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Memorial details
- Memorial type
- Board / Plaque / Tablet
- District
- Cheltenham
- Town
- Leckhampton
- County
- Gloucestershire
- Country
- England
- Commemoration
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Maker
- Messrs R, C and E Marshall Ltd of Cheltenham (Manufacturer)
- Ceremony
- Dedicated
Date: 30 August 1918
Attended by: The Lord Bishop of Gloucester performed the dedication
- Dedicated
- Lost
- Not lost
- WM Reference
- 93510
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Current location
In the Transept
St Philip and St James's Church
Grafton Road
Leckhampton
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL50 2DD
England
OS Grid Ref: SO 94429 21124
Denomination: Church of England
- Description
- Rectangular brass plaque, with a single line border and with the Chester-Master family Coat of Arms of silver and coloured enamels (and the family motto "Virtute et Ingenio) at top-centre. The inscription is in black Roman lettering.
- Inscription
- IN MEMORY OF/ RICHARD CHESTER CHESTER-MASTER D.S.O./ AGED 47 YEARS/ LIEUT-COL (13TH BATT) KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS/ CHIEF CONSTABLE OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE/ 1910 - 1917/ AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR HE OFFERED/ HIMSELF FOR ACTIVE SERVICE,/ REJOINING HIS OLD REGIMENT IN 1915./ HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE/ ON 30TH AUGUST 1917. THIS TABLET/ IS ERECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE/ GLOUCESTERSHIRE CONSTABULARY/ AS A TRIBUTE TO HIS UNFAILING JUSTICE,/ AND THE KINDLY INTEREST HE ALWAYS/ TOOK IN THEIR WELFARE.
- Inscription legible?
- yes
- Names on memorial
- Chester- Master, Richard Chester
See details - Commemorations
- First World War (1914-1918)
Total names on memorial: 1
Served and returned: 0
Died: 1
Exact count: yes
Information shown: Forenames, surname, decoration, age at death, rank, Battalion, Regiment, former Police rank, date of death.
Order of information: Undefined
- First World War (1914-1918)
- Components
- Plaque
Measurements: height c600mm, width c380mm
Materials: Brass
- Plaque
- Listing information
- This memorial is not currently listed. Find out how to nominate this memorial for inclusion on the National Heritage List for England
- More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
- Condition
- Trust fund/Scholarship
- No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A - Sponsorship
- Corporate
Details: The plaque was erected by officers of the Gloucestershire Constabulary - Responsibility
- Church of England
- Reference
- The Gloucestershire Echo reported on 11/5/1918 (page 4) that: "The Chancellor of Gloucester Diocese has granted to the Rev. R, A. H. Hay, M.A., vicar of SS. Philip and James, Leckhampton, a faculty to provide and erect on the south east wall of the chancel of this church a tablet of polished brass, with coat of arms of silver and coloured enamels" to commemorate the death of Lieutenant Colonel Richard Chester Chester-Master. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19180511/078/0004
- Mention of the plaque at St Philip and St James Church (and the fact that Richard Chester Chester-Master is also commemorated on the Cheltenham War Memorial, the St Philip's and St James' Church Roll of Honour, the Cirencester War Memorial, Christ Chhurch College Oxford's Memorial, Harrow School's Memorial, Almondsbury War Memorial, and in St Mary's Church at Almondsbury) can be found at remembering.cheltenhamremembers.org.uk/st_phillips_indiv_comm-2
- Biographical details re Richard Chester Chester-Master can be found at gloucestershirepolicearchives.org.uk/content/category/from-strikes-to-vips/wars/death-of-a-chief-constable
- A photograph of Richard Chester Chester-Master is held by the Imperial War Museum, see www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205292101
- A copy of the Order of Service re the Dedication Service on 30/8/1918 can be viewed at gloucestershirepolicearchives.org.uk/content/from-strikes-to-vips/wars/death-of-a-chief-constable/in-memorium-2
- On 30/8/1918 the Gloucestershire Echo reported in detail the Dedication Service re the plaque, mentioning that St Philip's and St James' Church (in which it had been placed) was where the former Chief Constable had worshipped. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19180830/060/0004
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-93510
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