Wall tablet in Portsmouth Cathedral dedicated to Captain Bridges Taylor RN d. 1814

Location

Cathedral of St Thomas of Canterbury, Portsmouth, England

Transcript

'IN MEMORY OF / CAPTAIN BRIDGES WATKINSON TAYLOR / OF THE ROYAL NAVY / FIFTH SON OF THE REVEREND EDWARD TAYLOR OF BIFRONS IN THE COUNTY OF KENT / AND LATE COMMANDER OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP APOLLO / WHO WAS UNFORTUNATELY DROWNED IN THE 35TH YEAR OF HIS AGE / TOGETHER WITH SEVEN OTHER PERSONS BY THE UPSETTING OF A BOAT/OFF THE PORT OF BRINDISI, IN THE ADRIATIC ON THE 24TH OF FEBRUARY 1814 / HE WAS AN OFFICER OF DISTINGUISHED MERIT, HIGHLY AND UNIVERSALLY RESPECTED / IN THE PROFESSION TO WHICH HE HAD BELONGED FROM HIS EARLIEST YOUTH, AND / TO THE ACTIVE DUTIES OF WHICH THE WHOLE OF HIS LIFE WAS, WITH LITTLE / INTERMISSION DEVOTED / IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY HE WAS EVER ZEALOUS, ENTERPRIZING / AND PERSEVERING, OF UNSHAKEN COURAGE AND FIRMNESS BLENDED WITH MILDNESS / AND MODESTY OF DISPOSITION; WHICH SECURED TO HIM THE AFFECTION OF ALL WHO / APPROACHED HIM / HIS BENEVOLENCE WAS ACTIVE YET UNASSUMING, AND HIS HUMANITY / THE NATURAL ATTRIBUTE OF SUCH A CHARACTER, WAS PARTICULARLY EVINCED / BY HIS HAVING AT DIFFERENT TIMES SAVED THREE OF HIS FELLOW CREATURES / FROM DROWNING AT THE IMMINENT RISQUE OF HIS OWN LIFE, NOR WAS HIS / UNREMITTING ATTENTION TO THE DUTIES OF RELIGION LESS EXEMPLARY / TO HIS SHIP'S COMPANY HE BEHAVED WITH THE KINDNESS AND ATTENTION / OF A FATHER AND FRIEND, AS SUCH HE WAS CONSTITUTED BY THEM, AND HIS/SOLICITUDE FOR THEIR WELFARE AND COMFORT AND FOR THEIR CREDIT, WAS/MET BY A CHEERFUL AND ATTENTIVE DISCHARGE OF EVERY DUTY. / DESIROUS OF RECORDING THEIR HIGH SENSE OF HIS MERITS / AND THEIR AFFECTIONATE REGARD FOR HIS CHARACTER / THE OFFICERS OF THE APOLLO HAVE ERECTED THIS MONUMENT / TO THE MEMORY OF THEIR LAMENTED COMMANDER' [On apron] 'THE BODY OF CAPTAIN TAYLOR / WAS FOUND SOME WEEKS AFTER THE FATAL ACCIDENT / AND WAS DEPOSITED IN A HANDSOME MONUMENT / ERECTED TO HIM AND HIS FELLOW SUFFERERS IN THE GREAT SQUARE OF THE TOWN OF BRINDISI / BY THE INHABITANTS / WHO HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE KINDNESS / WHICH THEY INVARIABLY EXPERIENCED FROM HIM / WHILE EMPLOYED IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY / OFF THEIR COAST / BY THIS WELL MERITED TRIBUTE TO HIS MEMORY'

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