Monuments and Memorials - Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, UK - Stone Church Artefacts on Waymarking.com

The stone monuments include free-standing examples, tombs, relief-art and plaques. There is a stone in the floor near the entrance door which importantly describes how they all have survived:

'Remember the
FIRE WATCHERS
who saved this building
and others in the city
from destruction
during the War
1939-1945'


In the north aisle of the nave at the west end is an elaborate memorial to all of the Archbishops of Canterbury.


One memorial depicts a scene surrounded by statues and pinnacles. The inscription reads:

'Sacred to the memory of
The Honorable James George Beaney M.D.
Member of the Legislative Council of Australia
Born in this City January 15th 1828
Died at Melbourne June 30th 1891.
The Munificent Founder of the Beaney Institute
and Free Library in this City
and a Generous Benefactor to its Charter.'


A plaque with a profile portrait in relief-art reads:

'Margaret Babington
MCCCCLXXVIII-MCMLVIII
A Devoted Friend
of Canterbury
Cathedral'


One tomb is of William Grant Broughton, King's Scholar, Canterbury. First Bishop and Metropolitan of Australia 1834-1853.


A monument to Frederick Mackeson depicts a scene and reads:

'To the memory of
Frederick Mackeson
Lieutenant Colonel in the Bengal Army; Companion of the Bath:
and Commissioner of Peshawur.
He was born at Hythe, in this county, September 2nd 1807.
Was educated in the King's School of this Cathedral,
and died at Peshawur, September 14th 1853,
of a wound inflicted by a Mahometan Fanatic.

The government of India thus mourned his loss:
"The reputation of Lieutenant Colonel Mackeson as a soldier is known to and honoured by all: his value as a political servant of the state is known to none better than to the Governor General himself: who in a difficult and eventful time, had cause to mark his great ability, and the admirable prudence, discretion, and temper which added tenfold value to the high soldierly qualities of his public character.

The loss of Colonel Mackeson's life would have dimmed a victory, to lose him thus by the hand of a foul assassin, is a misfortune of the heaviest gloom for the government, which counted him amongst its bravest and best."

This monument was erected to his memory by his friends
and admirers in India.'


Some monuments are brightly coloured including a tomb near the wall painting of The Legend of St Eustace:

'Painted c.1480

Reading from the bottom,
the story of St.Eustace and his family
from the 2nd Century is illustrated.

It begins with his conversion vision
of the crucified Jesus in the antlers
of a hunted stag.
It ends with the martyrdom
and beatifying of the whole family.'


Some of the ceiling designs are beautiful when you look up, but be careful when at the top of the stairs as you can feel dizzy with a camera above your head!


There are various war memorial plaques including one to the Falkland Island conflict of 1914:

'To the Glory of God
and in memory of
T. Spence Sergt RMLI
W S Kind Private
W Wood Private
A C Titheridge Pte
G Snow Private
S Kelly Private
G A Duckett Off Std
W Young Seaman RNR
Of HMS Kent
who fell
in the action off
the Falkland Islands
8th December 1914
This tablet is erected by
the Captain Officers & Men
of HMS Kent.'


There are many, many other monuments and memorials in the Cathedral.

Approximate Age of Artefact: Many eras Relevant Website: [Web Link]

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