Pte A Goatham Obelisk - St John the Baptist - Bredgar, Kent
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SMacB
N 51° 18.655 E 000° 41.755
31U E 339415 N 5686921
A stone obelisk dedicated to Private Ashley Thomas (Goatham) who was killed in the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 in St John the baptist churchyard, Bredgar.
Waymark Code: WMT1H4
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/09/2016
Views: 1
A stone obelisk dedicated to Private Ashley Thomas (Goatham) who was killed in the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 at the battle of Isandula (Isandlwana) (
visit link) in St John the baptist churchyard, Bredgar.
Inscription -
THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF ASHLEY THOMAS SON OF GEORGE AND ROSEANNE GOATHAM WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION 22ND JANUARY 1879 AGED 24 IN THE BATTLE OF ISANDULA. (EXACT LINE SPACING UNKNOWN) THEY STOOD THEIR GROUND COOL AND BOLD/ IN THAT DISASTROUS DAY/ AND FOUGHT LIKE WARRIORS WE ARE TOLD/ TILL ALL WERE CUT AWAY/ IN MEMORY WE SHALL SACRED KEEP/ THE MEN THAT FELL THAT DAY/ THOUGH FAR IN ZULULAND THEY SLEEP/ THEIR SOULS HAVE SOARED AWAY/ UPON THE GOLDEN CROWD GAZING WITH EAGER BREATH/ HE FOUGHT AS ONE WHO FAIN WOULD DIE/ AND DYING CONQUERED DEATH.
2 other panels have been added subsequently, presumably to other family members who passed at some time afterwards:
Alfred Millen, 1857 (possibly a post-dated addition)
George Goatham, 1901
Ada Elizabeth Sewell, 1898