Roll of Honour - Cambridgeshire - Madingley - St Mary 19th Century Memorials

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

MADINGLEY ST MARY MAGDELENE 19th Century Memorials

Detailed information
Compiled and copyright © 2000 Phil Curme

The King Memorial.

A white marble tablet on the wall of the church some ten feet left of the Great War Roll of Honour.

"In memory of John Hynde King C.B. Colonel commanding 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Born 22nd December 1826. Died at Aldershot 9th July 1870. He was the son of Vice Admiral Sir Richard King Bar T K.C.B. and Maria Susanna daughter of Admiral Sir Charles Cotton."

Commander Cotton Memorial.

Photographs Copyright © Phil Curme 2000

A marble wall sculpture featuring the prow of a ship and a sword.

"Commander Charles Cotton R.N. Died on board HMS Zebra in the Mediterranean on the 11th February 1828 aged 25 years. Interred near the Pratique Church at Malta, where a monument erected by his officers and men attest ........ His death was occasioned by a fever resulting from the fatigue of an arduous service in the course of which he was eminently conspicuous in rescuing the crew of HMS Cambrian off Carabusa in the Island of Candia". Son of Sir Charles (see below).

The Sir Charles Cotton Memorial.

Photographs Copyright © Phil Curme 2000

A marble wall sculpture featuring an anchor, a sword and a flag.

"Sacred to the memory of Sir Charles Cotton Bar T, Admiral of the White Fleet. At an early period of his life he entered into the service of his country. From the active and almost incessant occupations of which neither the subsequent possession of an ample fortune, nor the still more powerful ties of domestic and local attachment were sufficient to withdraw him".

Died 23rd February 1812.

Review of Sir Charles Cotton's Biography follows.

Sir Charles Cotton served in the Royal Navy from 1772 to 1812. Unfortunately timing precluded his presence at Trafalgar, but he participated in other pivotal battles, including The Saintes and "The Glorious First of June." His career culminated with command of a squadron based off Lisbon, Portugal, followed by commands of the prestigious Mediterranean and Channel Fleets. Each of these commands notably influenced the Peninsular War. This study helps to answer one of the most frequently asked questions about this era: How did British naval power contribute to the defeat of Napoleon? Krajeski expands current thinking about the Royal Navy's leadership and accomplishments during this period.

Cotton belongs to the most storied generation of naval commanders in British history. They first served during the American Revolution, participating in numerous combined operations and naval engagements along the North American coast, in the Caribbean, and elsewhere. The experience that they gained between 1775 and 1783 figured prominently upon the resumption of war against France in 1793. As a captain in the Channel Fleet, Cotton fought at the Battle of "The Glorious First of June" in 1794 and actively blockaded the French Atlantic ports; as an admiral between 1797 and 1806, he focused primarily on the blockade of Brest.

In 1808 he achieved a modest measure of contemporary fame as commander of a squadron that supported Sir Arthur Wellesley's campaign in Portugal. Cotton subsequently influenced the Peninsular War as commander of the Mediterranean and Channel Fleet. He died while in command of the Channel Fleet.

22 May 2003

War Memorials Trust