The Funeral Procession of The Lord Late Archibald Craven in May of 1923.
It was hard for Lord Collin and Lady Mary to get up the next morning
as it was the day Dr. Craven, Lord Collin, and Lady Mary would walk in front of horse drawn carriage carrying the casket of
the late Lord Craven to his final resting place.
Martha helped Lady Mary to wear a simple damask and lace black mourning dress and with a
matching hat with a veil coming down in the front of the hat. She wore no jewelry except the locket that Collin first gave
to her in 1910 and the engagement ring on her left finger.
Lord Collin and Dr. Craven both wore dark colored double breasted suits with starch white
shirts and dark ties.
It was the way that funerals were done in England, that the immediately family walked in
front of the horse drawn carriage that carried the late family member to his/her final resting place.
Many of the townspeople came out to walk behind the horse drawn carriage as far as St. Ann's
Church to pay their last respects to Lord Craven before he was internment into the Craven Mausoleum and placed next to his
darling Lily. who died twenty three years before.
The final Journey of The Late Lord Archibald Craven, according to the Rites of the Church of England.
Six ladies in mourning dressed in white and four pallbearers carried Lord Craven from the Church to the Craven
Mausoleum with the Mayor of Thwaite Village walking in front of the funeral procession.
Lord Collin, Dr. Craven, and Lady Mary were already at the front of the Mausoleum waiting to see him carried
in and laid to rest next to his late mother, Lily.
Finally the funeral procession arrived and everyone left Dr. Craven, Lord Collin, and Lady Mary alone . The
only one allowed to remain was the Vicar of St. Ann's that delivered the final prayers for the dead.
Lord Collin, Lady Mary, and Dr. Craven watched as Lord Craven's tomb was placed in the vault and closed up
by the Church groundkeeper.
Lady Mary carried two bouquets in her hands, and placed on top of her Late Aunt Lily's tomb and one of
her late Uncle Archie's tomb and said, " Dickon and Ben picked out these flowers Aunt Lily and Uncle Archie for both of you.
We will miss you."
She walked back over to Collin, and all three left the mausoleum together. Dr. Craven locked up the mausoleum
and handed the key to Collin and said, " The key now is yours."
"Thank you cousin for everything. James is waiting to drive us back to Misselthwaite Manor." Collin said.
Collin, Mary, and Dr. Craven climb into the limousine and James drives them back to Misselthwaite Manor.
A few minutes later they pull up to the front door of the Manor and Mrs. Medlock meets them at the door and
says, "I have your lunch ready Lord Craven and Lady Mary."
"Thank you Mrs. Medlock make another lunch for Dr. Craven." Lord Collin says.
Lady Mary dressed in her mourning clothes for her late Uncle Archibald Craven in Spring of 1923. She holds a picture of her
dear late Uncle in her hands and cries, " How will we live without you. Collin and I will miss you so."
