Memorial Title

T Smith

Summary

Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of a war memorial tablet to the military service of Thomas Smith in St John the Baptist's Churchyard at Winster, Derbyshire.

Images

Locations

Last known location:
St John the Baptist's
Churchyard
Elton Rd (B5057)
Winster
Derbyshire

Nearest postcode:
DE4 2DH

NGR:
SK 23940 60555 ±5m

Location details:
Grave B209 next to the path to the south of the church porch..

Type

Overall type: Tablet.

Overall condition: Poor: the inscription is barely legible.

Description:

A tall, plain, oblong freestanding limestone tablet with an inscription incised in mixed styles of lettering.

Components:

Component	Material	Height	Width	Depth	Condition
Tablet	Limestone	1230	815	50	Poor
Dimensions in millimetres ±5mm unless stated otherwise.

Inscription

ERECTED
TO THE MEMORY OF
THOMAS SMITH
who departed this Life
while serving in her Magesties
59th. Regiment of Foot at
HONG-KONG in CHINA.
on the 25th. day of February
ANNO DOMINI 1851
Aged 28 Years.
Through many a storm on Neptune’s waves
Have tost me to and fro
In spite of all by God’s decrees
I harbour there abroad
My native Land and Friends so dear
I left them all behind
And in a foreign country lie
To moulder in the ground.

[Lower part of inscription mainly illegible and wording derived from a previous transcription by Dawn Scotting.]

Conflicts and people named:
Conflict	Non-combat death
Number died	1
Number served and returned	0
Total names	1

Administration

Custodian: Presumed to be the Smith family.

Local authorities:
From 19th century: Winster Parish Council; Bakewell Rural District Council; Derbyshire County Council.
From 1974: Winster Parish Council; Derbyshire Dales District Council; Derbyshire County Council.

History

17th April, 1951: The memorial lies in the Peak District National Park designated on that date.

Unknown date: The memorial lies within the Winster Conservation Area.

Unknown date: Inscription transcribed by Dawn Scotting.

15th October 2009: The memorial was surveyed by Roy Branson and Alan Willmot. The tablet itself was in fair condition but extensive lichen growth had obscured much of the inscription.

References

Dawn Scotting; pers comm; October 2009: exchange of emails regarding the inscription.

Comments

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