Admiral Arthur Phillip's Grave
Who was he?
Wikipedia:
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a
British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed
Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the
Australian continent, and was the founder of the site which is now the
city of Sydney.
As Captain Phillip, he was chosen to lead the 'First Fleet' which
sailed from Portsmouth, U.K. to Australia in May 1787 with two warships
and nine transport vessels carrying a total of 1,450 people. They
landed
at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788 but soon selected a site further north
for the new settlement in Sydney Cove - named in honour of Lord Sydney,
the then British Home Secretary. [
Bathampton
Church
website]
Why was he in Bath?
In late 1792 Phillip, whose health was suffering from the poor diet, at
last received permission to leave Australia and return to England. He
came to Bath to 'take the waters' as a cure for his failing health.
Phillip, whose first wife, Margaret, had died in 1792 married Isabella
Whitehead in 1794, and lived for a time in Bath before returning to sea.
In 1805, aged 67, he retired from the Navy with the rank of Admiral of
the Blue, and spent most of the rest of his life in Bath at
19, Bennett
Street, where he died
in 1814.
He is buried in St Nicholas Church, Bathampton, where his gravestone
is set into the floor immediately inside the church:
This information
sign
is
now
(March 2012) fixed outside the
church door:
The text reads
"Arthur Phillip
Founder of Australia
and First Governor of New South Wales
His grave is inside the church
There is a display of Arthur Phillip's leadership of the First Fleet
and the names of those who sailed to Australia
The Australia Chapel has stained glass windows showing the Crests of
the Australian States
You are welcome to our services
The Arthur Phillip Memorial is closed during services"
His gravestone is on the floor immediately inside the inner porch door:
The text reads
"Underneath lie the Remains of ARTHUR
PHILLIP, Esq. Admiral of the
Blue who died 31st August 1814 in his 76th year. Also of ISABELLA Relic
of the above Admiral PHILLIP who died 4th March 1823 in the 71st Year
of her Age."
The map shows the location of Bathampton
Church relative to the City
of Bath; the towpath of the Kennet &
Avon canal provides a pleasant walk to Bathampton:
The Church also contains the Australia
Chapel - follow this link for
more information.
(c) 2012
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