A memorial tablet in Christ Church, The Dhoon, Glen Mona, Isle of Man.
This rather simple rectangular tablet is affixed to the east interior wall of the church and is inscribed with the following dedication:
“IN LOVING MEMORY OF
GUNNAR THOMAS ALLAN CORTEEN
R.G.A
ELDER SON OF THE LATE
ISABELLA & THOMAS CORTEEN
KILLED IN ACTION ON THE SOMME
JULY 23RD, 1916
AGED 21 YEARS”
The War Memorials Online website shows the following information:
“Status: On original site
Type: Non freestanding
Location: Internal
Setting: Inside a building - public/private
Description: Board/Plaque/ Tablet
Lettering: Painted
About the memorial: Wall mounted metal plaque with white lettering, situated below stained glass window commemorating his parents. Thos. Corteen, R.G.A. was a nephew of Mr T. Christian, postman of Ramsey, and of the late Surveyor General (Mr Edward Corteen.) An article from a Leith newspaper reported him as being from Crown Street, and that he was killed on 23rd July 1916. He was a keen footballer, chosen to represent the Leith Battalion in inter-city matches. After leaving the Brigade, he played in juvenile, junior and military teams. Latterly he took up swimming and became a prominent and enthusiastic member of the Leith club in both polo matches and team races. It was reported that he was killed outright, having just gone into his dug-out when a shell burst right inside, which injured the other occupant. (Ramsey Courier, 22 September 1916, p. 6) Isle of Man National Inventory of War Memorials: IOM_NIWM_MAU_00006”
The iMuseum website gives the following biographical information about Thomas Allen:
"Thos. Corteen, R.G.A. was a nephew of Mr T. Christian, postman of Ramsey, and of the late Surveyor General (Mr Edward Corteen.) An article from a Leith newspaper reported him as being from Crown Street, and that he was killed on 23rd July 1916. He was a keen footballer, chosen to represent the Leith Battalion in inter-city matches. After leaving the Brigade, he played in juvenile, junior and military teams. Latterly he took up swimming and became a prominent and enthusiastic member of the Leith club in both polo matches and team races.
It was reported that he was killed outright, having just gone into his dug-out when a shell burst right inside, which injured the other occupant.
(Ramsey Courier, 22 September 1916, p. 6)"
Christ Church was built as a chapel-of-ease to Maughold but is now in shared Anglican and Methodist use.
The foundation stone of Christ Church was laid in June 1854 and the Church was consecrated in December 1855. The Church was built by Callow and Looney to a design by Ewan Christian of London, it cost £730. Architecturally is a reworking Christians style if Romanesque and so the windows and door openings are round headed not pointed. The interior is still largely unchanged from the original. The funds were largely provided by Mrs Saltmarshe and her daughters (Mr Saltmarshe had been the largest contributor to St. Thomas's Church Douglas.
The original 'Dhoon Church' was built around 1836 at the Dhoon Bridge which is about a mile to the south - and the name was transferred to the new church at Glen Mona (which has caused confusion ever since).
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source: Churches of Man by Jonathan Kewley (ISBN 978-1-899602-82-7)
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