January 16, 1926
The funeral at Blackburn of Mr. John Lewis, the well-known football legislator and social worker, who passed away on Wednesday, took place this morning. In accordance with the known wishes of the deceased the obsequies were of private character. The interment was preceded by a service at St. Mark’s Church, Witton, and was attended by a large gathering of representatives from sporting and social organisations. The Rev. B.N. Usker, vicar, officiated, assisted by the Rev. J. Maddock. The choir were in attendance. The hymns were “Fight the Good Fight” and “Now the Labourer’s Task is o’er.”
The family mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. Frank Eastwood (son-in-law and daughter), Miss Marion Lewis (niece), Mr. and Mrs. S. Lewis (brother and sister-in-law), Mr. Thomas Lewis (brother-in-law), Mrs. R.F. Lewis (Manchester, sister-in-law), Mr. R.F. Lewis (nephew), Mr. George L. Kay (Darwen, nephew), and Mr. Harry Kay (Darwen, nephew).
Public representatives.
Amongst representatives present were: – Football Association: Mr. John McKenna, vice-president (president of the Football League), Mr. Charles Sutcliffe (also of the Football League and the Lancashire Association), Mr. R. Watson (also of the Lancashire Association), Mr. FJ. Wall (secretary), Mr. A.H. Kingscott and Mr. Colin Clegg (representing Mr. J.C. Clegg of Sheffield).
Football League: Mr. Arthur Dickinson, Mr. W. Hall, Mr. F.W. Rinder, Mr. W.C. Cuff (also secretary of the Central League), Mr. Tom Charnley (secretary), and Mr. F. Haworth (assistant secretary).
Lancashire FA: Mr. R. Birtwistle, Mr. T.Y. Ritson (hon. Treasurer), Mr. W.E. Bracewell, Mr. T.P. Campbell (also chairman of the Lancashire Combination), Mr. J. Taylor, Mr. H Duckworth, Mr. E. Little, Mr. T.A. Barcroft, Mr. T. Laithwaite, Mr. J.E. Mangnall (also of the Central League), Mr. R.A. Beely (also of the Lancashire Combination), Mr. John Kenny (president of the West Lancashire League), and Mr. F. Hargreaves (secretary).
Manchester County FA: Mr. W. Gilgrist and Mr. L.M. Sinclair (secretary).
Lancashire Combination: The Mayor of Darwen (Councillor W. Knowles), Mr. J. Holgate, and Mr. A.H. Downs (secretary).
Blackburn Rovers’ directors: Messrs. J.W. Walsh, J. Eddleston J.P., J. Forbes, T. Birtwistle, W.H. Chadburn, J. Cotton, W.H. Grimshaw, and W. Tempest, the only absentee being Mr. Bob Crompton, who was unavoidable detained.
Other organisations represented were: Blackburn and District Sunday School Amateur Football League, Mr. William Elliott, Blackburn Referees’ Association, Mr. A. Edmondson, Lancashire County Elementary Schools Football Association, Mr. S. Horstall (chairman), Mr. John Swift, Blackburn Schoolboys Football Association), Mr. C. Houlden, East Lancashire Cricket Club, Mr. J. Campbell, chairman Preston Referee Association, Mr. H.W. Norman, Blackburn War Pensions Committee, Alderman D.C. Dewhurst, Accrington, Mr. R.A. Fassell, chief area officer), Blackburn Liberal Association, Councillor J.A. Ormerod, Mr. Lawson Duxbury, Blackburn Reform Club, Mr. J. Kenyon, Mr. Joseph Booth, Mr. D. Kilner, Red Rake Tennis Club, Mr. Walter Chadwick, East Lancashire Accident Benefit Society, Mr. J.W. Oates, Blackburn Boys Football Association, Mr. John Aston, Blackburn Amateur Swimming Club, Mr. S. Bury.
East Lancashire Workpeople’s Hospital Fund, Mr. Herbert Holden, Lancashire and Cheshire Band of Hope Union, Mr. W.E. Woolle (representing Mr. Chanton Wilson, secretary), Bent Street Ragged School, Mr. A. Billington, Blackburn Workshops for the Blind, Councillor J. Fryars, Mr. Walter Heaid, Mr. J.R. Wooldridge, National League for Blind, Mrs. Coggins, Mrs. Lawley, Blackburn Band of Hope Union, Messrs. J. Dixon, J. Nightingale, F. Parry, Mrs Reid and Miss Laurie, Rechabites, Mr. C. Houghton, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Mr. J.W. Carmichael, Cobden Reform Club, Mr. Walter Duckworth, Mr. R.M. Bedford, BWTA, Mrs. Frank Harrison, Mrs. L.I. Stanford, Mrs. Partington, Mrs. Bullock,, Charoty Organisation Society, Miss Smith, Mrs. Lewis’s Teetoa Misson, Lees Hall, Mr. W.E. Moss.
Liverpool County Football Association, Mr. D. Edwards JP (president), Mr. J. Grant (hon. Secretary),, Blackburn and District Amateur Football Combination, Mr. J.W. Duckworth, also representing Mr. J.F. Carr, director of Education, and Mr. Walter Shuttleworth, Darwen F.C., Mr. A.E. Yates, Rochdale F.C., Mr. J. Peart of Accrington Stanley F.C., Mr. E. Cunliffe (chairman), Tranmere Rovers F.C., Mr. R. Libsom, Blackburn Times, Mr. J. Rostrom JP, C. Francis, Sports Telegraph, Mr. W.C. Hawthorne, and Mr. G.F. Martin.
Among others in church were: – The Mayor of Blackburn (Councillor J. Stanworth JP), Alderman C.F. Critchley JP, Lytham St. Annes, Mr. Edgar Chadwick, of Liverpool, Alderman James Kay JP, Councillor E. Hamer JP, Mr. R.J. Howard, Mr. J.T. Worsley JP, Mr. A.E. Higham, Councillor George Burke, the Rev. Joseph Farquhar, MA and the Rev. C.H.E. Freeman, MA.
Vicar’s tribute.
In a short address the Vicar said there were three traits in Mr. Lewis’s character which were characteristic. The first was a sense of duty. A few days before he went on his Australian tour Mr. Lewis came to him and asked the amount of his church subscription. He then calculated how many Sunday’s he would be away and the collection he would normally give on those Sundays. Mr. Lewis then handed him a cheque for that amount. There was no obligation upon him to do so, except his innate sense of duty, which was characteristic of the whole of his life.
The second trait was his sense of right, regardless of what anybody else thought. Beneath a rugged exterior Mr. Lewis had a very kind heart.
The last trait in his character was his almost inexhaustible energy and activity. He always had to be doing something, and he put the last ounce of himself in everything he did. He led one of the busiest lives anybody could live, and there was not a lazy bone in his body.
(Lancashire Evening Post: January 16, 1926)
John Lewis, football legislator.
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