Elizabeth Fletcher - St Oswald's Church, Grasmere, Cumbria, UK. - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

St Oswald's is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Windermere, the archdeaconry of Westmorland and Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. It is situated by the banks of the River Rothay in the centre of Grasmere village in the heart of the Lake District.
It is an historic place of worship, that has over 100,000 visitors each year.
The church was founded in 642AD by St Oswald, a 7th Century Christian King of Northumberland, who is said to have preached on this site. (visit link)
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The memorial plaque dedicated to Elizabeth Fletcher is a marble tablet engraved with black lettering. The memorial is mounted inside the church opposite the South door. It has the striking profile of Elizabeth Fletcher which is by her son, the artist Angus Fletcher, who was companion of Charles Dickens; the Wordsworth Trust have her original diaries. (visit link)

The inscription reads as follows;
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF ELIZABETH WIFE OF
THE LATE ARCHIBALD FLETCHER, ESQ
ADVOCATE OF EDINBURGH.
SHE WAS BORN ON THE 15TH OF JANUARY 1770,
AND DIED AT LANCRIGG IN THE PARISH,
ON THE 5TH OF FEBRUARY 1858.
"HER CHILDREN ARISE UP AND CALL HER BLESSED" PROVERBS.C.XXXI.V.28.

Lancrigg where Elizabeth Fletcher (nee Dawson) lived is now the Lancrigg Hotel.
" HISTORY OF LANCRIGG
The hotel has a fascinating history with humble beginnings as a 17th-century farmhouse. In 1840, Elizabeth Fletcher, the wife of a wealthy Edinburgh attorney, asked her friend, William Wordsworth to find her a house for her ‘summer refreshment’. He selected Lancrigg for her and organised everything. He was fully involved in the renovation and expansion of the house and it is noted that he paid attention to retaining many of the traditional features including the iconic round chimneys. Elizabeth was well connected in intellectual, artistic and political circles during the 19th century. One of her influential friends was Giuseppe Mazzini, the Italian revolutionary, who played an even more prominent role than Garibaldi in the creation of a modern Italy. This inspired Elizabeth as she was focussed on education, women’s rights, the emancipation of slaves and prison reform. She is also known for supporting Byron’s revolutionary activities in Greece, the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the Hungarian uprising. Quite a lady!
In her autobiography, we also learn of her friendships with Sir Walter Scott, Tennyson, Robert Southey, Humphrey Davey and Wordsworth’s many visits to Lancrigg with his friends. Her son Angus was a close friend of Charles Dickens who often stayed during his time in the North." SOURCE: (visit link)

"In 1787 Archibald Fletcher met Elizabeth (Eliza) Dawson, who lived at Oxton, near Tadcaster in Yorkshire. She was born on 15th January, 1770, her father being a land surveyor, and her mother the eldest daughter of William Hill. Mrs. Dawson died ten days after Eliza was born. At the age of eleven Eliza was sent to the Manor School at York, which, although run by a very conscientious gentlewoman, Mrs. Forster, proved to be quite unsuitable for the girl. Eliza loved poetry from an early age, and was a great letter writer throughout her life. When she and Archibald announced their wish to marry, Mr. Dawson was most displeased, partly because of the wide difference in their ages he was 41 end she only 17 but also because he wished her to accept a suitor of a higher social status, Lord Grantley. However, in July, 1791, Archibald and Eliza were wed, although her father emphasised his opposition to the match by refusing to attend the ceremony. His fears proved groundless, however, and they enjoyed thirty-seven happy years of life together. SOURCE: (visit link)

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Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: St Oswald's Church

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