Thomas Gilbart-Smith - A3052 - Branscombe, Devon - Dedicated Benches on Waymarking.com

A stone memorial seat on the A3052, Branscombe, dedicated to Thomas Gilbart-Smith (visit link) who died suddenly on this spot while cycling in 1904.
The stone seat is quite low, perhaps made to appear lower by the long grass at the time of visiting.

"The Thomas Gilbart-Smith Memorial is situated on the side of the busy A3052 road between Exeter and Lyme Regis. It's not all that far from the crossroads known as Hangman's Stone, and many people think that this was the actual stone. However, this is a stone seat that was erected in 1904 as a memorial to Dr Thomas Gilbart-Smith by his friends and family. On a cycling holiday in Devon with one of his sons, he suffered a heart attack and died at this spot.

The original plaques were stolen and unfortunately the replacements held the wrong information. His name was wrongly spelt Gilbert, instead of Gilbart, and he was one of the two senior physicians at the London Hospital, along with several other important medical posts."

SOURCE - (visit link)

The plaques on the bench read -
Left:
ON THIS SPOT
AT HALF PAST
NINE O'CLOCK
AFTER WATCHING
THE GLORIOUS SUNSET
of AUGUST 3rd, 1904,
THOMAS GILBERT-SMITH, M.D., F.R.C.S.
DELL DEAD
FROM HIS BICYCLE.
THUNDER
AND LIGHTNING
IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWED.

1904


Middle:
This plaque
replaces one depicting
Dr. Gilbert-Smith in profile.
The replacement of all the plaques
was necessary in 1981 due to
the theft of the
originals.


Right:
THUS CLOSED
A NOBLE LIFE
SPENT IN
THE SERVICE OF
HIS FELLOW MEN.
HE NEVER
TURNED HIS BACK
ON DUTY,
BUT FAITHFUL TO
HIS MOTTO
"DARE AND DO"
REMAINED UNDAUNTED
TO THE END.

1904


His obituary was published in The British Medical Journal Vol. 2, No. 2276 (Aug. 13, 1904), pp. 355-356 (visit link) and (visit link)

Where is this bench located?: A3052, Branscombe Who is this bench honoring?: Thomas Gilbart-Smith

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