Memorial Title

Capt W Cumming

Summary

Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of a Peninsular War memorial tablet in St Giles's Church, Old Matlock, Derbyshire, commemorating Capt W Cumming.

Images

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Further images may be available on request.

Locations

Last known location:
St Giles's Church
Church St
Old Matlock
Derbyshire

Nearest postcode:
DE4 3BZ

NGR:
SK 30080 59772
(From online digital mapping.)

Location details:
In the Guild Chapel at the eastern end of the north wall of the nave.

Type

Overall type: Tablet.

Overall condition: Fair. The inscription is legible.

Description:

A black Ashford marble tablet with an alabaster decoration. The tablet is shaped in the outline of a gothic arch and bears a carved white alabaster frame in the style of two pilasters with finials and linked by an arch. The incised inscription is in mixed styles of sentence-case roman lettering infilled in white.

Glossary

Components:

Component	Material	Height	Width	Depth	Condition
Tablet	Black marble, White alabaster	1300	770	100	Fair
Dimensions in millimetres ±5mm unless stated otherwise.

Inscription

To the Memory
of
Captn. W. CUMMING
of the 83d. British Regt.
and 9th. Portuguese Caçadores,
who
having fought in the Battles
of
Oporto, Talavera, Buzaco,
and Fuentes de Onoro,
fell in an attack on the French out posts
near Bayonne.
October 9th. 1813,
in the 30th. Year of his Age.
This Tablet was erected by his Brothers,
in whose esteem and affection he had
that place, to which Firmness
of Mind and Urbanity of
Manners, justly entitle
their Possessor.

Conflicts and people named:
Conflict	Peninsular War (1808-1814)	Totals
Actions: Second Battle of Porto 12 May 1809 Battle of Talavera 27-28 July 1809 Battle of Bussaco 27 Sep 1810 Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro 3-5 May 1811 Aftermath of Battle of the Bidassoa 7 October 1813
Number died	1	1
Number served and returned	0	0
Total names	1	1

Administration

Custodian: Presumed to be the parochial church council.

Local authorities:
From 19th Century: Matlock Parish Council; Matlock Urban District Council; Derbyshire County Council.
From 1974: Matlock Town Council; Derbyshire Dales District Council; Derbyshire County Council.

History

c1814: The memorial was erected by Captain Cumming's brothers.

c1900: The memorial was moved to its present position when the north aisle was rebuilt.

22nd June, 1950: The church was listed Grade II*, Heritage List for England number 1247838. The memorial is mentioned in the listing description.

October 1980: The church lies within the Old Matlock Conservation Area first designated in that month.

By 2007: The lettering had become barely legible and repairs were required.

2008: The memorial was cleaned and conserved by the Skillington Workshop. The cost was met by a grant of £945 from the War Memorials Trust and further grants from Matlock Town Council and the Ernest Bailey Trust and by private donations.

8th September, 2016: The memorial was surveyed by Anne Branson and Roy Branson. It was in fair condition.

References

War memorials Trust website, page http://www.warmemorials.org/search-grants/?gID=16 viewed on 9th October, 2016.

St Giles's Church website, page http://stgilesmatlock.co.uk/history/other-memorials/ viewed on 9th October, 2016.

Comments

Some sources record slight differences in the biographical details.

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