Obituary Ralph James Fremlin (1910)

Post date: Feb 03, 2012 10:13:24 AM

The Wateringbury Parish magazine of April 1910 reported the death of Ralph Fremlin, the brewer.

RALPH  JAMES  FREMLIN

The death of Mr. Ralph J. Fremlin has removed from the scenes of his active labours one of the most faithful Christians and one of the staunchest supporters of the Church and its work. 

There may be some of our parishioners who do not know that Mr. Ralph was born at Warden House in this parish 76 years ago, and that in conjunction with his  brothers he  has  held himself responsible for many years for the Red Hill Mission Services conducted by Mr. E. C. Colby.  During the early years of his married life, while he was still resident in Wateringbury, in conjunction with his brother, our parishioner Mr. Richard Fremlin, and their old friend now  passed  away, Mr. E. T. Goodwin,  Mr. Ralph started and personally managed an adult night-school, held in a cottage in the Old Road. There are still living some parishioners who attended that night-school and retain grateful memories of the advantages it gave them.

Mr. Ralph founded the Brewery in Maidstone in the year 1861, and from that time onward, eschewing civic honours, devoted his spare time to  the spiritual welfare of his employees and to the  work of the Church in the parishes with which he was connected. The foundation of the ecclesiastical  parishes of St. Paul's and St. Faith's Churches owed much, while that of St. Luke's owed well-nigh all to him. For many years he acted as  Superintendent  of the Sunday Schools  and Churchwarden  of St. Lukes. He also founded the Maidstone Social Purity Society, and took a prominent  part in the work of the School Board, the Ophthalmic Hospital and other Maidstone institutions.  But perhaps his greatest work of all lay in the weekly Bible Class for Men which he started more than thirty years ago, and which now numbers 250 members. 

Mr. Fremlin will be greatly missed, not only by public philanthropic institutions, but also by many persons in all classes of society who  found in him a true friend and adviser. On the occasion of his funeral the respect in which he was universally held was shown by the large numbers of people who attended the service or lined the streets and roads as the body was born to the Cemetery. The service which was just what he would have wished for anyone he loved. We never heard the beautiful lesson from 1st Cor.  xv. read  so impressively as by his  son-in-law, the  Rector of Kenley. The hymns were "Jesus lives" and "Peace, perfect peace." The body dies—the soul shall live for ever!

 Sutton Valence School's records show that Ralph  attended the school from 10th March 1846 through to 30th June 1848, leaving before the sixth form.