The Penny Memorial

The Pratt Monument can be found in Bristol's Arnos Vale Cemetery. It is Grade 2 listed and consists of a marble obelisk on a square pedestal. It's most striking feature is a relief of a seated man instructing a group of children; a celestial ray, to which the figure gestures, beams down divine inspiration. The Reverend John Adey Pratt was known as the 'Children's Preacher'. He was the pastor of the Kingsland Chapel and this monument was erected by Sunday Schools of the City. Following his death in 1867, a collection was made with the intention that every child in Bristol should contribute a penny. Sufficient funds were raised to pay for this wonderful memorial.

Norwegian Sailor's Headstone

Another headstone in Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol. Norwegian merchant seaman, Salve Lislevand who served on M/S Slemmestad. He became ill and died on November 22, 1943. The day he died, his ship was passing Gibraltar and was bound for Liverpool from Oran. Perhaps his body was taken ashore by a Pilot Boat and landed at Bristol?

Some very useful details can be found on a very informative website HERE.

Victim of Drowning

This spectacular memorial can be found in Bristol's Arnos Vale cemetery. It is topped with sculpted group of a funerary urn with a coat of arms, enwrapped in a Union Flag. At its base is an officer's shako [helmet] and sword belt. It is Grade II listed.

An inscription reads:
In memory of Lieutenant James Anthony Gardner, late of HM 7th Royal Fusiliers. The beloved and only child of James Anthony Gardner and Eliza, his wife, who was accidentally drowned whilst bathing at Alwaye, Cochin Malabar Coast, East Indies, October 26th 1861, aged 30 years. Interred in the Protestant burial ground at Cochin, October 27th, 1861, and removed to beneath this spot by his, bereaved parents, March 18th 1863.

Gardner, who father was Governor of Bristol Gaol, joined the Regiment in the Crimea before the Battle of Sebastopol. He was awarded the Crimea Medal with Sebastopol clasp and retired in 1860.

American Headstone - On the other side.

A couple of weeks ago, I published a photograph of a headstone bearing the name of John E Gibbs. Amazingly, I have purchased a glass plate negative of the headstones on the other side of the ivy clad building! It features a number of Pickens family graves. The pair to the right are Asa Pickens who was born in Freetown, Bristol, Massachusetts in 1797 who died in 1883 aged 85 and his wife Sally Cummings who died in 1868 aged 65. The curious headstone to the left marks the grave of George Picken who died in 1912 and his wife Mary B who passed away in 1909. I say curious as the headstone has blank stone rectangles for the dates of death to be carved out of. Does this mean they were far from dead when this photograph was taken?