Communications

Memorial: M4309

Memorial at Church of St Michael and All Angels, Sunninghill, Windsor and Maidenhead commemorating Rear-Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham d. 1820

Location

Church of St Michael and All Angels, Sunninghill, Windsor and Maidenhead, England

Transcript

[On each of four sides of base] 'Copenhagen', 'Buenos Ayres', 'N coast of Spain', 'Cape of Good Hope', 'In memory of Rear Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham, KCB, KCG, KM, FRS, who died at Cheltenham September 11th 1820 aged 58 years. Affection's fondest terms are found too weak to state his conduct as husband or as a father, and as a friend 'twere difficult to do him justice, yet memory retains what language fails t'express. His public services were great and various but those let history tell. This page posthumous has to record still nobler triumphs, these his great successes exited envy and envy persecution but both were foil'd in their attempts upon his character, for truth was supreme and justice found the verdict while he added most feelingly this last, the best & strongest confirmation-forgiveness'

Details

Description: Plinth and broken column surmounted by a flaming urn. West panel depicts semaphore, signal flags and an open book.
Type: Memorial
Materials: Portland stone

People

Popham, Home Riggs
Age: 57
Date of Death: 11/9/1820
Cause of Death: Unknown/None
Rank / Occupation: Rear Admiral
Organisation: Royal Navy

Extra

Notes: Now illegible. Epitaph of his wife d. 12/3/1866, and their granddaughter (daughter of Adm Pakenham) d. 5/4/1878 on another panel. Popham was court-martialled for attacking Buenos Aires without orders in 1806 and for leaving the Cape of Good Hope undefended. Popham was the author of a vocabulary code using Admiralty signal flags published in 1803 and used to send Nelson's Trafalgar signal 'England Expects'.
Bibliography: G.H. Hughes 'A history of Windsor, Sunningdale and Great Park' 1890; H.P. Mead 'Sir Home Popham', 'Mariner's Mirror' vol. 42, p. 79 (Cambridge, 1956).
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