CH5. Oval tablet within columns and beneath a pediment
To the Memory / Of WILLIAM TATTON Esq. / Lieut. General of his Majesty’s Forces / Colonel of a Regiment of Foot / Governour of Gravesend & Tilbury Fort / who died June 11th MDCCXXXVI / Aged LXXVII / And in a Vault near this Spot, are deposited the Remains / of the Honourable ELIZABETH FLOWER / who departed this Life on the 8th of March 1813 / Aged 72 Years / She was the eldest Daughter of the / first HENRY Lord Viscount ASHBROOK, of the Kingdom of Ireland / and Grand daughter of Lieutenant General TATTON / The unexampled Suavity of her Disposition, her mild gentle / and unaffected Manners, preserved uninterrupted / the Friendships of her early Years / Such amiable Qualities united to a virtuous and / exemplary Conduct caused her Loss to be / sincerely regretted by her Relatives and Friends / But by none more than her affectionate Neice / the Honourable CAROLINE FLOWER / who dedicates this Inscription as a Memorial / of Regard to her beloved and / respected Aunt.
A large, austere monument to William Tatton (1659-1736) and his granddaughter Elizabeth Flower (1741-1813). Both were buried at St John’s but only Elizabeth is in the nearby vault. William was buried in the churchyard but the exact whereabouts are unknown. Caroline Flower (Elizabeth’s niece) who dedicated the monument, clearly felt that both her ancestors were worthy of a memorial.
William Tatton was a trusted associate of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough throughout the War of the Spanish Succession, and in April 1704 the Duke appointed him Colonel of the Horse Guards. In August 1704 he led the advance party for the Duke’s bold dash to the River Danube, which led to the crushing defeat of the French and Bavarian forces at the Battle of Blenheim. After this victory, Tatton was made Colonel of a Foot Regiment, a post he held until 1708.
After the war, the Army was involved in suppressing the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, when William Tatton was responsible for bringing convicted rebels to London to be imprisoned. From 1725-1736 he was the Governor of Gravesend and Tilbury Fort, a tudor fortification protecting the River Thames.
Regarding his grand-daughter, Elizabeth Flower, I haven’t been able to find out much about her. She lived in London but in her will she stated that she wished to be buried at St John’s near her grandfather, even though he died before she was born. The dedication on her memorial describes ”the suavity of her disposition, her mild and gentle manners, which preserved uninterrupted the friendships of her early years”. She sounds a very lovely lady.
Surprisingly, Tilbury Fort is still standing and is managed by English Heritage.
Christine Bartlett