St. Philip and St. James Church Memorial Inscriptions

St. Philip and St. James Church, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

The first volume of Gloucestershire Notes and Queries was published in 1881, edited by Rev. Beaver H. Blacker, M.A. The notes below are taken from this volume, and the spelling and grammar are as the original. The surnames have been put in capitals to aid identification.

This list covers only memorial inscriptions within the Church, and was compiled before 1881. Additions are most welcome.


There are thirty-nine inscriptions, of which literal copies have been taken; and the following is an index to the names mentioned therein, with the date of death in each case :-

22 April 1846 ALLEN, Colonel Hans, R.A.
9 Dec. 1861 ALLEN, Judith
26 Jan. 1860 BALL, Catharine
27 July 1857 BLACKER, Mary
31 Dec. 1843 BRIDGE, Lieut. -Col. Cyprian, R.A.
4 Jan. 1876 BRIDGE, Eliza Powell
8 Jan. 1842 BURDETT, Arthur, Esq.
12 Dec. 1840 BURDETT, Sir Bagenal William, Bart.
1 Jan. 1845 BURDETT, Esther, Lady
7 Nov. 1843 CARLETON, Charlotte
12 July 1843 CHURCH, Capt. Henry, R.N.
10 Nov. 1855 COUSENS, Jane Merchant
11 Aug. 1852 CROKER, Colonel William, C.B.
18 Sep. 1862 DIGGLE, Major-Gen. Charles, K.H.
21 Feb. 1852 DIGGLE, Revd. Charles Wadham, M.A.
23 Dec. 1861 DIGGLE, Frances
31 Dec. 1851 DIGGLE, Capt. Frederick William
15 Feb. 1844 DIXON, Lydia
14 Feb. 1847 EDGAR, Eliza Selina
12 March 1871 FERRYMAN, Anna Charlotte
20 Jan. 1847 GIBBES, Dame Margaret
14 Nov. 1847 GLENNIE, Lieut. Edgar
4 Oct. 1849 GLENNIE, William R., M.D.
19 May 1856 GLOVER, Georgina
3 April 1866 GLOVER, Lieut.-Col. Stirling Freeman
19 Feb. 1870 GREY, Catherine Maria
19 Aug. 1842 GREY, Elizabeth
27 Dec. 1870 GREY, Capt. Francis Lennox George
27 April 1857 HOWARD, Susanna Caroline
26 Feb. 1843 JONES, Major-Gen. Sir J.T., Bart., K.C.B.
3 Feb. 1856 KILBREE, Thomasina Grace
14 April 1854 MACKELLAR, Admiral John
25 Jan. 1845 MONRO, Mary
2 March 1857 MOORE, Charlotte
5 Dec. 1861 MOORE, Mary
10 Sep. 1856 MOORE, Pierce, Esqr.
20 Jan. 1838 NICOLAY, Lieut. Charles Thomas
25 June 1844 NICOLAY, Capt. Edmund George
3 May 1842 NICOLAY, Lieut. -Gen. Sir William, C.B., K.C.H.
7 Sep. 1826 NICOLAY, William Frederick Scott
12 Sep. 1840 NOBLE, Catherine
14 March 1846 NORTHEY, Laura
23 Dec. 1844 ORMSBY, Catherine
2 Aug. 1841 RHODES, Elizabeth Maria
27 Aug. 1859 RIDDLE, Revd. Joseph Esmond, M. A., Minister
22 Nov. 1845 SMITH, Mary Ann
13 Feb. 1859 SMITH, Sarah
22 Aug. 1822 TINLING, Major-Gen. Isaac Pattison
8 Jan. 1848 TINLING, Mary Ann
20 March 1846 WALCOTT, Susanna Lyons
26 March 1845 WHITE, Thomas Esqr., H.E.I.C.S.
18 Dec. 1864 WILSON, Elizabeth
25 June 1856 WILSON, John Esqr.

Notes:

Mrs BALL, of Cheltenham. This lady lived for many years in Cheltenham, and died there; and in the Church of St. Philip and St. James, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, there is a monument to the memory of her and her sister with this inscription: -

"Sacred to the memory of Catherine, Widow of the Revd. Robert BALL, late Rector of Drumholme, in Ireland. She died the 26th day of January, 1860, aged 85 years, in the hope of a joyful resurrection through the merits of her blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Also of Mary BLACKER, her sister, eldest daughter of the late St. John BLACKER, D.D., of the County of Armagh. She died on the 27th day of July, 1857, aged 88 years"

Over their grave in the adjacent churchyard there is another inscription to the same effect. Mrs BALL was married first, January 10, 1804, to the Rev. Charles BARKER, late student of Christ Church, Oxford, and Cabon of Wells; and secondly to the Rev. Robert BALL, M.A., Prebendary of Drumholm, and Chaplain of the Royal Chapel of St. Matthew, Ringsend, Dublin, (as mentioned in Blacker's Brief Sketches of the Parishes of Booterstown and Donnybrook, p.201), who died May 12, 1828, and was buried in Stillorgan Churchyard, near Dublin. She founded an almhouse situate not far from the Church of St. Philip and St. James, Leckhampton, and left sundry large bequests for charitable purposes, which are enumerated in Goding's Cheltenham (1863), p.439.

Major-General Sir John Thomas JONES, Bart., K.C.B.
There is a tablet in the Church of St. Philip and St. James, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, with a likeness in bas-relief, and this inscription:- "Sacred to the memory of Major-General Sir John Thomas Jones, Baronet, K.C.B., of Cranmer Hall, Norfolk. He served with distinction in the Corps of Royal Engineers throughout the campaigns of Calabria, Walcheren, and the Peninsula. The Lines of Torres Vedras, the Belgian fortresses constructed after 1815, are lasting memorials of his genius and science. He died at Cheltenham on the 26t], of February, LD. 1843, aged 60 years. A statue has been erected to his memory in St. Paul's Cathedral by the Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers." It is worthy of note that two of his brothers likewise attained high military rank: Major-General William Daniel Jones, R. A., who died in 1853 ; and Lieut. -General Sir Harry David Jones, G.C.B., Governor of Sandhurst, and Colonel Commanding Royal Engineers, who died August 4,1866. Sir Willoughby Jones, Bart., his (Sir John T. Jones's) eldest surviving son, was returned at the general election in 1847 as parliamentary representative for Cheltenham, but was unseated in May of the year following. His opponent, the Hon. Craven Fitz-Hardinge Berkeley, who was returned at a subsequent election, met with a similar fate before the close of the year.

Rev. Joseph Esmond RIDDLE, M.A. In the Church of St. Philip and St. James, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, there is the following memorial to this highly gifted scholar and divine :- "In memory of the Revd. Joseph Esmond RIDDLE, M.A., who, after serving his God for more than nineteen years as the Minister of this church, was suddenly taken to his rest on the 27th of August, in the year of our Lord 1859, aged 55 years. He was distinguished for theological learning and classical attainments, and was endeared to many by his simplicity of character, his integrity, and his kindness of heart. His congregation, grateful for his steadfastness in holding, and his fidelity in preaching the great the great truths of the everlasting Gospel,' have erected this tablet in testimony of their esteeem and affection, and as an humble memorial of his worth."

He was buried in Leckhampton Churchyard, and over his grave there is this inscription:-

"Here lie the mortal remains of the Reverend Joseph Esmond RIDDLE, M.A., for nearly twenty years Incumbent of the Church  of St. Philip and St. James, in this parish, where a monument, erected by his congregation, testifies the esteem and respect in which he was held by them. He died suddenly on the 27th of August, 1859, aged 55." His numerous writings are not in need of any commendation.