Ellis Memorial

Introduction

The photograph on this page of Ellis Memorial by David Smith as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

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Ellis Memorial

Image: © David Smith Taken: 30 Apr 2013

This is a memorial to a Torpoint man, Chief Petty Officer (Royal Navy) James Benjamin Ellis. On a July afternoon in 1897 he was working in his garden at Barbadoes Cottages on the waterfront in Torpoint. A lady shouted to him that four teenage boys were swimming in the Ballast Pond and had got into difficulties. Without any thought for his own safety, Ellis immediately ran down to the water and swam to their aid. Two boys managed to get to safety and Ellis held onto the other two. Two men in a boat came to their aid and pulled the boys into their boat. Another boatman then went to aid Ellis, but only heard him say "I've got cramp and I'm going." He could not find Ellis. About half an hour later, men in boats using grappling irons, located his body about 50 yards from where he entered the water. The following year this memorial was erected, originally in a different site. It originally had drinking troughs for animals and has since been moved to the current location. The memorial has inscriptions on all four sides. They are as follows on each side - J.B.E. on the opposite side is - "Greater love hath no man than this" Another has I.H.S. The fourth panel has - This monument was erected by public subscription to the memory of James B. Ellis who was drowned in saving two lads off Torpoint on the 19th July 1897. (The drinking troughs are no longer part of the monument)" https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1162248

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Image Location

coordinates on a map icon
Latitude
50.376467
Longitude
-4.196847