| WMG's funeral was a very grand affair. At the request of the Mayor, and as a mark of the great respect in which the townspeople held the late Chief Constable, the funeral was public one.
It was held on 20 December 1894, starting at 1.30pm, with the coffin borne from his house by six policemen, and placed on an open carriage drawn by four black horses. Draped over the coffin were the union jack and the police force flag. The hearse was followed by thirty to forty carriages with representatives of the various societies and activities which WMG was connected with at some time during his life.
The procession passed through the streets of Hastings, passing through many thousands of mourners, with the households showing their respect by lowering blinds or putting up black shutters. It was just before 3.00pm when the procession was seen winding its way up to the cemetery gates, passing the police lined up in single file on either side of the road, with firemen taking up similar positions outside the church doors.
WMG's police whistle and chain are on show in the police headquarters at Lewes, West Sussex, along with a pistol he took from a prisoner who tried to kill him. |
