DEATH OF THE REV. T. R. BROWNRIGG. — In our obituary this week we have to record, with much regret, the death of the Rev. T. R. Brownrigg, M.A., vicar of St. Jude’s, Southsea. Mr. Brownrigg commenced his clerical duties with earnestness as curate of St. John’s, Portsea, under the Rev. David Cooper, the then incumbent. Subsequently he was curate of Steep, near Petersfield, and when St. Jude’s was completed the late T. E. Owen, Esq., of Dover-court, Southsea, was presented by that gentleman to the perpetual incumbency of that church, where his ministrations were continued to the time of his decease over a large and influential congregation. For the last two years Mr. Brownrigg’s health has much declined, and has had during that period the able and zealous assistance of the Rev. J. S. Blake, latterly in conjunction with the Rev. W. Drury. The Rev. Mr. Brownrigg married the only daughter of the late T. E. Owen, Esq., who, with a family of six young children, he has left to mourn their loss. Nearly all the places of business in Palmerston-road have testified their respect for the deceased in the usual manner.

 Hampshire Telegraph 24 April 1869

FUNERAL OF THE REV. T. R. BROWNRIGG

     The remains of the late Rev. T. R. Brownrigg, M.A., incumbent of St Jude's Church, Southsea, were interred in the new Portsmouth Cemetery on Wednesday last, where every expression of sympathy and regret was manifested by those amongst whomt he ministered, and others who were in a position to estimate his sterling qualities as a townsman, and his amiable and open-hearted attributes as a neighbour and a friend. Seldom has the neighbourhood been so generally overcast. The deceased was a native of Norris Mount, in Ireland, and has an elder brother now in possession of the family estate in that neighbonrhtood. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated M.A.; and upon resigning his studies for church duties, he received his first curacy appointment to St. John's, Portsea. From thence he proceeded to Steep, near Petersfield, and upon the completion of St. Jude's Church, Southsea, in 1851, he received his first and only incumbency. Although, from his genial and amiable disposition, the deceased was an acceptable exponent of the Book which he made his guide and study through life, it was noteworthy that he abstained from any pretensions to brilliancy of language and the other qualifications necessary to constitute what, in modern times, is generally known as "attractive preaching."  From his infancy deceased had suffered from asthma, which gradually assumed one of the worst forms of pulmonic disease, and from repeated coughing consequent thereon, one of his lungs is supposed to have grown out of its place, and thus prevented the heart supplying that amount of blood necessary to preserve the body in a healthy state, and consequently produced great prostration, weakness, and difficulty of breathing. His last illness—which was of brief duration—originated with an attack of inflammatory erysipelas in the right leg, which caused such acute pain and exhaustion as to cause death. The death-bed scene is described as being of the most impressive character. On the morning of his death, and when fully sensible of his approaching end, he requested that his children and the other members of his family should attend his bedside, and he then addressed to each a few fond words of admonition and bade them a final adieu. During Mr.Brownrigg's connection with the borough, and more especially since his appointment to the incumbency of St. Jude's, he has upon all occasions manifested great interest in that part of Southsea know as Somer's Town, and was one of the founders and principal supporter of the school established in that vicinity. He was ever ready to assist those who were in need of spiritual assistance, and at all times disregarded personal considerations to attend the bedside of these who applied for his services. The deceased's connection with the Owen family is well-known, the church to which he was last appointed having been founded and erected by and at the expense of the late T. E. Owen, Esq., of Dover Court. Mr. Brownrigg married, in 1851, Louisa, the only daughter of Mr. Owen, and has issue living. The gift of St. Jude's is in the hands of the family, and is worth 700l. a year. At an early hour on the morning of the funeral the body was taken from the vicarage and deposited in the chancel, and throughout the morning ticket-holders were admitted before the doors were opened to the general public. The result was that the church was filled in every part, and that there were very many persons in the immediate vicinity who could not gain admission. The coffin (which was provided by Messrs. Turner, of Queen-street, Portsea, under whose superintendence the arrangements were conducted) was of polished oak, with a raised cross on the lid. The fittings were of massive brass, with a plate at the foot, on which there was the following inscription (in old English, with red initial letters):

THOMAS RICHARD BROWNRIGG,
Died April 15th, 1869,
Aged 46 years.

     A handsome velvet pall covered the coffin when in the chancel, and on this, at the head, was a cross formed of white lily blossoms, and at the foot was a wreath of camellias. Preceding and following the burial service (which was clearly and impressively read by the Rev. E. P. Grant, the Vicar of Portsmouth), the organist played the "Dead March" in Saul, which was continued as the coffin was being slowly borne through the aisle for conveyance to the Cemetery. The hearse was preceded by a carriage in which were seated the deceased gentleman's medical advisers, Drs. Jackson and Elliott, and was followed by coaches with the following mourners, Annesley Brownrigg and Thomas Graham Brownrigg (the sons of the deceased), the Rev. Robert Brownrigg, Dr. Brownrigg (of Stethan, near London), Jacob Owen, Esq. (grandfather of Mrs. Brownrigg), Captain Charles L. Owen, Mr. Annesley Owen (son of the Rev. J. B. Owen, Vicar of St. Jude's, Chelsea), Mr. John Allen (son of Archdeacon Allen, Salop), the Revs. J. S. Blake and W. F. Drury  (curates of St., Jude's, Southsea), Mr. G. C. Stigant, J.P.  (the family solicitor), in addition to the organist, school-master, Scripture-reader, and verger. Along the whole route the shutters were closed and the blinds drawn, and a large concourse of persons followed for the purpose of witnessing the interment. At the ground several hundreds had already congregated, and these being added to by the arrival of the cortége, the attendance in the end was so great that considerable difficulty was experienced on the part of Mr. Turner to keep a clear road for the procession to the vault. As the coffin was borne through the entrance gate the choir, which had stood on either side, closed, and walking abreast sang the following hymn from the selection "Ancient and modern:" 

When our heads are bowed with woe,
When our bitter tears o'erflow,
When we mourn the lost, the dear,
Jesu, Son of Mary, hear.

Thou our throbbing flesh hast worn,
Thou our mortal griefs hast borne,
Thou hast shed the human tear;
Jesu, Son of Mary, hear.

When the solemn death-boll tolls
For our own departing souls,
When our final doom is near,
Jesu, Son of Mary, hear.

Thou hast bowed the dying head,
Thou the blood of life hast shed,
Thou hast filled the mortal bier;
Jesu, Son of Mary, hear.

When the heart is sad within
With the thought of all its sin,
When the spirit shrinks with fear,
Jesu, Son of Mary, hear.

Thou the shame, the grief, hast known,
Though the sins were not Thine own;
Thou hast deigned their load to bear;
Jesu, Son of Mary, hear.

This was continued until the tomb was reached, when the choir took up a position at the foot to take part in the services. The Vicar of Portsmouth added equally to the impressiveness of the occasion by his fervent rendering of the remaining portion of the beautiful church service, during which the choir sang the hymn commencing 

"Christ will gather in His own,
To the Place where He is gone;
Where their heart and treasure lie,
Where our life is hid on high."

—The service having been brought to a close, the coffin was lowered into the open receptacle for the dead, and then the choir sang

"Jesus lives! no longer now
Can thy terrors, Death, appal us;
Jesus lives! by this we know
Thou, O grave, can'st not enthral us."

     There was a large attendance of the resident clergy on the ground, and the owners of many private carriages testified their respect to the memory of' the deceased by following his remains to the grave. Amongst those who were in attendance were Admiral Chads, the Rev. J. V. Stewart (Vicar of Portsea), the Rev. — Stewart (of St. Paul's, Southsea), Admiral Talbot, Captain Hodgkinson, J.P., the Rev. H. N. Mc.Gachen, the Rev. Mr. Phelps (Chaplain of the Dockyard), Rev. E. B. C. Churchill (of All Saints), the Rev. F. Baldey, the Ven. Archdeacon Wright, the Rev. N. J. Devereux, and a large number of the resident gentry.