Note 67 — BATTLE OF WATERLOO. 18th. June, 1815.

“It is only recently that the remains of Sir Thomas Picton were removed to St. Paul’s. In the Times of Thursday, May 5th, 1859, appeared a letter from W. Brewer, Esq., of 21, George Street, Hanover Square, stating that in the vaults of the burying ground in the Bayswater road, might be seen the thick chest or oak box, in which the remains of this general, as they were packed up in the village of Waterloo, and sent to England, were deposited. As these vaults were just closed by order of the Privy Council, and the brickwork to close in the coffins was at once to be commenced, this gentleman appealed to the country that the body of this illustrious warrior might be deposited in some distinguished mausoleum:—the result of this appeal was that the remains of this gallant general were removed on the 8th. of June, 1859, to St. Paul’s, and the following account of the ceremony appeared in the Morning Post of Thursday, June 9th., 1859:—

“Yesterday morning, according to arrangement, the remains of the late Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton were removed from the cemetery belonging to the parish of St. George, Hanover Square, to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

“The coffin was placed on a gun-carriage, drawn by eight horses, It was covered with a rich silk Genoa velvet pall with richly emblazoned armorial bearings of the late general, and with the union-jack. The procession was under the direction of the Royal Artillery. The first carriage contained Mr. J. Picton, the Hon. Colonel Vereker, Colonel Bagot, and General Wood. The second contained the Rev. Henry Howarth, rector of St. George’s, Hanover Square, Mr. Stanley, and Dr. Brewer. In the third were Mr. Cooper, Mr. Westerton, and Treherne. Then followed the carriages of Lord Strafford, the Right Hon. Mr. Estcourt, the Home Secretary, Lord Gough, General Sir F. Stovin, Sir John Burgoyne, Sir Hew Ross, Sir Robert Gardiner, and Sir James Coleman.

“Amongst the others who appeared as mourners was the Rev. Dr. Macnab, of Canada, representing his uncle, Captain Alexander Macnab, of the 30th. Regiment of Foot, who was aide-de-camp to General Picton, and who fell at the battle of Waterloo.

“The procession moved slowly through the principal streets to St. Paul’s Cathedral. When the body reached St. Paul’s Cathedral, some time was taken up in removing the ponderous mass from the gun-carriage, and bearing up the steps on the south side into the Cathedral. It was there met by the Very Rev. the Dean Milman, Archdeacon Hale, the Rev. W. Murray and several other prebendaries and minor canons, who preceded the body to the crypt, where a vault had been constructed not far from the tomb of Wellington, the illustrious chief of the noble hero. At that moment the organ began to play the ‘Dead March in Saul.’ Followed by the old comrades of the illustrious general, the body was conveyed, in the most solemn silence, to the tomb, where it was received and lowered into the grave in the presence of Colonel Vereker, Mr. J. Picton, and a large number of private mourners.”