In St Deiniol’s churchyard, Hawarden, I noticed a sign pointing to a Crimean War grave. Naturally I made my way to it.

Not only was Thomas Ryan, “a native of Kilkenny and late Troop Sergeant Major in HM XVIII Lancers,” present at the Battles of Alma, Inkerman and Sevastopol* he was at Balaklava* and was no less than a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade!

Whom – as his gravestone has it – “God’s high grace saved from death in the memorable light cavalry charge at Balaklava.”

Strictly speaking this is not a war grave as Ryan came back from Crimea and, “took his final discharge on October 20^th 1908, aged 88 years.”

A wonderful thing to come on out of the blue, though.

*As the spellings were then.

Rhu Churchyard contains several graves of historical note.

It contains the grave of the father of steam navigation, Henry Bell.

As befits his historical importance the memorial incorporates a statue of Bell in a seated position.

Then there is the grave of John Motion, late Sgt Major of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, one of ‘The Thin Red Line‘ at the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War.

Detail:-

And this grave, “Erected by the Officers and ex-Officers 1st Dunbartonshire Rifle Volunteers in memory of Col Henry Currie, late commandant 1st Dunbartonshire Rifle Volunteers and formerly of the 24th and 79th Highlanders. Died at Helensburgh 17th March 1899 aged 54 years”:-