Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Tunbridge Wells
Town
Speldhurst
County
Kent
Country
England
Commemoration
Napoleonic Wars (1803-1814)
Maker
MR JOHN BACON, JNR (Sculptor)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 1807
    Attended by: UNKNOWN
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
16229

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Current location

On north wall of tower room.
St Mary the Virgin Church
Speldhurst Hill
Speldhurst
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN3 0NN
England

OS Grid Ref: TQ 55360 41440
Denomination: Church of England

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Description
An elaborate wall monument divided into two sections by a cornice. upper part is an elaborate sculpture of an urn with a garland around it resting on a pedestal behind which are numerous military trophies swathed in a piece of fabric. On the front of the pedestal is an oval plaque on which is carved, in high relief, a ship wreck. Sculpture mounted on a backing shaped like a gothic arch. On the urn is a shield (see below). Lower part of sheild rectangular with curved apron between two fluting pilastres. Blazon: dexter (yorke) arg a saltire az. sinister: sa, a refoil slipped between eight mullets arg (phipps). Crest: a lions head erased, arising from a crest-coronet of three leaves (yorke)
Inscription
THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY MARY YORKE/ IN TRIBUTE TO THE WORTH OF HER BELOVED HUSBAND/ JOHN HARVYE YORKE ESQR OF BISHOPS DOWN GROVE/ COL. IN HIS MAJESTY'S ROYAL ARTILLERY/ IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND AT AN EARLY AGE, HE WAS DISTINGUISHED/ FOR THE PRINCIPLES WHICH BEST ADORN A MAN AND A SOLDIER/ HE WAS HUMANE, FRIENDLY, GENEROUS AND BRAVE:/ AND FROM HIS ZEAL AND ABILITY IN A FORMER CONQUEST OF THE/ CAPE OF GOOD HOPE WAS SELECTED WITH THE RANK OF BRIGADIER GENERAL/ TO COMMAND THE ARTILLERY ON A SECOND EXPEDITION THERE./ ON HIS VOYAGE TO WHICH PLACE, IN NOBLY VENTURING HIS LIFE/ TO SAVE HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS/ HE WAS DROWNED OFF THE COAST OF BRAZIL/ NOVEMBER THE 1ST 1805,/ AGED 50
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • Napoleonic Wars (1803-1814)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 1
    Exact count: no
    Information shown: Rank, forename, surname, regiment, date of death, place of death, manner of death, age at death, relationships.
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Backboard
    Measurements: depth 150MM, height 2000MM, width 1000MM
    Materials: Marble - Grey
  • Plaque
    Measurements: depth 80MM, height 430MM, width 610MM
    Materials: Marble - White
Listing information
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Private

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-16229

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