Well known in the boot industry and for his service to Rushden Park-road Baptist Church, Mr Charles Arthur Kersey Green died on Sunday morning at his residence, Knuston Hall.

Eighty-four years old, Mr Green had remained active, and continued to drive his own car.

He was out walking on Saturday evening and on Friday visited the factories of the two firms of which he was chairman of directors—Messrs William Green and Son, Rushden, and the Wholesale and Export Shoe Co., Irchester.

Mr Green had a genuine regard for Rushden and its old families. He had a remarkable memory of family history and the “old time” and, though troubled by deafness in his later years, never tired of conversing with people about the Rushden of former years.

A native of the town, Mr Green was the eldest son of the late Mr William Green, founder of one of the town’s early boot manufacturing businesses in a factory which still stands in Albion Place, or “Green’s Yard.” This factory was built around 1866, and the firm moved to Queen-street in the 1890s.

Mr Green was proud of the high grade of the work always associated with his firm, with which he was connected for about 70 years. He sought few offices in public or industrial life, but gave much time and devotion to the Park-road Baptist Church, being secretary of the Sunday School for many years, church deacon and treasurer for a long period, and finally a life deacon.

Mr Green’s first wife (nee Sanders) died in 1928 and he married later Miss Grace Ashdowne, who survived him. There are three surviving sons—Mr C W S Green, Rushden, Mr R Kersey Green, M.B.E., Harrold, and Dr D E Green of Martock, Somerset.

Two brothers and two sisters are also left—Mr Walter Green and Mr William Green, Mrs B Coe and Mrs P W Tomlinson all of Rushden.

The Funeral

The religious faith of C.A.K. "was the mainspring of all that he was and all that he did," said the Rev. T. W. Gill, of Cambridge (former minister of the Park-road Baptist Church), who gave the address at the funeral service at Rushden on Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Green, said the minister, was a man of considerable enterprise with a capacity for great friendliness. Born 84 years ago, when Rushden was a village turning to the industry by which it had been known for past 50 years, he came from Kimbolton, where his grandfather was a miller.

The business of Green and Son was built by his father, the late Mr. William Green, but it was greatly due to the initiative of "C.A.K." that it had grown into what it was. It was men like him who had estab-lished the industry at home and overseas.

The religious faith was the mainspring of his life. He had joined Park-road Baptist Church at the age of 19 and had been a member for 65 years.

Although increasing deafness cut him off from a lot of contacts with local people, Mr. Green never tired of discussing "old" Rushden and its people of a generation ago.

The minister (the Rev. R. Percival Jones) conducted the service at Park-road Baptist Church, and the Rector of St. Mary's (Rev. E. Green) led in prayer. Mr. Cyril Groom, A.R.C.O., at the organ accompanied the hymns "In Heavenly Love Abiding" and "Now the labourer’s task is o’er."

Among the large congregation were many employees of Messrs. Wm Green and Son.

Family mourners were Mr. C. W. S. Green, Mr. R. K. Green and Dr. D. C. Green (sons), Lieut. John Green, R.N., Lieut. Hayden Green (grandsons), Mr. Walter Green (brother) and Mr. F. W. Tomlinson (brother-in-law). Mr. F. W. Green, (brother) was unable to attend owing to indisposition.

Representing the Park-road Baptist Church were Mrs. H. Bayes, Mrs. H. Robinson, Miss C. E. Bayes, Messrs. J. T. Richardson, J. Bayes, H. E. Clark, E. J. Godfrey, W. Makeham, James Sykes (senior), James Sykes (junior), and Frank Dudley (deacons and deaconesses), Messrs. A. S. Knight, C. Putman, A. T. Rose, S. C. Brightwell, A. Bayes and J. Allen (finance committee).

Messrs. William Green and Son and the Wholesale and Export Shoe Co. were represented by Mr. C. A. G. Slater, Mr. C. S. I. Margetts, Mr. T. R. Goodey and Mr. H. F. Pinnock.

Among others attending were Mr. C. R. Masters (John Carter and Sons Ltd., London and Northampton), Mr. J. D. Crockett (Premier Hide and Leather Co. Ltd., Northampton, and Bolton Leathers), Mr. S. Kilsby (W. and J. Martin, Northampton), Mr. H. Richardson (Bevington and Sons, London), Mr. A. McFarlane, M.A, (Highfield Tanning Co. Ltd., Runcorn), Mr. J. W. Holder (Charles A. Quinn and Co. Ltd., Northampton), Mr. P. Norton (Irthlingborough), Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Sharwood, Dr. D. G. Greenfield, Mr. T. C. Percival, Mr and Mrs. W. M. Horrell, the Rev W. Rowley, Vicar of Irchester, and Mrs. Rowley, Mr. Daston, Mr. F. J. Lilley, Mr. John White, Mr. and Mrs. T. Sanders, Miss F. J. Clipson, Mrs. A. S. Knight, Miss A. Sharwood, Mr. and Mrs. D. Bugby, Mr. A. Wooding, Mr. A. G. Larkinson, Mr. C. Collins, Mr. T. F. Chater (also representing Mr. Cattell, of Cattell and Chater), Mr. W. S. Kennedy (Munt Bros.), Mr. E. Newell (representing Mr. W. C. Tarry, (of the Tecnic Boot Co.), Mr. A Phillips (R. S. Lawrence and Co.), Mr. F. Green, J.P., Mr. C. J. Potton, Mr. W. E. Sargent, Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Brightwell, Mr. J. T. Richardson, Mr. J. S. Kirk (secretary Rushden and District Shoe Manufacturers' Association). Mr. W. H. Imison (National Provincial Bank) and Mr. F. H. Abbott (representing the Temperance Band).