Friday 5th April 2013
The Reverend David Hayes, of Forge Cottage, 3 North Row, Warminster, BA12 9AD, has written a letter to Heather Abernethie, Clerk to Warminster Town Council, suggesting that the memory of the late Sir James Erasmus Philipps be commemorated in the naming of a future street in Warminster. The Rev. Hayes writes ~
Dear Heather
At the end of the Warminster Festival Sir James Erasmus Philipps was remembered as distinguished benefactor of the town at the closing service for the Festival last year at the Minster. This was followed by an excellent article in the Warminster Journal on 28th December last year by the editor Ray Shorto.
As we know, during his time as Vicar of Warminster, from 1859 to 1897, he substanially restored the Minster, founded St. Boniface College and St. Denys’ for training men and women for the mission field to serve throughout the Empire. He founded St. Monica’s School, saved the Lord Weymouth School from closure and opened the Orphanage of Pity. He founded St. John’s Church and St. John’s School. We owe a great debt of gratitude to him for founding the Cottage Hospital, now the Warminster Memorial Hospital.
As such a distinguished benefactor it is surprising that there is no memorial to him, neither statue nor street name. It has been suggested that a future development could bear his name. As he was the 12th Baronet of Picton of Pembrokeshire, streets or closes could be named after him: James, Erasmus, Philipps, Picton, Pembroke!
With thanks for your suggestion of writing to you.
Yours sincerely,
David Hayes.