Melancholy Death of Sir Joseph Yorke 1768-1831
[News item published in the London "Times"
09 May 1831 page 3]
An inquest was held yesterday, at Hamberice, on view
of the bodies of Admiral Sir J. S. Yorke, K.C.B., Captain Matthew
Barton Bradby, R.N., Captain Thomas Young, RN, and John Chandler,
seaman, who were drowned by the upsetting of the Catherine,
a yacht of about 14 tons burden near Brewndown Point, between Portsmouth
and Hamble, at about 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon.
The unfortunate gentlemen, with poor Chandler, were
returning from Spithead, under a press of canvass, when a sudden
squall took the vessel, which immediately went down stern foremost,
in 10 fathoms of water. The accident was seen by a fisherman about
half a mile off, and he immediately hastened to their assistance.
He came first to Chandler, who had not been in the water more than
five or six minutes, and was yet alive and sensible, but speechless
and quite exhausted. The next ten minutes were occupied in well-meant,
but injudicious and unsuccessful attempts to preserve the poor fellow's
life.
Meantime the three unfortunate gentlemen floated without
attention, being so completely enveloped in their cloaks and great
coats, which so encumbered and concealed their bodies, as to be
mistaken for empty garments. As soon, however, as the fisherman
discovered, to his great surprise that they were bodies, he took
out those of Captain Bradby and Young, which had been in the water
about a quarter of an hour, but life was quite extinct. The body
of Sir Joseph Yorke floated farther down, and was picked up about
the same time by another boat, with no sign of life. The bodies
were conveyed to Hamble to await the inquest, which was held the
following day. Verdict: Accidental Death.
The loss of the deceased gentleman will be severely
felt by their connections and the inhabitants of the village, to
whom they had endeared themselves by conduct that will long be remembered
with feelings of respect and gratitude. Chandler was a man of excellent
character, and has left one child, an orphan. The inquest was attended
by Sir Arthur Paget, and several navel officers, who took a melancholy
interest in the proceedings. The men who picked up the bodies were
liberally rewarded, but it is to be lamented that they were not
better informed as to the means of attempting to restore animation;
a point which the jury particularly noticed.
Admiral Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke KCB
† [=
Yorke Family Tree] is interred
in the Hardwicke Family Vault beneath
the Chicheley Chapel in Wimpole Parish Church.
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl
of Hardwicke 1757-1834
Reprinted from 'The
Hampshire Chronicle' issue of 4th August 2000.
[July 2004
- As the Yorke Family Tree page was being developed, it become clear
that the 'heart' story must be questioned. Sydney Lodge was built
for, and was the home of, the 3rd Earl's half brother, Vice-Admiral
Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke. On Sir Joseph's death in 1831, the Lodge
passed to his eldest son, Charles Philip Yorke (later to become
the 4th Earl of Hardwicke). The 3rd Earl would have been no more
than an occasional visitor with almost no likelihood of the "daily
ride" over a period of time. It is probable that the report
confuses the 3rd Earl with either the 4th Earl or his father. I'll
leave the story on the page for now but investigations continue.]
"Hidden in the undergrowth for
almost a century, the discovery of a long forgotten Hampshire tombstone
reveals a charming legend. The five-foot high Celtic cross came
to light when Hambrook Landscapes agreed to renovate a derelict
Victorian walled garden [at Sydney Lodge] in
Hamble.
"Erected to the memory of Philip
Yorke, the 3rd Earl of Hardwicke, the memorial, bears
the legend that although his body is interred in the family vaults
[at Wimpole], his heart is buried here, beside his beloved
horse. The stone marks a favourite spot where man and horse rested
during their daily ride. When the horse died, it was buried close
to the garden entrance, and the earl regularly visited the grave
until his own death in 1834. It was his wish that his heart should
be buried with the animal he loved, thus reuniting them in death.
"The monument was revealed when
gardeners set about removing the debris and undergrowth as part
of a five-year restoration project. The two-acre site, with its
crumbling walled surrounds and tiled walkways has lain untouched
for over 70 years. Formerly part of the Hardwicke-Yorke family estates,
it is now owned by British Aerostructures, and several volunteers
from the company are helping with land clearance. Today, columbines
bloom again in the flower borders, there is a thriving orchard,
and a vineyard and croquet lawn are planned for the near future.
Much of the original Victorian brickwork has been retained, and
although the then sophisticated irrigation systems and greenhouses
heated by fresh manure are no longer practical, they lend atmosphere
to the site. Hambrook’s designer and the project leader, Tim
Friday said: "We have a long way to go yet. We have none of
the original plans to work from, but part of the Victorian garden
is now beginning to resemble the old photographs. We are trying
to keep as close to the original as possible, even matching and
using authentic path tiles and bricks to repair damaged ones.
"The general public will not
have access to the walled garden, but employees at British Aerostructures
are already enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the renovated
area."
Philip Yorke †
[= Yorke Family
Tree] is interred with his wife and three of his sons in the
central alter tomb in the Chicheley Chapel.
Death of the Hon. and Ven. H.R. Yorke (1803-1871).
[News item published in the London "Times" 28 September
1871 page 6]
"We have to record to-day the death of a clergyman
well known in the diocese of Ely - the Hon. and Ven. Henry Reginald
Yorke, late Archdeacon of Huntingdon, which happened on Tuesday,
in the 69th year of his age.
"He was the third son of the late Admiral the Hon.
Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke, by Elizabeth Weake, daughter of Mr James
Rattray, of Atherstone, Warwickshire, and next surviving brother
of the present Earl of Hardwicke.
"He was born on the 30th October, 1803, and was
educated at Harrow and St John's College, Cambridge, where he took
his Bachelor's degree in the year 1826, without, however, obtaining
honours, and proceeded M.A. in 1829. He was ordained deacon by the
Bishop of Lincoln in 1827, and priest in the following year, and
had held the rectory of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire (a living in the
gift of his brother, Lord Hardwicke) since 1832; from 1856 to 1879
he was Archdeacon of Huntingdon, but in the latter year he resigned
that office. He was also from the year 1859 a Canon of Ely Cathedral.
He married in 1833 Flora Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the late
General Alexander Campbell K.O.B., but was left a widower in 1852."
[Henry Reginald Yorke
† [= Yorke Family
Tree] and wife Flora Elizabeth Campbell
† [= Yorke Family
Tree] are both interred in the Hardwicke Family
Vault beneath the Chicheley Chapel.]
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