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    © Imperial War Museums 2026

    Memorial

    Captain C G Seely

    Mark Newton 10 June 2016

    Source: Copyright Mark Newton 10 June 2016

    1/5

    Current Location

    St Olave's Church, Gatcombe Road, Gatcombe, South Wight, Isle Of Wight, PO30 3EG, England

    OS Grid Reference

    SZ 49240 85094

    Denomination

    Church of England

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    Names listed on this memorial

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    © WMR-40768

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    Type of Memorial
    Sculpture
    WMR Reference Number
    40768
    Description
    Carved recumbent effigy of Captain Seely in uniform, on a white marble plinth, with grey marble base. The sides of the plinth have inset panels: one bears the incised inscription; others depict pictorial scenes, the Seely family coats of arms and associated crests (including the regimental crest of the Isle of Wight Rifles).
    Inscription
    WE PRAY YOU COMMEND TO THE/ MERCY OF GOD THE SOUL OF/ CHARLES GRANT SEELY,/ ELDEST SON OF SIR CHARLES/ SEELY, BARONET, AND DAME HILDA,/ HIS WIFE. BORN ON NOV. 29,/ 1894, AND EDUCATED AT CHEAM/ ETON AND TRINITY COLLEGE,/ CAMBRIDGE, HE JOINED THE/ ISLE OF WIGHT RIFLES AT THE/ OUTBREAK OF THE GREAT WAR,/ AND, AFTER SERVING WITH/ DISTINCTION IN THE GALLIPOLI/ AND EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGNS, FELL/ GLORIOUSLY, THRICE WOUNDED,/ AT GAZA IN PALESTINE ON/ APRIL 19, 1917, WHILE LEADING/ THE ADVANCE UPON THE/ TURKISH POSITION. / GREATLY BELOVED - FOR HE WAS/ A VERY GALLANT GENTLEMAN -/ HE LIES IN THE CEMETERY AT/ GAZA, SURROUNDED BY THE MEN/ OF HIS REGIMENT WHO FELL/ WITH HIM THAT DAY./ MIZPAH
    War
    First World War (1914-1918)
    Number Commemorated
    1
    Died
    1
    Information shown
    Forenames, surname, date of birth, regiment, date/place/manner of death, place of burial, relationships, additional
    Maker(s)
    • Sir Thomas Brock RA, Sculptor

    Sponsor Type
    private
    Maintenance History
    18/1/1967: St Olave's Church was Grade I Listed (List Entry Number 1292758); the listing details specifically mention 'Chest tomb to C. Grant Seely d.1917 with recumbent effigy of young soldier by Sir Thomas Brock'.// 1927: The face and sword hilt of the effigy was damaged; the damage was not repaired.// 1922: Unveiled/dedicated.

    Ceremonies

    Unveiled

    30 September 1922

    Princess Beatrice unveiled the memorial

    Dedicated

    30 September 1922

    Reverend B. K. Bond dedicated the memorial

    Custodian
    Church of England

    Components

    Sculpture

    Made from: Marble


    Condition: Good


    Historic England

    Grade: I

    List Entry: 1292758

    • West Sussex Gazette - Thursday 05 October 1922 (page 2) reported: 'THREE ISLE OF WIGHT WAR MEMORIALS. Princess Beatrice on Saturday unveiled, in Gatcombe Church, Isle of Wight, a marble monument, of which the principal feature is a recumbent figure of the late Captain Charles Grant Seely (eldest son of Sir Charles and Lady Seely, of Gatcombe House), who was killed at Gaza while fighting with Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Riles. This family memorial was carved by the late Sir Thomas Brock, in white marble, with a grey marble base. The memorial was dedicated by the Rev. B. K. Bond, regimental chaplain during the war. At the same time was dedicated a new organ given to the church in memory of the officers, N.C.O.'s, and men who fell in the Great War. On Sunday afternoon Princess Beatrice unveiled in the Drill Hall, Newport, a large seven-panel stone tablet, which is the regimental memorial to 522 of all ranks of Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles, who fell chiefly in Gallipoli and at Gaza'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002166/19221005/060/0002
    • Historic England's details of the Grade I Listing of St Olave's Church on 18/1/1967 include mention that the interior contains: ''Chest tomb to C. Grant Seely d.1917 with recumbant effigy of young soldier by Sir Thomas Brock'. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1292758?section=official-list-entry
    • https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3668987
    • Isle of Wight Memorials website; description of this memorial reads: 'A reclining marble statue representing Captain Seely, on a box tomb. The sides of the tomb have representations of crests associated with the family and Seely's affliations, and pictorial scenes. The sculptor was the late Sir Thomas Brock. Unveiled on the 2nd October 1922 by HRH Princess Beatrice at a service conducted by the Rev B K Bond, Regimental Chaplain during the war to the Isle of Wight Rifles. The new Church organ was also dedicated as a memorial at the same service. The statue itself was later defaced by a man described as insane, and has been left unrepaired'. http://www.isle-of-wight-memorials.org.uk/churches/gatcombestolaveseely.htm
    • Wickipedia's page re St Olave's Church states of this memorial that: 'In 1927 it was vandalised by a local woman, Nellie Kerley, who appears to have been aggrieved by the contrast between the memorial's grandiosity and the relative neglect of the memory of her brother, who had also died in the war. The damage to the effigy's face and sword-hilt is still clearly visible'. [The source it quotes re that information is Harris, Oliver D. (2018). "A crusading 'captain in khaki': Sir Thomas Brock's monument to Charles Grant Seely at Gatcombe (Isle of Wight)". Church Monuments. 33: 97–120]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Olave%27s_Church,_Gatcombe
    • Hampshire Advertiser - Saturday 26 November 1927 (page 11) reported: 'THE ISLE OF WIGHT. DAMAGE TO WAR MEMORIAL. Amazing Affair in Island. WOMAN'S ALLEGED ADMISSION. At Gatcombe Church, Isle of Wight, serious damage has been done to a handsome war memorial to Captain Charles Grant Seely, eldest son of the late Sir Charles Seely, Bart. This memorial, which was unveiled at the end of September, 1922, by Princess Beatrice, is in pure white marble, and is a masterpiece. SURPRISE FOR VICAR. The church is open daily, and the Rector (the Rev. J. W. S. Wayet) went there on Monday afternoon about 3.30. He was startled to see a tiny piece of marble lying on one of the steps inside the south porch, and on further examination he found there were several pieces scattered about the church. The nose of the statue had been knocked off, the beautiful hilt of the sword had been smashed, and the feet had been damaged. Inquiries were made, and on Tuesday a young woman living in the neighbourhood was asked about the occurrence, and is alleged to have admitted that she did it. She said she had heard voices speaking to her. She was evidently suffering from delusions, and she was conveyed to the County Mental Hospital at Whitecroft'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003142/19271126/334/0011
    • https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/175077/