Governor Lawrence, who had been for 7 days ill, died of inflammation of
the lungs on the morning of the 19th October, 1760. The Council were
immediately summoned, and Chief Justice Belcher sworn in to administer
the Government. A question had arisen on a previous occasion, between
Mr. Belcher and Mr. Green, as to the eligibility of the Chief Justice to
the office of administrator of the Government, which was decided in
favour of the Chief Justice, but some years after, the question was
determined by the British Government declaring that the two offices of
administrator of the Government and Chief Justice, should never be held
by the same person.
It was resolved in Council, that the funeral of the late Governor should
be at the public expense, and a monument to his memory was afterwards
voted by the Assembly to be placed in St. Paul's Church.[37]
[Footnote 37: The inscription to be placed on this monument is given at
full length in the Gazette of that day, but it was not to be found among
those which cover the walls of old St. Paul's. There is, however, an
escutcheon with the arms of Lawrence on the east gallery.]
The funeral of Governor Lawrence took place on the Thursday following,
24th October, at 4 p. m. The procession began from Government House as
follows:--
The Troops in Garrison, the Military Officers, two field pieces 6
pounders, the Physicians, the ministers, the corpse in a coffin covered
with black velvet, and the pall, to which were affixed escutcheons of
His Excellency's arms, supported by the President and the rest of His
Majesty's Council.
The Mourners, the Provost Marshall, the House of Assembly, the
Magistrates, the Civil Officers, the Freemasons and a number of the
inhabitants. The Bearers, Clergy, Physicians and all Officers, Civil and
Military had linen and cambric hat-bands.
The corpse was preceded near the church by the orphans singing an
anthem. The pulpit, reading desk and the Governor's pew, were covered
with black and escutcheons, and a most pathetic Funeral Sermon was
preached by the Reverend Mr. Breynton, Rector of the Parish, after which
the corpse was interred on the right side of the Communion Table.
Minute guns were fired from one of the batteries, from the time the
procession began, until the interment, when the whole was concluded with
three volleys from the troops under arms.
The Supreme Court, which began on Tuesday following, was hung in
mourning and escutcheons.
The following fulsome eulogium, to the late lamented Governor, appeared
in the newspapers of the day: "The Lieutenant Governor was possessed of
every natural endowment and acquired, accomplishment necessary to adorn
the most exalted station, and every amiable quality that could promote
the sweets of friendship and social intercourse of human life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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