Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The burial of Alexander Rollo at Tynemouth Priory


Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note,
As his corse to the rampart we hurried;
Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot
O'er the grave where our hero we buried.

We buried him darkly at dead of night,
The sods with our bayonets turning,
By the struggling moonbeam's misty light
And the lanthorn dimly burning.

Charles Woolfe's "The Burial of Sir John Moore after Corunna" was once a widely memorised and recited poem. Moore won the 1809 battle, which formed part of the Peninsula War, but lost his life in the process.

The bearer of the lantern (or lanthorn) at his burial was Corporal Alexander Rollo. He lived until 1856 and is buried at Tynemouth Priory.

8 comments:

Kimpatsu said...

He lived until 1857...
Err... the headstone says 1856...

Jonathan Calder said...

To be fair, it was very sudden.

Anonymous said...

he was my great great great grandfarther

Unknown said...

He was my 5th great grandfather.

Chris Rollo said...

They were my great, great, great, great, great, great
grandfather and grandmother (6 greats) Alexander and
his wife Margaret. I visited their graves many times
when I was young. Rest in Peace.

Jonathan Calder said...

Thank you, Chris.

Anonymous said...

Hi I live a few miles from tynemouth priory I new my uncle Richard rollo who died in the early 1970s Alexander rollo is a direct descend of mine I have only seen 1picture of corp rollo he had red hair.
Many thanks
Mr Antony bilton

Jonathan Calder said...

That's very interesting. Thanks for your comment.