A service of thanksgiving for the life of the sixth Earl of Erne, Henry George Victor John Crichton, paid tribute to an “intensely human” man who was “a dedicated believer in peace.”

The service took place in St. Macartin’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Enniskillen on Monday, where among the congregation were Lord Erne’s family and His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, who represented Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.

The death of Henry (Harry) Crichton on December 23, 2015 “has had a profound effect,” the service heard He is survived by his wife, the Countess of Erne; son John Henry Michael Ninian Crichton, the seventh Earl of Erne; daughters: Lady Cleone Versen, Lady Davina Crichton, Lady Katherine Townsend-Rose and Lady Tara Loyd.

The service began with a reading from family friend Gloria Hunniford, who holidayed regularly at the Crichton family’s ancestral home, Crom Castle. She read A Lough Erne Perspective by Seamus Heaney.

Lord Erne’s half-brother Lord Terrington read ‘Fear no more the heat o’ the sun’ from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. He explained that it was their mother Davina’s favourite play and an exerpt from Cymbeline had also been read at her funeral.

The first lesson, from the Book of Revelation, was read by the Earl of Erne, John Crichton and the second lesson was read by HRH The Duke of Kent.
A tribute by Lord Erne’s first cousin, the Duke of Abercorn, recounted a man who loved “the magic of Crom.”

Lord Erne inherited the Crom estate as a child in 1940 after his father, the fifth Earl of Erne, was killed in the Second World War. He was educated at Eton and the Royal Agriculture College, Cirencester. 

After National Service in the Royal Navy, he was commissioned into the North Irish Horse Regiment, which he “thoroughly enjoyed.”

He first came to live at Crom in1958, following his marriage to Camilla Roberts. He undertook the renovation of the Castle “with great success”.

Their marriage was later dissolved, and, in 1980, he married Anna Hitchcock. The Duke of Abercorn referred to Lord Erne’s “wonderful, happy marriage to Anna”, adding: “They both shared a great passion for Crom.” 

He added: “Harry deeply appreciated the great advantage of having Crom on his doorstep. Whether he was on a fishing holiday with his cousins or painting watercolours in the Bahamas, I believe his mind always wandered back to Crom.”

He continued: “Harry was intensely human. He had a great gift for being able to relate to people of all ages. He had the rare ability of being able to laugh at himself. Harry always provided enjoyment. He was modest to a fault and was widely respected.

“He took enormous pleasure and pride in his grandchildren” and penned a book for them called ‘Freddy Long Ears’.

“He became an excellent self-taught artist and his paintings were exhibited in London, Dublin and Castle Coole. He enjoyed performing in a TV series along with his son John which examined the future of Crom.”

His charity interests included the Red Cross, the Share Centre at Lisnaskea and the Royal British Legion. 

Lord Erne was appointed Lord Lieutenant for County Fermanagh in 1987 and his first official engagement was the annual Remembrance ceremony at Enniskillen on November 8, where an IRA bomb went off, killing 11 people and injuring 63 more. A twelfth victim, Ronnie Hill, died after 13 years in a coma. 

The Duke of Abercorn told the congregation: “During those difficult years in Northern Ireland there were key personnel who held the fabric of life in Northern Ireland together. These personnel did not have a high profile. 
"In Fermanagh, Harry played this role to great effect. He treated everyone with the same respect.

“He was appointed Lord Lieutenant for County Fermanagh in 1987, a position that meant something different in Northern Ireland than it did in England at the time. The role required consideration and sensitivity. [However] the Enniskillen bomb dealt a terrible blow. Fortified by the support of his wife Anna and by his own moral strength, he found the will to continue his role.”
Lord Erne was “humble” in accepting a phone call from Queen Elizabeth in 2012, telling him he was to be invested as a Knight Commander Royal Victorian Order.

He enjoyed the “momentous day” in June 2012 when Queen Elizabeth visited Enniskillen and paid her first visit to a Catholic Church in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

“The symbolic day was a cause of great delight for Harry who was a dedicated believer in peace on this island.”

The Duke of Abercorn concluded: “He was modest to a fault, therefore, is it any wonder that he is so widely missed.”

The seventh Earl of Erne, John Crichton will take up the role of Deputy Lieutenant on June 1, an appointment he has described as “a huge honour because I will be following in my father’s footsteps.”