – 28 August 1894) was
curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...
of the parish of Lockwood near
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
, vicar of St Andrew's Church in Huddersfield, and the first vicar of the
Church of St Michael and All Angels, Beckwithshaw The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Beckwithshaw, North Yorkshire, England, also known as Beckwithshaw Church, is an Church of England, Anglican church built and furnished between 1886 and 1887 by William Swinden Barber in the Gothic Reviva ...
.''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 18 September 1894: The late Rev. C.F. Forster In spite of suffering severe pain due to heart disease during his working years, he was known for his dedication to parochial work and for the large congregations who came to hear his sermons. For all his bodily fragility he was notable for his personal charisma, causing various newspapers to remark upon the numerous friends among his past and recent parishioners and among his fellow clergymen who formed part of his life and who attended his funeral and memorial services.


Life


Ancestors

Charles' paternal grandfather Daniel Forster, an inspector of weights, was born in
Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...
,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
in 1776, and died in 1844.
United Kingdom Census 1841 The United Kingdom Census of 1841 recorded the occupants of every United Kingdom household on the night of Sunday 6 June 1841. The enactment of the Population Act 1840 meant a new procedure was adopted for taking the 1841 census. It was described a ...
: Daniel Forster was aged 65; his wife Bella was 45, and they were living in Union Street, Otley, with their sons Daniel aged 25 and Henry aged 15. Ref.H0107/bk9/fol23/p.19/PieceNo1314
He was buried on 30 December 1844 in the same town. His wife Bella, a school mistress and Charles' grandmother, was baptised in Otley in 1796, and died aged 78 in 1866 in Otley. Their seventh child was Henry Highmore Forster, Charles' father, who was born on 14 October 1821 in Otley and baptised on 11 August 1823 at All Saints Church, Otley. In 1841 at the age of 15, Henry was a grocer, as was his older brother. Henry died in
Burmantofts Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, b ...
aged 48 on 14 March 1869. Charles' mother was Martha Ann Farrar, who was born in 1825 in
Halifax, West Yorkshire Halifax is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. In the 15th century, the town became an economic hub of the old West Riding of Yorkshire, primarily in woo ...
and died in
Guisborough Guisborough ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, England. It lies north of the North York Moors National Park. Roseberry Topping, midway between the town and Great Ayton, is a landmark i ...
in
North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...
in 1897 aged 72. Henry and Martha married in 1846 in Halifax and had six children, of which Charles was the eldest. One of Charles' brothers was Edward Eustace Forster (1849–1916), chairman and managing director of printers Knight & Forster Ltd., of Leeds.


Charles and his wife

Charles Farrar Forster was born on 29 February 1848 in
Knaresborough Knaresborough ( ) is a market and spa town and civil parish on the River Nidd in North Yorkshire, England. It is east of Harrogate and was in the Borough of Harrogate until April 2023. History The Knaresborough Hoard, the largest hoard of ...
. On 6 October 1880, in Lockwood parish church, he married Mary Priestley, who was born in 1858 in Lockwood and was the eldest daughter of James Priestley, JP. In honour of this marriage, 438 workers at B. Vickerman & Son, a
woollen mill Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods s ...
in Huddersfield, were given a day out by special train from
Berry Brow Berry Brow is a semi-rural village in West Yorkshire, England, situated about south of Huddersfield. It lies on the eastern bank of the River Holme, Holme Valley and partially straddles the A616 road to Honley and Penistone. The village has ...
to
Southport Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
. The 1891 Census shows them living at
Pannal Pannal is a village in the county of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated to the immediate south of Harrogate. Since 2016 it has formed part of the new civil parish of Pannal and Burn Br ...
vicarage with one servant: Ellen Tupper, aged 46, from
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
. He is aged 43, Mary is 33, and he is described as a clerk in holy orders. Charles had a weak heart. In July 1894, just before evening service at Beckwithshaw he had a " bad attack" in the church, and the service was postponed. With some difficulty his parishioners carried him to the vicarage and called for medical aid. He was too ill to work, and was taken to
Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
for a rest and the sea air in the hope of improving his health. He died in Bournemouth on the morning of Wednesday 28 August 1894, leaving his wife a widow with no children.''The York Herald'', 1 September 1894: Death of the Rev. C.F. Forster, vicar of Beckwithshaw''Huddersfield & District Chronicle'', 29 August 1894: Death of the Rev. C.F. Forster, FRGS. His funeral at 3pm at Beckwithshaw Church on 1 September 1894 was brief: he was buried just half an hour later at 3.30pm at Harlow Hill Cemetery,
Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...
.Gravestone photos: Harlow Hill Cemetery, Harrogate, section A, grave no. 170999, Charles Farrar Forster
Current reference for grave location is Section A, grave no. 28. Directions: enter cemetery's main gate; grave is in 7th row (parallel with street) on left of path, 1st grave in row, by tree.
At Armitage Bridge,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
on 30 September 1902 at the age of 44, Mary Forster née Priestley took a second husband, a widower who had been married twice before: Sir Thomas Brooke, baronet (31 May 1830 – 16 July 1908), of Armitage Bridge House, near Huddersfield, a Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace. Mary died on 12 March 1938, aged 80.


Work

Forster studied at St Bees Theological College.''
Manchester Courier The ''Manchester Courier'' was a daily newspaper founded in Manchester, England, by Thomas Sowler; the first edition was published on 1 January 1825. Alaric Alexander Watts was the paper's first editor, but remained in the position for only a ye ...
and Lancashire General Advertiser'', 15 January 1887
In 1873 or 1875 he was ordained deacon at Ripon. From 1873 or 1875 to 1878 he served as
curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...
of Lockwood parish near
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
. In 1877 he was ordained priest. When T.B. Bensted died in 1878 he resigned his first curacy at Lockwood, and from 1878 to 1880 served as curate or vicar at St. Mary the Virgin, Deane,
Bolton le Moors Bolton le Moors (also known as Bolton le Moors St Peter) was a large civil parish and ecclesiastical parish in hundred of Salford in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It was administered from St Peter's Church, Bolton in the townshi ...
in
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
.


St Andrew's, Huddersfield

From 1878 to 1880 he was curate-in-charge at St Andrew's parish in Huddersfield, a "typical working class district", then on Monday 28 June 1880 was licensed to sole charge of the parish by the
Bishop of Ripon The Bishop of Ripon is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. The bishop is one of the area bishops of the Diocese of Leeds in the Province of York. The area bishop of Ripon has oversight o ...
and appointed to the living by five
trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...
s. He was vicar until 1887. The living had a gross annual value of £260, but by the time his resignation was announced, it had fallen to £257.''
Leeds Times The ''Leeds Times'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1833, and published at the office in Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It ceased publication on 30 March 1901, with Robert Nicoll as one of its first editors, and Samuel Smiles ...
'', 8 January 1887
He became well known there and had many friends.British Listed Buildings: former Church of St Andrew, Kirklees
Built 1870; declared redundant 1975. Grade II listed.
In spite of having an acute form of
heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
, his parochial work did not go unnoticed. The ''Huddersfield & District Chronicle'' said: "indeed he raised the organisation of St Andrew's parish to such a pitch of perfection that it became noted throughout the borough for the efficiency and thoroughness of its church life." He was described as ". . . a most assiduous and energetic parish worker," and as "an able and interesting preacher." He was noted for "his forcible pulpit utterances and earnest parochial work in attracting and maintaining a large congregation, in addition to the various organisations which an efficiently worked parish always possesses." Due to being "handicapped very considerably" by his poor health he was assisted in the fulfilment of his duties "in the most hearty manner" by his wife. When he left this position, a subscription was held among his congregation and 80 people, many of them poor, contributed small sums towards two testimonials which were presented to Charles and his wife on the evening of 25 March 1887. Due to Charles' delicate state of health the presentation could not be public, so a deputation of gentlemen was sent to his house. They brought Charles a "handsome and valuable" gold watch, on the back of which was engraved his
monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbo ...
, with the text inscribed inside: "Presented by the congregation of St Andrew's Church, Huddersfield, to the Rev Charles Farrar Forster, vicar, in token of their appreciation of his seven years' earnest work amongst them. March 1887."''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 26 March 1887 For Mary they brought a "chaste and artistic" lady's
inlaid Inlay covers a range of techniques in sculpture and the decorative arts for inserting pieces of contrasting, often colored materials into depressions in a base object to form Ornament (art), ornament or pictures that normally are flush with th ...
rosewood Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus '' Dalbergia'', but other woods are often ca ...
davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality *Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...
. It carried the inscription: "Presented to Mrs C.F. Forster (on her leaving Huddersfield) by the congregation of St Andrew's Church, as a mark of their affection and esteem, March 1887." In their speeches of thanks, both Charles and Mary alluded to the great accord and friendship that they had experienced in the parish. To demonstrate the kind of ceremonial life which Forster experienced during his ministry, here is an account of a funeral which he attended. On Wednesday 3 September 1890, he returned to Huddersfield with his father-in-law, James Priestley JP, to attend the grand funeral of Alderman John Varley JP (1836–1890), a wealthy, "brusque" and "rugged" coal-merchant with his finger in many pies, who had died of
apoplexy Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...
. This involved a very long procession, robed or uniformed, winding its way on foot to the tolling of muffled bells from Varley's house, Springfield, Newsome to the church of St John the Evangelist, Newsome. It was headed by eighty policemen, nine firemen, over forty members of Huddersfield Borough Council and several
Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
. Next came two carriages bearing priests and doctors, then the
hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...
flanked by walking bearers from the mill of Vickerman & Sons. About eight carriages containing chief mourners and local
VIPs VIPS or Vips may stand for: * Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, a college in Delhi, India * VIPS (software) image processing software * Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, a group of current and former officials of the Uni ...
followed the hearse; then came many more VIPs on foot, including local politicians, and six private carriages containing more VIPs followed these. All along the road house-blinds were closed as the hearse drew near. When the procession passed by the
mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...
, machinery stopped, flags dropped to
half-mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a sal ...
and the workers lined the route, heads bowed. The
surplice A surplice (; Late Latin ''superpelliceum'', from ''super'', "over" and ''pellicia'', "fur garment") is a liturgical vestment of Western Christianity. The surplice is in the form of a tunic of white linen or cotton fabric, reaching to the kn ...
d choir met the procession at the church
lychgate A lychgate (from Old English ''līc'', corpse) or resurrection gate is a covered gateway found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard. Examples also exist outside the British Isles in places such as Newfoundland, the ...
. Forster was waiting in the church to attend the service, being too infirm to take part in the procession. After Forster died, he was well-remembered at St Andrews:
t St Andrew's/nowiki> he ministered in season and out of season according to his strength and power . . . labouring patiently and diligently as an able preacher, a vigorous organiser, a wise manager of the schools, a painstaking parish priest, and in all things approved himself to be a Man of God. In those days this church was crowded to overflowing, for many came from far to hear his wise and loving words. ''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 18 September 1894Rev. W.F. Shaw, quoted in ''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 18 September 1894: The late Rev. C.F. Forster
The ''
Church Times The ''Church Times'' is an independent Anglican weekly newspaper based in London and published in the United Kingdom on Fridays. History The ''Church Times'' was founded on 7 February 1863 by George Josiah Palmer, a printer. It fought for the ...
'' published an ''In Memoriam'' for Charles:
Mr Forster had for some years suffered a painful and distressing malady which he bore, however, with remarkable fortitude . . . A man of strong will, sound judgement and prompt decision, he influenced to no slight extent the Church life in Huddersfield while vicar of St Andrew's in that town; where he will ever be remembered for the definiteness of his teaching, the heartiness and reverence which characterised the services of his church, and for the well organised and successful day and Sunday schools connected therewith. ''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 18 September 1894


St Michael and All Angels, Beckwithshaw

In 1887 he resigned the living at St Andrew's and became the first vicar of the recently
consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
St Michael and All Angels Church at
Beckwithshaw Beckwithshaw is a village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England, about south-west of Harrogate. History Beckwithshaw takes its name from the now smaller settlement of Beckwith, North Yorkshire, Beckwith, to the east. Th ...
, because it was hoped that his health would improve in the "comparative retirement" of this "quiet and secluded parish".''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 24 December 1886: Local news He was nominated to the living of £200 per annum and the promise of a future vicarage by Dr Williams of Moor Park; his preferment was announced on 7 January 1887 and he was licensed to the post by the Bishop of Ripon on 17 March 1887. He was a
fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...
of the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
and was one of many members of that society to be innocently duped by the
Society of Science, Letters and Art The Society of Science, Letters and Art, also known as the Society of Science or SSLA, was a ''soi-disant'' learned society which flourished between 1882 and 1902. Dr Edward Albert Sturman, M.A., F.R.S.L., owned and ran the Society for his own ...
, London. He was a member of the Pannal
School Board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...
, and he concerned himself with the welfare of the Church. It was his success in dealing with parochial institutions and his "practical pulpit utterances," making St Andrew's a foremost church in its district, which recommended him for this new position. However, village life was not as tranquil as Forster might have expected. On 1 June 1887, after collecting some scrap metal, blacksmiths Thomas Sadler and Anthony Pratt of Harrogate were drinking at the Smiths Arms opposite Beckwithshaw Church. On the way home, Pratt appeared too inebriated to walk and was left in a field by his friend. Sadler returned to find Pratt foaming at the mouth and dying. It was concluded that the cause of death at age 42 was excessive drinking. Forster took an interest in clerical matters. On the afternoon of 11 April 1889, he attended a large Anglican church meeting at Harrogate Church Institute, headed by the
Earl of Harewood Earl of Harewood (), in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. History The title was created in 1812 for Edward Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, a wealthy sugar plantation owner and former Member of Parliament fo ...
, the
Bishop of Ripon The Bishop of Ripon is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England. The bishop is one of the area bishops of the Diocese of Leeds in the Province of York. The area bishop of Ripon has oversight o ...
, the
Bishop of Penrith The Bishop of Penrith is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title named after the town of Penrith, Cumbria, Penrith in Cumbria. The title was first mentioned "as Pereth" in the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534 (alongside a see for Penreth – now called Bi ...
, Mr Joseph Dent Dent of
Ribston Hall Ribston Hall is a privately owned 17th-century country mansion situated on the banks of the River Nidd, at Great Ribston, near Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. The two-storey mansion presents an impressi ...
, and a large contingent of local clergy. The stated subject of the meeting was the reorganisation of the Ripon Diocesan Societies, but the content was a move by the Bishop of Ripon for funds to support pensions for retired clergy, nine-tenths of whom did not have independent means. The meeting enthusiastically supported this motion. Sadly, Forster was not to live long enough to benefit from this improvement of the clerical lot.''York Herald'', 12 April 1889: Ripon Diocesan Societies He supported the Church Institute which in turn supported the clergy, and he attended the annual bazaar, a three-day occasion in aid of its building fund. Forster served in Beckwithshaw for just seven years, and died on 28 August 1894. His funeral and interment took place on 1 September. In Beckwithshaw, "in all absence of gloom" the church was crowded at the funeral service, while in the village blinds were drawn and "signs of marked sorrow were visible on every hand." While the body was laid in the
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
, the congregation laid
wreaths A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, Leaf, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape. In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Christm ...
of flowers along the
altar rail The altar rail (also known as a communion rail or chancel rail) is a low barrier, sometimes ornate and usually made of stone, wood or metal in some combination, delimiting the chancel or the sanctuary and altar in a church, from the nave and ot ...
.
Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It ...
's hymn ''Blessing, honour, thanks and praise'' was sung, and Mark Rowntree read the lesson before the choir sang the
canticle In the context of Christian liturgy, a canticle (from the Latin ''canticulum'', a diminutive of ''canticum'', "song") is a psalm-like song with biblical lyrics taken from elsewhere than the Book of Psalms, but included in psalters and books su ...
''
Nunc Dimittis The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 to 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate transl ...
''. At the graveside service were medical officers from the local hospitals, an
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
, a
councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...
, numerous curates and vicars including Frank Shaw of St Andrew's, Huddersfield, D. M. Thomas, the curate of Beckwithshaw, and Mark Rowntree, vicar of
Pannal Pannal is a village in the county of North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated to the immediate south of Harrogate. Since 2016 it has formed part of the new civil parish of Pannal and Burn Br ...
. Mr and Mrs Henry Williams, patrons of the living of Beckwithshaw, were there too. The funeral ''cortège'' travelled on foot more than a mile to the cemetery. The clergy and choir were robed; the choirboys carrying all the flowers: a "picturesque appearance of reverential sorrow." At the cemetery, the grave was lined with ivy and flowers, and W. Binner conducted the service in "a most impressive manner." Numerous relatives of Charles and his wife were present, although newspaper reports do not say that Mary herself was there. The choir sang ''
For All the Saints "For All the Saints" was written as a processional hymn by William Walsham How, who would later become the Bishop of Wakefield in the Church of England. The hymn was first printed in ''Hymns for Saints' Days, and Other Hymns'', by Earl Nelson, ...
''. The polished oak coffin had heavy brass mountings and a brass cross on the lid. According to the ''Huddersfield Chronicle'' of 1894, the cross and its pedestal were inscribed, "Charles Farrar Forster, priest, born 29th February 1848; passed to rest 28th August 1894."''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 8 September 1894 However the existing inscription as of 2014 is as follows:
"In memory of Charles Farrar Forster, priest. First vicar of the adjoining parish of Beckwithshaw 1887 to 1894. Passed to rest on the 28th day of August 1894 aged 46. ''My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest''. This cross was erected by the members of his congregation."
On the evening of Sunday 9 September 1894 a memorial service was held for Forster at St Andrew's Church, Huddersfield. There was a large congregation. The organist, H. J. Wood, ARCO, played the voluntary ''Cantilene Pastorale'' by Guilmant. There were psalms and hymns, and lessons were read by the vicar, W. F. Shaw. The choir sang an anthem which was followed by a sermon from the vicar. The congregation stood while the organist played the ''Dead March'' from ''Saul''. The closing voluntary was Guilmant's ''Funeral March''. At Beckwithshaw he was remembered thus:
t Beckwithshaw/nowiki> he preferred to labour on and to die in harness . . . He was troubled with a dangerous disease which at times caused him agonies of excruciating pain. Yet through it all he was calm, patient, collected.''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 18 September 1894
''The Church Times'' said:
Appointed first vicar of the new parish of Beckwithshaw in 1887, he set himself to build up, slowly but surely, the life of his people . . . and while he taught the fulness of the truth, and symbolised it in simple yet reverent form, he failed not by the bright example of his own life - so consistent, so nobly patient under the severest trials - to give a forcible illustration of the yielded will and godly endeavour of a Christian man.''Huddersfield Chronicle'', 18 September 1894
In July 2005, over a hundred years after Forster's death, his great-nephew visited Beckwithshaw Church, showing that he is still remembered by his family.Information from Beckwithshaw Church


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forster, Charles Farrar 1848 births 1894 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests People from Knaresborough Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Alumni of St Bees Theological College