Charles Gervaise Boxall

by B. van Cleve

Charles Gervaise Boxall was born on 30/08/1851 at Delves House, Ringmer, Sussex, as second son of William Percival Boxall, and his wife, Caroline Money. He was baptised on 02/10/1851 in Ringmer. He died in 1914.

Though the memorial plaque that was erected in his honour in St. Peter’s Church is severely damaged, the text could be reconstructed.

TO THE MEMORY OF COLONEL SIR CHARLES GERVAISE  BOXALL K.C.B. BORN IN SUSSEX IN 1852 AND EDUCATED AT BRIGHTON COLLEGE HE ACHIEVED DISTINCTION IN MORE THAN ONE FIELD A PROMINENT MEMBER OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION HE BECAME LIEUT- COLONEL COMMANDING THE 1^ST SUSSEX VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY AND AFTERWARDS HONORARY COLONEL OF THE 1^ST HOME COUNTIES R.F.A HE WAS THE CHIEF ORGANIZER OF THE CITY OF LONDON IMPERIAL VOLUNTEERS RAISED AND EQUIPPED BY VOLUNTARY EFFORT TO TAKE PART IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR FOR THIS AND OTHER PATRIOTIC SERVICES HE WAS APPOINTED AN HONORARY LIEUT-COLONEL IN THE ARMY AND CREATED A KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH HE DIED IN BRIGHTON ON MARCH  6^TH 1914                                                                                                                  ET JUSTUM POTERAS ET SCRIBERE FORTEM                                          THIS  STONE  IS SET UP BY MANY OF HIS FRIENDS AND COMRADES IN ARMS

The Latin text seems to be taken from Horace and it reads in translation: ‘Yet, you could write about him as both just and courageous.’

There is some confusion about the birth year of Charles Gervaise Boxall. Some sources state that he was born in 1852, as the memorial plaque does, but most sources give the birth year as 1851.

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Floor plan of memorial plaques in St. Peter’s Church Brighton