Bristol - Arno's Vale Cemetery

Bristol - Brislington - Arno's Vale Cemetery - Page 2

The cemetery contains monuments to the fallen of both World Wars.

Monument to the dead of World War I

Monument to the fallen of World War I

The inscription on the wall to the left reads

"The Glorious Dead
A.D. 1914 - 1918"

The inscription on the right reads

"Proclaim throughout this realm
ye who pass this monument
that we who died serving her
rest here content."

Monument to the fallen of World War II

The inscription reads "In memory of those members of his majestys forces who died in the service of their country and were cremated here."

Probably the most prominent person in the cemetery is Rajah Rammohun Roy Bahadoor, whose monument and epitaph is shown below.

Monument to Rajah Rammohun Roy Bahadoor

Epitaph to Rajah Rammohun Roy Bahadoor

Originally an employee of the East India Company, Rajah Rammohun arrived in Britain in 1831 as the ambassador of the Moghal Emperor Akbar Shah II. In 1832 he visited Paris. In 1833 he came to stay at Beech House, Stapleton and prayed in Lewin's Mead Chapel. Ten days after arriving in Bristol he died of meningitis on 27th September 1833. He was buried in the grounds of Beech house, but ten years later, his friend, Dwarakanath Tagore had him reinterred at Arno's Vale. Dwarakanath Tagore paid William Pricep to design the monument.

Rajah Rammohun is best remembered for trying to end the practice of suttee, the burning of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre and for revising Hindu law.

Whilst walking through the cemetery I came across this sad story :-

Plaque to James Anthony Gardner

The plaque reads "In memory of Lieutenant James Anthony Gardner, late of HM 7th Royal Fusiliers. The beloved and only child of James Anthony Gardner, and Eliza, his wife, who was accidentally drowned whilst bathing at Alwaye, Cochin Malabar Coast, East Indies, October 26th 1861, aged 30 years. Interred in the Protestant burial ground, at Cochin, October 27th 1861, and removed to beneath this spot by his, bereaved parents, March 18th 1863."

The monument to this soldier is topped by a great piece of sculpture

Monument to James Anthony Gardner

The sculpture on top of the monument to James Anthony Gardner

Examples of some of the superb statuary in the cemetery

Friends of Arno's Vale Cemetery

In 2005, Barb Drummond wrote "The New Eden" the first book about Arno's Vale Cemetery. The book is available at bristol museums, libraries and record office and some local shops, or by post - send £5 plus sae to PO Box 2460 Bristol BS3 9WP.

Barb has informed me that the cemetery records are in various places. Books of remembrance are at the Evening Post offices. The records of burials are still thought to be at the cemetery and some other records are at the Record Office which is still in dispute with the owner of Arno's Vale.

This page created 2nd August 2000, last modified 11th December 2005

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