Memorial in Iver, Buckinghamshire commemorating Midshipman James Bentinck Hawkins Whitshed d. 1813 .

Location

St Peter's Church, Iver, Buckinghamshire, England

Transcript

'THE WILL OF THE LORD BE DONE / SACRED TO THE MEMORY / (FOR NO STONE TELLS WHERE HE LIES) / OF JAMES BENTINCK HAWKINS WHITSHED / LATE MIDSHIPMAN ON BOARD HMS BERWICK / WHO WAS KILLED IN THE PORT OF NEGAYS IN THE / MEDITERRANEAN ON THE 11 DECb 1813 / THE LAST ACT OF HIS LIFE WAS SAVING THAT OF HIS ENEMY / WHOSE SWORD HE RECEIVED ON BOARD L'AIR / AND SHORTLY AFTER FELL IN ATTEMPTING TO CARRY L'ESTAFETTE, / ANOTHER FRENCH NATIONAL VESSEL / WHAT THO' BUT EIGHTEEN FLEETING YEARS ON EARTH / HAD NURS'D INGENIOUS WHITSHED'S GROWING WORTH. / BUT HAD HE LIV'D TO BE BELOV'D BY ALL / WHO LOVE THE GOOD AND CAN LAMENT THEIR FALL / HIS HEART WAS OPEN AS A SUMMER'S DAY / WHEN NOT A CLOUD OBSCURES THE RISING RAY / KIND AS THE SPRING THAT O'ER THE VERDANT FIELDS / ITS BEAUTIOUS BLOSSOMS IN ABUNDANCE YIELDS / AND SMILES IN PROMISE OF THE FRUIT IN STORE / WHEN TIME EXTENDS TO MAKE THAT FRUIT MATURE. / HIS TIME WAS SHORT! AND YET HIS HONOUR'D NAME / SHALL LIVE IN MEMORY AND BE DEAR TO FAME / NELSON EXPIRING COULD HAVE SAID NO MORE, / THAN HE WHOSE EARLY DEATH THESE LINES DEPLORE/LEADING HIS BAND TO BOARD THE COUNTRY'S FOE / TOO TRUE ALAS! WAS AIMED THE FATAL BLOW! / THE BALL HAD PIERCED THE YOUTHFUL HERO'S HEAD / BUT ERE TO HEAVEN HIS GALLANT SPIRIT FLED / HIS LOOK DISPLAYED A SOUL DESPISING DEATH! / HE CHEER'D HIS MEN-AND WITH CONVULSIVE BREATH / DYING EXCLAIM'D AMID THE BATTLE'S ROAR / "CARRY HER IF YOU CAN MY LADS I AM NO MORE MORE!" / THE TABLET WHICH FAINTLY EXPRESSES THE / TENDER AFFECTION WITH WHICH HIS MEMORY IS CHERISHED / BY HIS BEREAVED BUT RESIGNED PARENTS / IS PLACED IN THE CHURCH WHERE HE WAS WONT TO OFFER UP / HIS PRAYERS TO THE GREAT DISPOSER OF ALL EVENTS / AND NOT FAR FROM THE SCENE OF HIS EARLY EDUCATION WHERE / UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF HIS GOOD PASTOR AND MASTER / IT IS HUMBLY HOPED HE BECAME IMPRESSED WITH / THE PRINCIPALS OF RELIGION WHICH MAKES EVEN IN DEATH / MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US / IN WHOSE WORDS WE ARE ASSURED / "BLESSED ARE THE MERCYFUL FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY"'

Details

Event Category

1803 - 1815 Napoleonic Wars

People

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