Author Archives: Sarsfield Blog

Cleaning and Refurbishment of Memorials

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We all want to honour the memory of our loved ones after they have passed away. We know our clients spend lots of time and put a great deal of thought into choosing the perfect memorial, one which rightfully shows the world what their deceased friend or relative means to them.

After the headstone is erected, people try to make time to tend the grave and keep it looking as good as new. However, various factors can affect memorials: wind, rain and other adverse weather conditions, air pollution, lichen and mosses can all play havoc with even the strongest stone over time and leave it looking worse for wear. Unfortunately, some even fall victim to vandalism or accidental damage.

Next time you visit your loved one’s grave, take a quick look at its condition. Could it do with a little tender loving care?

Sarsfield Memorials Liverpool is pleased to offer a full grave maintenance and refurbishment service. If you have moved out of the area, are getting on in years and not as agile as you used to be, or the demands of modern life mean that you don’t get to the churchyard or cemetery as often as you would like, why not let us give you peace of mind? As professional craftsmen who take great pride in the work we do, we can restore your loved one’s memorial to its former glory. In many cases, we can restore it to as good as new condition.

Many memorials are made out of granite, which is a hard-wearing stone that is capable of resisting the worst effects of the British weather over the years. In most cases, though, they will still benefit from a quick professional clean to restore a pristine look and any faded or damaged lettering can be engraved again or re-gilded. Softer stones such as marble, Portland and sandstone can suffer more serious damage and look discoloured, especially marble which families often mistake for concrete as it gets so dirty if not maintained regularly over a period of time. Here, we can professionally clean, repair or replace memorials as necessary, in line with your wishes.

Take a quick look at these before and after pictures to see just what can be achieved:

Yew Tree M 218 - Eustace Before

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Yew Tree M 218 Eustace after

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These are just a few examples of memorials we have worked on:

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Whether you live locally or not, we will always take a photo of your memorial beforehand, giving you our recommendations on the work that needs carrying out.

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Once work is complete, we’ll send you a further photo, so you can see the improvements made, giving you peace of mind in the months and years to come. And don’t forget we also offer a range of services for maintaining the graveside on an ongoing basis, including laying fresh flowers and tidying around from season to season.

As a gift to you and your family this New Year, we are pleased to offer a price reduction of 10% in our cleaning services. Why not call us for a quotation today? We’re always happy to answer all of your queries free and with no obligation.

Memorials to the men lost in the sinking of No.1 Pilot Boat Alfred H Read

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39 men die as the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board cutter strikes a mine

In 1917, World War I continued to rage all over Europe and beyond. It was the year that America entered the war, Russian revolution and a year which saw the Germans continue their attempts to force Britain out of the war by using submarine warfare to cut off all imports, thus starving the British people into submission. The role of the port of Liverpool was critical, as it daily received vital supplies which were essential to the British war effort.

No 1 Pilot Boat Alfred H Read

No 1 Pilot Boat Alfred H Read

The Liverpool pilot boats, their captains and crews were tasked with the weighty responsibility of protecting the port against an enemy which concentrated its efforts on laying mines at the entrance to the bay. The men acquitted themselves heroically throughout. But on 28th December 1917, tragedy struck when a mine laid by the submarine UC 75 detonated on impact with the steamship, the Alfred H Read, otherwise known as Pilot Boat No 1.

The boat was named after Sir Alfred Henry Read, a Liverpool ship owner and chairman of the Liverpool Marine and General Insurance Company. She was built by Murdoch and Murray of Glasgow in 1913 for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. At the time, she was on duty south of the Bar Lightship, patrolling the entrance to the Mersey. As conditions were good, many of her crew were asleep below.

Reports from No 3 Pilot Boat, which was close to the scene at the time, record that at 3.15am, the pilots on board that vessel were stunned by a loud explosion. Looking across, they noticed that the lights on No 1 Pilot Boat had completely disappeared. Navigating quickly to the area where the Alfred H Read had last been seen, they found only the top of its mast visible. Responding to cries of help from the water, they lowered two boats, but could only find three survivors. One of these died the moment he reached the deck of No 3 Pilot Boat.

Of the captain and remaining 38 crew members, there was no trace – all had been killed, presumably instantly or soon after the mine detonated. The bodies were never recovered and as The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website poignantly states, each man ‘has no grave but the sea’. The site records the names and ranks of thirty-six of the dead; one other has subsequently been identified, but two further names are not apparently recorded.

Memorial to the men who died

Memorial to the men who died

Various memorials exist to the men who lost their lives, including one in the foyer of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company’s building at the Pierhead. Just recently, a memorial plaque to the men, mounted on a sandstone block on the approach to Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton has been added to a series commemorating ship losses on the River Mersey. The series runs along the promenade to Seacombe.

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

Memorials to William Huskisson

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Respected Liverpool MP and one of the world’s first railway casualties

William Huskisson was a renowned British statesman and MP of several constituencies, including Liverpool from 1823 until his death in 1830. Enormously well-respected in Liverpool and beyond, he was one of the prime movers in the creation of the British Empire and a strong advocate of free trade, but had fallen out with the then-prime minister Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington over issues of parliamentary reform.

Present at the Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway

The opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway on 15 September 1830 promised to be a grand affair. Huskisson had been one of the main backers of the scheme and had actively contributed to the legislation that saw building commence, and so was present with his wife. A host of other distinguished guests filled a number of trains making the inaugural journey to Manchester.

When the engines stopped at Parkside railway station to take on water, around 50 or so dignitaries disembarked from the train to look around, against the advice of railway staff. Huskisson saw this as his chance to heal the breach with his Prime Minister and approached the Duke’s carriage. As the Duke held out a hand to welcome him, warning shouts rang out: Stephenson’s Rocket was fast approaching on the adjacent track.

In his confusion, Huskisson attempted to grab hold of the carriage door, which swung back and knocked him into the path of The Rocket, which mangled his leg as it passed over him. George Stephenson, the engineer who had built the line, personally drove the injured man to a vicarage in Eccles where Huskisson was treated by doctors. But all was in vain. Told that his fate was sealed, Huskisson received the last sacrament and made a last-minute revision to his will, which it is said he had prepared in full only the day before.

William Huskisson: “…singled out by the decree of an inscrutable providence”

William Huskisson Memorial, St James Cemetery, Liverpool Cathedral

William Huskisson Memorial, St James Cemetery, Liverpool Cathedral

He is buried in St James Cemetery, now an urban park behind Liverpool Anglican cathedral but at the time, Liverpool’s city cemetery. His devoted wife, devastated by the tragedy, commissioned a number of memorials to William Huskisson, including an extravagant monument to mark his grave which became the focal point of the cemetery. A marble statue originally located within his mausoleum is now in the Walker Art Gallery, and a bronze casting of a second marble statue stands in Duke Street, Liverpool.

Ironically, it was the manner of Huskisson’s death which helped in spreading news of the new railway line across the world. This was the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use steam locomotives, and despite his tragic death, it raised the profile of the potential of rail travel to become available to all.

Remembering Frank Hornby (1863–1936)

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Memorial to Frank Hornby, the Liverpool inventor of Meccano, Hornby trains and Dinky Toys

Born in Liverpool on 15 May 1863 at 77 Copperas Hill, Frank Hornby was the son of a provision merchant. Growing up, he didn’t like school much and often played truant, finally leaving altogether aged 16 to work at his father’s company. When this firm closed on his father’s death, Frank was recruited as a bookkeeper at a meat importing business in James Street, Liverpool. David Elliott, his boss, was to become instrumental in Frank’s later success.

Frank Hornby Portrait

Frank Hornby 1863 – 1936

Hornby married Clara Walker Godefroy in 1887 and they went on to have two sons and a daughter: Roland, Douglas and Patricia. Although he had no formal training, Frank enjoyed pottering about in his home workshop making toys for his sons. He soon came up with idea of manufacturing separate interchangeable parts that could be bolted together to make different models. By including holes punched at regular intervals on each separate component, he could see the potential for the toy, which would allow children to incorporate axles and shafts and so create a wide variety of models with just a few pieces.

Short of money, he borrowed £5 from his employer, David Elliott, to patent his invention in 1901. The next difficulty was in sourcing a manufacturer, but luckily, Elliott came to the rescue again, and they entered into partnership. They used the building next to Elliott’s business for Frank to work on developing his invention and found companies to manufacture the parts. The product was called “Mechanics Made Easy” and slowly gained ground on the market. By 1907, demand had outstripped what his manufacturers could supply, and Frank felt able to quit his job and open his own factory. To help secure funding, he created a company, coming up with the Meccano name, which is thought to be derived from the phrase ‘make and know’.

Sets became increasingly intricate and colourful and with the help of his son, Frank opened further factories and franchises overseas, ensuring that the Meccano name was known worldwide. Production continued during the First World War and the company grew. In 1920, Frank introduced the eponymous Hornby model trains, bringing them to life by incorporating clockwork mechanisms imported from the German company which held a license to manufacture Meccano there.

In the 1930s, he introduced Dinky toys to his range of products. By this time, he had become a millionaire and lived in a grand mansion in Maghull, chauffeured to the factory daily by limousine. He took a back seat in the company affairs from 1931 when he was elected as Conservative MP for Everton, only resigning just before the General Election in 1935.

Frank Hornby's Grave, St Andrew's Church, Maghull

Frank Hornby’s Grave, St Andrew’s Church, Maghull

After a busy, active life, Frank died at the age of 73 on 21 September 1936. He is buried in the grounds of St Andrew’s Church, Maghull. His son took over chairmanship of the company and the Meccano, Dinky and Hornby names live on all over the world.

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

Memorial to Maud Farrington nee Carpenter

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“No one person can make a theatre. The vital thing is teamwork – from the callboys and cleaners upwards.” – but if anyone helped create the Liverpool Playhouse, it was Maud Carpenter.

Maud Carpenter, 1895 - 1967

Maud Carpenter, 1895 – 1967

After a spell at the Kelly’s Theatre in Paradise Street, Maud Carpenter joined the Liverpool Playhouse in its first experimental season in 1911. Starting in the box office, she showed an aptitude for accountancy and administration which led to her quickly being appointed assistant manager. By 1922, she had been offered the role of manager and licensee, a position she embraced enthusiastically until 1962 when she retired. The theatre was her life. She was held in such high esteem by her peers that she was invited to become the first woman to join the board in 1945 and remained in the role of vice-president until her death in 1967. In total, she worked at the theatre for 51 years,

She was so influential in the theatre and the city, she was even known as the unofficial Lady Mayoress of Liverpool. It was said that she knew very little about ‘theatre’, and would often get the titles of plays mixed up. However, what she had an uncanny knack for was knowing what audiences would come to see; and she played a critical role throughout the Playhouse’s development, alongside the directors she worked with, seeing it through the good times and the bad with equal enthusiasm. During the Second World War, for example, Maud volunteered for night time fire watching and during the blitz, would stand on top of the Playhouse roof shouting to the Germans, “Don’t bomb my theatre. Don’t bomb my theatre.”

She valued the image of the theatre and its importance in the city, insisting that every actor arrive in style – or at the very least, a taxi – to preserve some sense of decorum and mystique. She even once scolded a young Sir Anthony Hopkins for turning up in jeans and an open neck shirt, rather than the sports jacket and tie she would have preferred. On performance nights, she would stand in the foyer and greet patrons – many by name; and at the end she would politely ask them what play they would be coming to see next.

Maud Farrington's Grave

Maud Farrington’s Grave in Allerton Cemetery

Her whole existence was dedicated to the preservation and smooth-running of the theatre and the comfort and entertainment of its audiences. During her lifetime, she was awarded an OBE and an honorary degree from Liverpool University.

She died on 18th June 1967. Tributes were affectionate and many, and her gravestone records her dedication to the theatre she loved.

 

 

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

In Memory of Arthur Dooley

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Remembering a Liverpool sculptor ‘privileged never to have had an art education’

Arthur Dooley and one of his works

Arthur Dooley and one of his works

Born in Liverpool in 1929, Arthur left school at 14 and took up an apprenticeship at Cammell Laird’s shipyard, where he contributed to the construction of the Ark Royal. On being finished up, he worked briefly on a tug-boat, then joined the Irish Guards.

Having served in Europe and the Middle East, his army career began to draw to a close after an impulse decision to desert and join the Palestine Liberation Organisation – not then associated with terrorism – as a mercenary. Promoted to colonel in its ranks, he was soon after caught and returned to the Army, who tried and imprisoned him in a detention centre in Egypt. He amused himself during his time in prison by modelling sand and sculpting rock. But he never forgot his time at Cammell Laird’s and later at Dunlop in Speke, where he began to learn about the metals, fabricating and building which formed the cornerstone of his work in later years.

On his return to the UK, he sought out a job as a cleaner at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London. Seeing the students’ work, he had a strong conviction he could do better and began working with discarded scraps of metal. By 1955, he’d returned to Liverpool and established himself as a sculptor, working at a variety of jobs, from stage hand at the Liverpool Playhouse to park policeman in Sefton Park, to fund his life and work.

He had converted to Catholicism while in the Army, and was also a devout communist, but in later years, he turned away from both his faith and his political allegiance. Despite this, he retained strong views about both and is perhaps best known for a number of religious works, including The Stations of the Cross for St Mary’s Church in Leyland, The Risen Christ in Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral and The Resurrection of Christ at Princes Park Methodist Church in Toxteth.

Politics remained at the heart of his work throughout his life and in later years. Becoming something of a personality, he often appeared on national television, not only promoting his work but also his strong views on the plight of the working classes in his home city. He was an ardent campaigner for the redevelopment of the South Docks, the abolition of high-rise housing and ongoing support for the long-term unemployed.

In 1974, he created the much-loved tribute to the Beatles in Mathew Street, a sculpture picturing the Madonna and the band with the inscription ‘Four Lads Who Shook The World’ beneath. In the 80s, his work grew less fashionable, but he himself continued to be energetic in his two favourite causes, establishing a workshop for the unemployed in Kirkby and helping to found the Liverpool Academy of Arts.

He died suddenly in 1994, having given away much of the money he had earned throughout his lifetime. His workshop remains preserved as he left it, in memory of the great man himself, and short videos from 2008 can be seen here.

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

Memorial to William Abdullah Quilliam

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Memorial Plaque to a Muslim convert and Liverpool lawyer who opened the first mosque in England

William Abdullah Quilliam

William Abdullah Quilliam

William Quilliam was born on 10 April 1856 into a wealthy local family, prominent Methodists and established watchmakers in the city of Liverpool. Qualifying as a solicitor, he began a successful legal practice in the city in 1878 and developed a stout reputation as someone who fought for the rights of the city’s poor.

He had become interested in Muslim teachings while in Morocco, convalescing from an illness. In 1887, at the age of 31, he became the first Christian to convert to Islam in Victorian England.

On Christmas Day 1889, he opened England’s first mosque at 8, Brougham Terrace, later adding the surrounding buildings which became a boarding school, lecture rooms and orphanage. In 1893, he began a weekly magazine, The Crescent, and then subsequently a monthly publication, Islamic World, which was distributed in over 20 countries. The copies which survive today provide a valuable record of British Muslims’ life in Liverpool and beyond at the time. As well as welcoming visiting wealthy Muslims, Quilliam also promoted the welfare of Asian and Arab Muslims who served as deckhands on the many steamships to arrive at this, the Empire’s second most important port.

He also wrote prolifically, including the book ‘The Faith of Islam’, which was translated into 13 languages and is said to have been read by Queen Victoria herself, who also ordered additional copies for her grandchildren. His promotion of the faith led to around 600 people, some ordinary citizens, some learned and prominent scholars, to embrace Islam.

Inevitably, a certain amount of controversy and hostility from wider society tinged an otherwise successful career; and Quilliam eventually left the country abruptly in 1908 on hearing that he was about to be struck off as a solicitor, apparently for presenting facts in a divorce case that he knew to be wrong in court. Without his leadership and financial investment, Liverpool’s Muslim community dispersed, many moving to England’s first purpose-built mosque in Woking, Surrey.

He returned to the UK in around 1914 under an assumed name. On his death, he was buried in Brockwood Cemetery in Woking alongside fellow Anglo-Muslims, many famous, as he had been, for spreading the faith throughout England.

Memorial Plaque on the site of the country's first mosque

Memorial Plaque on the site of the country’s first mosque

The buildings which constituted England’s first mosque were for a time used as a register office by the Council, then fell into disuse. In recent years, the Abdullah Quilliam Society has successfully reopened the mosque and continues to fund-raise for the restoration of the remainder of the buildings.

 

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

Titanic Memorial for ‘Captain’ Henry Tingle Wilde

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Henry Tingle Wilde

Henry Tingle Wilde

Henry was born and brought up in Walton, Liverpool. After apprenticing at sea with Messrs James Chambers & Co, Henry learned quickly and rose through the ranks to become a junior officer with the White Star Line in July 1897.

After time served as Chief Officer on RMS Olympic under Captain Edward John Smith, future captain of the Titanic, it appeared he was due to take up command of a ship of his own. Instead, he received orders at the last minute to join Smith on the Titanic on her maiden voyage.

Though the Titanic was virtually identical to her sister ship, the Olympic, Wilde wrote while on board to his sister: “I still don’t like this ship – I have a queer feeling about it…”

He was off duty when the ship struck the fateful iceberg at 11:40pm on 14 April 1912, so his recorded movements in the early stages of the disaster are not entirely clear. What is certain is that he was instructed to oversee the loading and lowering of the even-numbered lifeboats in the port-side of the ship. Amid the panic and confusion, an eyewitness and fellow officer stated, Wilde had been first to suggest they should arm themselves with standard-issue revolvers to act as a deterrent against those who sought to save themselves at the expense of others. These were needed later when he had completed his work on the port-side and then turned his attention to loading collapsible D on the starboard-side. Crowds of distressed passengers threatened to interfere with the rescue attempts and Wilde ordered a ring of men to surround the boat so that it could be loaded safely.

Some reports say that the final sighting of him was of him smoking a cigarette, waving farewell to a fellow officer while making no attempt to save himself. The reasoning behind this was said to be that, in late 1910, he had lost his wife and twin sons, possibly to scarlet fever; and had been heard to state that since his wife had died, he no longer cared ‘how he went or how soon he joined her’. However, many have since discounted this theory as unlikely.

Henry Tingle Wilde Gravestone

Henry Tingle Wilde Gravestone

It’s believed instead that he was last seen trying to free collapsibles A and B from the roof of the officers’ quarters and later died of hypothermia in the icy waters.

His body, if recovered, was never identified. However, he is remembered on the family grave in Kirkdale Cemetery, marked by an obelisk and gravestone. The inscription simply reads “Also Captain [sic] Henry T. Wilde, RNR Acting Chief Officer Who Met His Death in the SS Titanic Disaster 15th April 1912 aged 38 years. ‘One of Britain’s Heroes’”.

 

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

 

 

Memorials to John Middleton, the Childe of Hale

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Statue of John Middleton, the Childe of Hale

Statue of John Middleton, the Childe of Hale

It’s the stuff of fairy tales: the giant who goes to London to meet the king and beats the Royal favourite in a wrestling match. But though the story of John Middleton has largely been carried down through the generations by word of mouth, there’s evidence enough to show he truly did exist. His grave in the parish churchyard records his height at 9ft 3”, although later estimates suggest that he may have stood at around 7ft 9 – still pretty tall, by anyone’s standards.

It’s thought that John was born an ordinary child, but in one version of the story, he drew a huge outline of a man in the sand on the banks of the Mersey while out playing. Falling asleep within the outline, he woke to find he had grown to fill it. He was so big, it’s said, that he slept with his feet sticking out of the window of his tiny cottage.

Inevitably, he got noticed and Gilbert Ireland, a local landlord, employed him as a bodyguard. This gave him the opportunity of meeting King James I who stopped off on his way back from Scotland to knight Gilbert. Fascinated by his size, the king invited John to visit his court in London. John turned up dressed in a magnificent outfit of purple, red and gold made especially for the occasion. There, to the king’s embarrassment, the giant beat the king’s favourite wrestler, breaking his thumb. The courtiers, who’d bet on the king winning, lost much money and James I awarded John £20 and sent him on his way.

There’s evidence that Sir Gilbert Ireland accompanied John on his trip and together, they visited Brasenose College Oxford, where Sir Gilbert had studied. To this day, a portrait of John in all his finery remains at the college and the first rowing team is named in his honour. He’s alleged to have left his mark in other ways too: in June 1668, Samuel Pepys’ diary records that he visited Brasenose and saw in the cellar the handprint of ‘the Childe of Hales’. Unfortunately, the handprint no longer survives.

John Middleton's Grave, St Mary's Churchyard, Hale

John Middleton’s Grave, St Mary’s Churchyard, Hale

In Hale, the story lives on through the villagers’ memorials to John Middleton. His grave can be seen in St Mary’s Churchyard. Also, a bronze statue of the giant stands on the small green outside the manor house, replacing an earlier wooden carving which had to be removed because of disease. And a recent film by Richard Whitby, acted by the villagers of Hale, will show several versions of John Middleton’s life, at the Bluecoat Chambers on 24 September 2014, 7pm-9pm. For further information, contact mail@richardwhitby.net or see childeofhale.wordpress.com.

Louise McTigue is a freelance writer and researcher, writing on behalf of Sarsfield Memorials.

Pet memorials from Sarsfield Memorials Liverpool

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Remember the happy days you spent with your animal companions with our exclusive pet memorials

Pet Memorials - Tyson - Dog

Pet Memorials – Tyson

There is no doubt that animals hold a special place in our hearts. This is especially true of Liverpool folk. Did you know that the first ever animal charity in the world is said to have been started in Liverpool? In 1809, a group of concerned people met in a coffee house on Bold Street and set up a society “for the suppression and prevention of wanton cruelty to brute animals”. It’s likely that their interest at that time was in the conditions of the countless horses and other animals working round the city rather than domestic pets, but as the years passed, this charity became part of the RSPCA, which spends a great deal of time and money each year on stopping cruelty to all animals.

These days, we welcome pets into our homes and they’re more likely to become a part of the family than carry out tasks for us. We take care of them and they repay us with love and devotion. And so it’s always devastating when your pet dies.

They leave a big hole in our lives. We hold them in our hearts forever and nothing but time can take away the grief. However, what we’ve found is that it often helps to have a reminder, a physical memorial, as a way of recording the loyalty they offered you throughout their lifetime.

Pet Memorials - Flopsy

Pet Memorials – Flopsy

At Sarsfield Memorials Liverpool, we offer a range of tasteful yet affordable ways to remember your faithful friend. Whether you’d like to place a small plaque in your home or garden in your pet’s favourite spot, you’d like a grave marker or even a pet headstone to stand in one of the specialist pet cemeteries in Liverpool, we’d love to help you design a lasting, personal tribute to your much loved companion. Most memorials can incorporate a personal inscription or even a photograph of your beloved pet, so you and your family can remember them in happier days.

Pet Memorials - Cat

Pet Memorials – Cat

 

Look out for our dedicated page on the website, coming soon, with photographs of some of the many pet memorials we have crafted for previous customers. In the meantime, if you have any queries or special requests, we’d be pleased to advise you on how you can remember your loyal, loving pet with affection.