Memorials Gardeners of Heligan St Austell

The gardeners of Heligan House are commemorated within the gardens, including their signatures on the wall of the "Thunderbox", which was signed shortly before they left for the war in August 1914.

The Thunderbox Room
This is where the signatures of past outdoor staff were discovered in 1990. Under one column of names was the date August 1914. Some of these names were later found on local war memorials. Though exposure to light over the past quarter of a century has faded their marks here now, we honour these men and boys who gave their lives for King and Country...

Charles Ball. John George Barron. Percy Carhart. Charles Myer. William Robins Guy. Albert Henry Rowe. Leonard Warne.

There are others too, without evidence here, but recorded in the Heligan Estate Labour Books, who served and fell...

William Samuel Hunkin. William George Perry.

In total 9 lost, more than one third of the whole outdoor team. We also honour those Heligan men who served their country and returned...
Fred Paynter, stone mason. Archibald Smaldon, carpenter. John varey, gardener.

In 2013, the Imperial War Museum recorded this Thunderbox Room as a 'Living Memorial' to the Gardeners of Heligan in its new National Inventory of War Memorials, ref 63622.


Four Men Lost
The Heligan Eastate Labour Books record four names which later appear on local war memorials. We have not found their relatives or photos yet, so cannot tell their human story. We honour them too:
John george Barron Gardener Mevagissey
William Samuel Hunkin Labourer Mevagissey
William George Perry Quarry Labourer St Ewe
Albert Henry Rowe gardener St Austell

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Source

• Text: Simon Armstrong
• Photos: Simon Armstrong