Obituary Notices.
THOMAS HATTERSLEY.
" Earth changes, but thy soul and God stand sure. -Robert Browning.
YACR 1905 Annual Report, vol30
THOMAS HATTERSLEY.
Died at Sheffield, January 23rd, 1905, in his sixty-eighth year.
Mr. Hattersley, the well-known brother of our Mr. Chas. H
Hattersley, will live long in the memory of his many friends, if only
for the kindly enthusiasm he carried with him on all occasions. But our
deceased friend's reputation was firmly laid in a long and useful
ringing career. The fact of his having been connected with the
Sheffield Parish Church and its grand ring of twelve, and its many
ringing traditions, for forty-five years, speaks for itself. It
can come as no surprise to hear that he was the deeply-trusted friend
of our fïrst President, Mr. Jasper Snowdon, who continually spoke with
great appreciation of all that the Brothers Hattersley had done to
consolidate the Society in their district.
It is difïcult to single out any one thing by which our friends
may be best remembered, especially when we are dealing with the work of
a man who had such a wide range in his ringing horizon, but we are
inclined to think that one peal may safely be taken as a memorable
event, viz., the conducted performance of Holt's Original One-part,
rung in London on October 23rd, 1884, on the anniversary of its fïrst
performance without a manuscript. Here our friend took the seventh, and
the peal stands duly chronicled to his memory in the second edition of
"Grandsire," p.138. That Holt's One-part was a favourite peal
with him is well known, indeed, he travelled to London to call it for
Mr. M. A. Wood's 300th peal, and much appreciated were those visits to
town when ringing matters were not so well passed round as they are
nowadays-appreciated, doubt not, on both sides.
Joining the Association in 1877 – two years after its conception
- he at once became a pillar of strength to the county confederation,
as his 103 peals amply testify. Following this out, we find him even in
the last few weeks of his career attending our most important Committee
meeting, viz., that in December, and on January 15th he obtained the
Sheffield signatures to the warrants of the Life Members, and these he
took away with him after ringing, with the intention of attending the
annual meeting at Pudsey, having notified his intention to be present
to his fellow officers, so that we may truly say of him that he died in
harness for the Society.
He was laid to rest in the Sheffield General Cemetery, the Rev.
J. St. Leger Blakeney, a son of the old Vicar, specially attending to
take the service. At the side of the grave were gathered those dearest
to him, and in addition his comrades and the chief and other officers
of the Association, and as the clear note of the hand-bells broke
crisply through the frosty air in the rythmic beat of Grandsire Caters,
one could not but feel that all was being done as he would have wished
it.
May his good example not be lost on us, for we can badly spare
the kindly and genial. A peal, No. 1464, was rung on his old bells at
the Parish Church, whilst another, thoughtfully chosen as to the
particular composition best suited for a closing tribute, was secured
at Ranmoor, as given under Peal No. 1456.
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