DOCSLIB.ORG

Anglo-American Maritime Memorialization, 1700 - 1940

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Anglo-American Maritime Memorialization, 1700 - 1940 "ROCKS AND STORMS I'LL FEAR NO MORE": ANGLO-AMERICAN MARITIME MEMORIALIZATION, 1700 - 1940 A Dissertation by DAVID JAMES STEWART Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2004 Major Subject: Anthropology "ROCKS AND STORMS I'LL FEAR NO MORE": ANGLO-AMERICAN MARITIME MEMORIALIZATION, 1700 - 1940 A Dissertation by DAVID JAMES STEWART Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved as to style and content by: _____________________________ _____________________________ Sylvia A. Grider Kevin J. Crisman (Co-Chair of Committee) (Co-Chair of Committee) _____________________________ _____________________________ Thomas A. Green James C. Bradford (Member) (Member) _____________________________ David L. Carlson (Head of Department) May 2004 Major Subject: Anthropology iii ABSTRACT "Rocks and Storms I'll Fear No More": Anglo-American Maritime Memorialization, 1700 - 1940. (May 2004) David James Stewart, B.A., Baylor University; M.A., Texas A&M University Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Sylvia A. Grider Dr. Kevin J. Crisman Nautical archaeology has made remarkable advances since its inception half a century ago, but one area in need of more attention is the examination of cultural aspects of seafaring. This dissertation advances understanding of eighteenth- through early-twentieth century British and American maritime culture by exploring traditional memorialization practices. Interpretations are based primarily on analysis of 412 maritime memorials recorded during two archaeological surveys in Great Britain and the United States. In addition, primary accounts from the Age of Sail are utilized to place maritime memorialization into its proper cultural and historical context. Research reveals three major themes in Anglo-American maritime memorialization. First, memorials show a striking concern for the dangers and hardships of life at sea. Numerous memorials describe the perils of the natural world and the group values that mariners developed to cope with the ever-present possibility of sudden death. Such values include attention to duty, courage, group loyalty, self- sacrifice, and pride. iv Second, maritime communities faced the problem of commemorating those who never returned from the sea. Many sailors were lost at sea or died aboard ship or in distant lands. In the vast majority of such cases, the body was never returned home, and many did not receive proper burial. As a result, family members and fellow sailors created memorials to honor the lost and to symbolically lay the deceased to rest. Evidence indicates, however, that such attempts were not entirely satisfactory. Many epitaphs lament the fact that empty graves cannot provide an adequate substitute for missing bodies. Finally, investigation revealed a significant increase in religious sentiment on maritime memorials from the mid-nineteenth century until the end of the Age of Sail. It is suggested that the increase in maritime religious sentiment was linked to nineteenth-century religious reform movements. The prevalence of religious imagery and inscriptions on maritime memorials during this time, however, probably does not indicate that most sailors became religious. Rather, most religious maritime memorials were erected by sailors' families. This suggests that maritime families turned to religion as a source of comfort when faced with the deaths of loved ones at sea. v For Heidi vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project could never have been completed without the help and support of many people. First, I would like to thank the members of my doctoral committee: Sylvia Grider, Kevin Crisman, Tom Green, and James Bradford. Dr. Grider opened my eyes to the wonderful world of folklore, which provided perspectives that I had been searching for all along. One cannot understand maritime life without an appreciation of nautical technology and terminology, and my knowledge of both has been greatly enhanced by Dr. Crisman. In addition, his encyclopedic knowledge of primary accounts from the Age of Sail provided sources for many of the quotes used in this dissertation. Dr. Green helped me find my way through the tangled web of meanings that comprise semiotics and symbolic anthropology. Never before have I studied anything so difficult, but few things have been as rewarding either. Dr. Bradford helped me better understand the nature of historical research and the "big picture" of global seafaring during the Age of Sail. To each of these scholars I give my thanks for helping make this a much better study. Numerous teachers and professors helped shape the course of my career. Judy Scott and James Vardaman first stimulated my interest in English literature, history, and culture. It has also been my privilege to work with many other talented archaeologists and anthropologists. I would especially like to thank Jennifer Moody, John Fox, Fred Hocker, Fred van Doorninck, Jr., George F. Bass, Cemal Pulak, Donny Hamilton, and Paul Goldberg. While I never had the opportunity to work with them personally, my anthropological perspective has been heavily influenced by Henry vii Glassie, V. Gordon Childe, David Clarke, James Deetz, and Clifford Geertz. It has been both difficult and rewarding over the years to read their scholarship and learn from these great thinkers. Many other friends and colleagues enriched my graduate experience. Matthew Pridemore, Daria Merwin, and Scott McLaughlin have been my friends since my first days in the Nautical Archaeology Program. George Marquardt, Glenn Grieco, Steve Thornton, Christine Powell, and Bill Charlton have all provided good fellowship over the years. Wayne Smith lent valuable assistance with my application when I decided to return to Texas A&M to complete my doctorate, and also helped with the creation of a poster for the American Folklore Society meeting. Helen Dewolf took the time to talk with me about maritime memorials and burial at sea. John Eastlund provided numerous articles, references, and links to maritime web sites that opened up new avenues for my research. The Anthropology Department staff at Texas A&M, especially Karen Taylor and Don Delucia, were always helpful. In Boston, Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir and Aykan Erdemir helped make life as a graduate student much more bearable. I am also indebted to them for providing a place to stay while I was conducting dissertation fieldwork in New England. My education and research would not have been possible without the support of many family members. My parents, Lesley and George Stewart, provided unflagging support and love over the years. My nana, Dora Coulter, a world-traveler in her own right, sparked my interest in visiting other lands. An inheritance from my grandparents, Mildred and George Stewart, paid for the fieldwork in England. Thanks viii grandma and grandpa, I think I used the money well. Thanks also to my sister Suzanne and brother-in-law Darren Keck for much laughter over the years, and to my parents- in-law, Anne and Paul Luchsinger, for their encouragement. Finally, nothing that I do would be possible without the love of my family: Heidi, O. George, and Hazel, you are the best part of my life. Last but certainly not least, special thanks to Tony, Jane, Donald, and especially Vadinho: You do not travel, but your mind does You are here, but the other you isn't. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ....................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................... xiv LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. xix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 The Andacollo ..................................................................... 1 Danger and Death in Seafaring ........................................... 1 The Natural World .................................................. 2 Disease .................................................................... 5 Accidents ................................................................ 8 Deaths in Action ..................................................... 10 Maritime Mortality Rates .................................................... 11 The Study of Maritime Life ................................................ 13 The Andacollo, Revisited .................................................... 16 Spatial and Chronological Framework ............................... 20 Note on Terminology .......................................................... 21 II THE STUDY OF DEATH AND MEMORIALIZATION: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................ 22 A Historical Framework for the Study of Death ................. 23 Rituals of Death and Memorialization ................................ 30 The Material Culture of Death ............................................ 36 Summary ............................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Channel Islands Great War Study Group
    CHANNEL ISLANDS GREAT WAR STUDY GROUP Le Défilé de la Victoire – 14 Juillet 1919 JOURNAL 27 AUGUST 2009 Please note that Copyright for any articles contained in this Journal rests with the Authors as shown. Please contact them directly if you wish to use their material. 1 Hello All It will not have escaped the notice of many of us that the month of July, 2009, with the deaths of three old gentlemen, saw human bonds being broken with the Great War. This is not a place for obituaries, collectively the UK’s national press has done that task more adequately (and internationally, I suspect likewise for New Zealand, the USA and the other protagonists of that War), but it is in a way sad that they have died. Harry Patch and Henry Allingham could recount events from the battles at Jutland and Passchendaele, and their recollections have, in recent years, served to educate youngsters about the horrors of war, and yet? With age, memory can play tricks, and the facts of the past can be modified to suit the beliefs of the present. For example, Harry Patch is noted as having become a pacifist, and to exemplify that, he stated that he had wounded, rather than killed, a German who was charging Harry’s machine gun crew with rifle and bayonet, by Harry firing his Colt revolver. I wonder? My personal experience in the latter years of my military career, having a Browning pistol as my issued weapon, was that the only way I could have accurately hit a barn door was by throwing the pistol at it! Given the mud and the filth, the clamour and the noise, the fear, a well aimed shot designed solely to ‘wing’ an enemy does seem remarkable.
    [Show full text]
  • Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites Annual Report 2009 (April 2009 - March 2010)
    Department for Culture, Media and Sport Architecture and Historic Environment Division Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites Annual Report 2009 (April 2009 - March 2010) Compiled by English Heritage for the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites. Text was also contributed by Cadw, Historic Scotland and the Environment and Heritage Service, Northern Ireland. s e vi a D n i t r a M © Contents ZONE ONE – Wreck Site Maps and Introduction UK Designated Shipwrecks Map ......................................................................................3 Scheduled and Listed Wreck Sites Map ..........................................................................4 Military Sites Map .................................................................................................................5 Foreword: Tom Hassall, ACHWS Chair ..........................................................................6 ZONE TWO – Case Studies on Protected Wreck Sites The Swash Channel, by Dave Parham and Paola Palma .....................................................................................8 Archiving the Historic Shipwreck Site of HMS Invincible, by Brandon Mason ............................................................................................................ 10 Recovery and Research of the Northumberland’s Chain Pump, by Daniel Pascoe ............................................................................................................... 14 Colossus Stores Ship? No! A Warship Being Lost? by Todd Stevens ................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Portsmouth Dockyard in the Twentieth Century1
    PART THREE PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY1 3.1 INTRODUCTION The twentieth century topography of Portsmouth Dockyard can be related first to the geology and geography of Portsea Island and secondly to the technological development of warships and their need for appropriately sized and furnished docks and basins. In 2013, Portsmouth Naval Base covered 300 acres of land, with 62 acres of basin, 17 dry docks and locks, 900 buildings and 3 miles of waterfront (Bannister, 10 June 2013a). The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (Heritage Area) footprint is 11.25 acres (4.56 hectares) which equates to 4.23% of the land area of the Naval Base or 3.5% of the total Naval Base footprint including the Basins (Duncan, 2013). From 8 or 9 acres in 1520–40 (Oppenheim, 1988, pp. 88-9), the dockyard was increased to 10 acres in 1658, to 95 acres in 1790, and gained 20 acres in 1843 for the steam basin and 180 acres by 1865 for the 1867 extension (Colson, 1881, p. 118). Surveyor Sir Baldwin Wake Walker warned the Admiralty in 1855 and again in 1858 that the harbour mouth needed dredging, as those [ships] of the largest Class could not in the present state of its Channel go out of Harbour, even in the event of a Blockade, in a condition to meet the Enemy, inasmuch as the insufficiency of Water renders it impossible for them to go out of Harbour with all their Guns, Coals, Ammunition and Stores on board. He noted further in 1858 that the harbour itself “is so blocked up by mud that there is barely sufficient space to moor the comparatively small Force at present there,” urging annual dredging to allow the larger current ships to moor there.
    [Show full text]
  • Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction Du Branch Patrimoine De I'edition
    North Atlantic Press Gangs: Impressment and Naval-Civilian Relations in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, 1749-1815 by Keith Mercer Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia August 2008 © Copyright by Keith Mercer, 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-43931-9 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-43931-9 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation.
    [Show full text]
  • Channel Island Headstones for the Website
    JOURNAL October 40 2011 The Ulster Tower, Thiepval Please note that Copyright for any articles contained in this Journal rests with the Authors as shown. Please contact them directly if you wish to use their material. 1 Hello All I do not suppose that the global metal market features greatly in Great War journals and magazines, but we know, sometimes to our cost, that the demand from the emerging economies such as Brazil, China and India are forcing prices up, and not only for newly manufactured metals, but also reclaimed metal. There is a downside in that the higher prices are now encouraging some in the criminal fraternity to steal material from a number of sources. To me the most dangerous act of all is to remove railway trackside cabling, surely a fatal accident waiting to happen, while the cost of repair can only be passed onto the hard-pressed passenger in ticket price rises, to go along with the delays experienced. Similarly, the removal of lead from the roofs of buildings can only result in internal damage, the costs, as in the case of the Morecambe Winter Gardens recently, running into many thousands of pounds. Sadly, war memorials have not been totally immune from this form of criminality and, there are not only the costs associated as in the case of lead stolen from church roofs. These thefts frequently cause anguish to the relatives of those who are commemorated on the vanished plaques. But, these war memorial thefts pale into insignificance by comparison with the appalling recent news that Danish and Dutch marine salvage companies have been bringing up components from British submarine and ships sunk during the Great War, with a total loss of some 1,500 officers and men.
    [Show full text]
  • J Class Fleet Destroyer
    J CLASS FLEET DESTROYER FEATURE ARTICLE written by James Davies For KEY INFORMATION Country of Origin: Great Britain. Manufacturers: Hawthorn Leslie, John Brown, Denny, Fairfield, Swan Hunter, White, Yarrow Major Variants: J class, K class, N class, Q class, R class (new), S class (new), T class, U class, V class (new), W class (new), Z class, CA class, CH class, CO class, CR class, Weapon class Role: Fleet protection, reconnaissance, convoy escort Operated by: Royal Navy (Variants also Polish Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Norwegian Navy) First Laid Down: 26th August 1937 Last Completed: 12th September 1939 Units: HMS Jervis, HMS Jersey, HMS Jaguar, HMS Juno, HMS Jupiter, HMS Janus, HMS Jackal, HMS Javelin Released by ww2ships.com BRITISH DESTROYERS www.WW2Ships.com FEATURE ARTICLE J Class Fleet Destroyer © James Davies Contents CONTENTS J Class Fleet Destroyer............................................................................................................1 Key Information.......................................................................................................................1 Contents.....................................................................................................................................2 Introduction...............................................................................................................................3 Development.............................................................................................................................4
    [Show full text]
  • The Foreign Service Journal, January 1998
    WIIAT’S AN FS SPOUSE WORTH? DESPATCH IN A BOTTLE GOING DUTCH ON CARS FRIENDS, FOES ON CAPITOL I In i r How Diplomats? Foreign Policy Fare in Congress Affordable Luxury If you are relocating, a business traveler or need temporary housing, we offer furnished apartments with all of the comforts of home. AVALON CORPORATE APARTMENT HOMES ARE A MORE SENSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE TO A HOTEL ROOM. • Located minutes from • 2 miles from NFATC Pentagon, Washington, DC and National Airport. • Controlled access entry throughout building. • Luxurious one and two bedroom apartments • Our amenity package completely furnished and includes: outdoor pool, accessorized with fully and spacious Nautilus equipped gourmet fitness center. kitchens and washers and dryers. • Minutes from Ballston Metro. • Free cable TV. • Free underground parking. • Within walking distance of department stores, • Cats welcome. specialty shops and Washington Towers restaurants. • 5p.m. check-in time. • Washington Towers is • 30-day minimum stay. adjacent to bike/jogging trail. Avalon at Ballston No matter which Avalon location you choose, you will be impressed! Washington Towers 4650 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 703-527-4409 or Fax 703-516-4369 Quincy Towers 1001 North Randolph St., Arlington, VA 22201 703-528-4600 or Fax 703-527-2356 Vermont Towers 1001 North Vermont St., Arlington, VA 22201 703-522-5550 or Fax 703-527-8731 Should he lose his bicycle too? How long should he wait for a new one? He won’t. If you’re insured with Clements & Company, household effects claims are handled immediately, with personal attention to what matters — people.
    [Show full text]
  • Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Issue
    Middle School Scholars’ CONTENTS A Day at the Dockyard: Trip Report by ​ Newsletter Johnny James… p2-3 Lent Term 2019 A Brief History of Portsmouth Dockyard by Rory Middlemiss… p3-6 On HMS Victory by Oliver Hobbs… p6-8 Portsmouth ​ A Study of HMS Warrior by Alexander ​ Historic Dockyard Pavlides… p8-10 The Mary Rose: A Very Short Introduction by Matthew Rolfe… p10-11 ​ Issue HMS M33 and its Role in the Gallipoli Campaign by Thomas Perrott… p12-13 ​ Historical Perspectives: HMS Victory by ​ Fran Trotter… p13-15 The Story of the Ship that was Underwater for 430 Years by Thomas ​ Wright… p15-16 Early Modern Naval Cannons by Shawn ​ Xu… p17-18 Before; During; After: A Survey of HMS Victory and HMS Warrior by Rohan ​ Chandrasekaran… p18-20 Introduction There has been an aquatic theme to the scholars’ Lent term with fascinating talks, Creative Writing: respectively, from OA Tony Edwards on the The HMS Victory Diaries by Freddy sinking of the Tirpitz, and Commander Tony ​ Chelsom… p20-22 Long, CEO of Global Fishing Watch, on the threats to our oceans. The third year academic The Mary Rose : A Sailor’s Story by Ralph scholars also visited Portsmouth Historic ​ Hargreaves… p22-23 Dockyard, taking in The Mary Rose Museum, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, HMS M33, as well as A Sonnet for The Mary Rose by Tom ​ having the chance to steer a tugboat. This Walters… p24 edition of the newsletter features articles from those students and we hope you enjoy it. 1 A Day at the Dockyard: Trip Report by Johnny James The group of seventeen scholars arrived by minibus at around 10 o’clock.
    [Show full text]
  • Ocean Challenge Aims to Keep Its Readers up to Date Ocean Challenge Is Published Three Times a Year
    OCEAN Volume 6, No.1, 1995 OCEAN The Magazine of the Challenger Society for Marine Science -- - EDITOR EDITORIAL BOARD Angela Colling Chairman Bill Prior-Jones Specialist in Applied Marine Science ASSOCIATE EDITOR John Wright Martin Angel Southampton Oceanography Centre Keith Dyer Institute of Marine Studies, University of Plymouth Peter Foxton formerly Natural Environment Research Council (Marine Sciences) Tim Jickells School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia John Jones University College, London Rachel Mills Southampton Oceanography Centre John Scott Defence Research Agency, Winfrith Hjalmar Thiel Alfred-Wegener-Institut fur Polar-und- Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany Angela Colling and John Wright are both at the Department of Earth Sciences, Bill Turrell The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, Scottish Office Buckinghamshire MK7 6AA, UK Agriculture and Fisheries Department SCOPE AND AIMS INSTlTUTlONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Ocean Challenge aims to keep its readers up to date Ocean Challenge is published three times a year. with what is happening in oceanography in the UK and The subscription (including postage by surface mail) Europe. By covering the whole range of marine-related is £70.00 ($133) per year for libraries and other sciences in an accessible style it should be valuable institutions. New subscriptions, renewals and both to specialist oceanographers who wish to broaden information about changes of address should be sent their knowledge of marine sciences, and to informed to Parjon Information Services, PO Box 144, lay persons who are concerned about the oceanic Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 2YX, UK. environment. Ocean Challenge is sent automatically to members The views expressed in Ocean Challenge are those of of the Challenger Society for Marine Science.
    [Show full text]
  • A Public Consultation by the MOD and the DCMS on HMS Victory
    Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry of Defence consultation document HMS VICTORY 1744: OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WRECK SITE A Public Consultation by the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Ministry of Defence consultation document Foreword At the launch of the National Museum of the Royal Navy on 18 Sept last year Baroness Taylor, the Minister for International Defence and Security, announced that the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport would launch a public consultation on how best to manage the site of the historic wreck, now confirmed to be that of “Balchin’s VICTORY”, which was lost with all hands in 1744 and recently located in the English Channel. This is a “once in a generation” find. However the case of HMS VICTORY (1744) presents a number of challenges. There is no doubt that her discovery is of major historic importance but as the remains of the ship lie outside British territorial waters we need to think collaboratively and constructively around the options open to us. The Ministry of Defence and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have been working together to ensure our approach is as consistent as possible with the management approach of Designated wreck sites within UK waters and the guidelines for good practice as set out in the Annex to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001. We recognise the expertise available amongst those with an interest in the future of this wreck and we welcome the views of all with an interest in naval heritage, not just historians and maritime archaeology professionals but also of the wider public and all those concerned with Britain’s naval and maritime heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • Cameron Appointed Peer, Mod and Odyssey Colluded Over Balchen’S Hms Victory
    A HERITAGE DAILY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION CAMERON APPOINTED PEER, MOD AND ODYSSEY COLLUDED OVER BALCHEN’S HMS VICTORY By Andy Brockman With the help of Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and their officials, American treasure hunting salvage company, Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. is poised to make commercial profits from Admiral Sir John Balchen’s HMS Victory, the memorial and grave to over a thousand Royal Navy sailors. This special Heritage Daily investigation shows how a catalogue of incompetence, misrepresentation, collusion and back channel deals with Lord Lingfield, a leading Conservative Party supporter, mean our historic shipwrecks are not safe in the hands of MOD Navy Command and the DCMS. On 4 October 1744 over a thousand Royal Navy personnel aboard HMS Victory, the largest first rate ship of the line in the world and Flagship of Admiral of the White Sir John Balchen, were fighting for their lives in a vicious storm in the English Channel, west of the Channel Islands. At some point, out of sight of land and the other ships in Admiral Balchen’s Fleet, they lost their fight and their vessel became the tomb of those who could not escape the sinking ship and the memorial to those who were washed away into the darkness. The fate of the vessel and her entire crew became one of the mysteries of the sea. A mystery spiced by the rumour published in one contemporary newspaper, the “Amsterdamsche Courant” of 18/19 November 1744, that “People have it that on board the Victory was a sum of £400,000 that it had brought from Lisbon for our merchants.” It was the story, built on that rumour, which sent Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bedhampton War Memorial
    The Bedhampton War Memorial Remembering those of this parish who gave their lives during World War One and World War Two Charles Main’s Commonwealth War Grave headstone in St Thomas’ churchyard 11 November 2018 Centenary of the end of the First World War £6 A meeting of subscribers inspected the designs for the memorial tablet and selected one of carved oak with a brass plate containing the names of the men of the parish who have fallen in the war, which it was decided should be erected on the south wall of the church. To date a sum of £31 7s. 3d. has been subscribed for this memorial. Hampshire Telegraph, 2 May1919 The Memorial tablet in St Thomas’ church On 23rd November 1919, at 3 p.m. the Memorial Tablet was unveiled at a most impressive ceremony by the South Hants M.P. Major-General Sir John Davidson, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., M.P. The service was organised by the Rector, Revd H. Pelham Stokes, and attended by the neighbouring clergy and a vast congregation, Lady Davidson being present. Special seats were allocated to the mourners. A notable feature was the opportune arrival of the Hants Regimental Band after an absence from home of 20 years. The band joined the organ in the accompaniments to the stirring hymns, ending with the sounding of the Last Post. Revd Stokes' booklet on Bedhampton 2 Sidney R. Balchin Born: 1889 Address: 12 Western Road, Havant Served: Royal Field Artillery, 5th (reserve) Brigade, 78th Battery Rank: Driver Service Number: 65967 Died: 1 July 1918, aged 29 Cemetery: St Thomas’ churchyard Family: Alexander and Emma Jane Balchin, originally from Dorking, Surrey.
    [Show full text]