Charles Dibdin Memorial Cross - St Martin's Gardens, Camden Street, London, UK
N 51° 32.317 W 000° 08.383
30U E 698353 N 5713602
This memorial cross is to Charles Dibdin who lived from 1745 to 1814. It is located close to the centre of the well maintained, and peaceful, St Martin's Gardens on the south west side of Camden Street.
Waymark Code: WMFDPG
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/03/2012
Views: 4
The memorial
is Grade II listed and the entry at the English Heritage website [
visit link
]
tells us:
"Celtic cross memorial. 1889. Erected by the Kentish
Town Musical Society in memory of Charles Dibdin, composer who died in 1814.
Stone. Rectangular plinth with bowed out pedestal supporting a Celtic cross,
with nimbus, carved on the shaft with a lyre and anchor on a pile of rope which
unfolds into Celtic patterning. Central cherubim; arms with rosettes and further
patterning; beaded nimbus."
The inscription, carved into the front of the cross
reads:
Erected
by
___tary _______
of the
Kentish
Town
Musical Society
and other admirers
of
Charles
Dibdin
The underscores represent groups of
letters that cannot be read.
Close to the memorial cross there is an information board
that tells of Dibdin's life. A photo is included. The last two paragraphs tell
us:
"In 1813, Dibdin was paralysed by an unknown illness and
died at his home in Arlington Street, Camden Town on 25th July 1814. He was
buried here in the Camden Town Cemetery with the lyrics to 'Tom Bowling' carved
on his tomb.
The cemetery closed in 1879 and Dibdin's tomb was said
to have been in the middle of the cemetery. Newspaper accounts at the time noted
the decay of Dibdin's tomb and the need for a proper memorial to him. This
monument to Charles Dibdin was paid for by public subscription and unveiled by
the Countess of Rosebery when she declared the gardens open in
1889."