Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Canterbury
Town
Canterbury
County
Kent
Country
England
Commemoration
Waterloo Campaign (1815)
Maker
Thomas Longley (Sculptor)
John and Mary Rushbrook (Designer)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
54436

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Current location

Nave
north aisle
bay 5
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury
Canterbury
Kent
England

OS Grid Ref: TR 152 579
Denomination: Church of England

View location on Google Maps
Description
Oval tablet bearing an inscription in black Roman lettering, some of which is in italics. This is mounted on a rectangular tablet. The oval is surrounded by a ribbon design of dots alternating with rosettes. The whole stands on a shelf of four receding tiers supported by two brackets each in the shape of the mouth of a cannon.
Inscription
SACRED/ TO THE MEMORY/ OF/ ROBERT - MACPHERSON CAIRNES,/ MAJOR OF ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY,/ WHO WAS TAKEN FROM THIS SUBLUNARY SCENE/ JUNE THE 18TH. 1815,/ AGED 30./ BRIEF, BUT MOST NOBLE, WAS HIS CAREER,/ AND HIS END WAS GLORIOUS,/ BRAVELY ASSERTING THE CAUSE OF AN INJURED MONARCH,/ HE FELL ON THE PLAINS OF WATERLOO./ HIS RARE ENDOWMENTS,/ HIS HIGH QUALITIES,/ THE ENDEARING ATTRACTIONS OF HIS CHARACTER/ AS SON, AS BROTHER, AND AS FRIEND,/ ARE INDELIBLY IMPRESSED UPON THE HEARTS OF ALL/ WHO HAD THE HAPPINESS OF POSSESSING HIS ESTEEM,/ AND WHO NOW FEEL THE EXQUISITE ANGUISH/ INFLICTED BY HIS EARLY DEATH./ THIS HUMBLE MONUMENT/ ERECTED BY THE HAND OF FRIENDSHIP,/ IS A FAITHFUL, BUT VERY INADEQUATE, TESTIMONY/ OF AFFECTION, AND GRIEF WHICH NO LANGUAGE CAN EXPRESS,/ OF AFFECTION WHICH LIVES BEYOND THE TOMB,/ OF GRIEF WHICH WILL NEVER TERMINATE/ TILL THOSE WHO NOW DEPLORE HIS LOSS/ SHALL REJOIN HIM/ IN THE BLEST REALM/ OF/ EVERLASTING PEACE.
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Cairnes, Robert-macpherson
See details
Commemorations
  • Waterloo Campaign (1815)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname,rank,year died,regiment,place of death,forename,manner of death,age of death
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Tablet
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Marble - Grey, Marble - White
Listing information
  • CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL
  • Grade I
  • This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. View list entry
  • More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
  • Historic England
Condition
History
Some of the inscription is fading.
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A

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-54436

For queries, please contact [email protected].