Wednesday 8th October 2025
Robert Lewis Elloway’s grave stone at Christ Church, Warminster.
Danny Howell writes:
The Death Of A Young Chauffeur
A cross which marks a grave in the eastern part of the cemetery at Christ Church, Warminster, is unusual because it includes an engraving of a motor car, something which often arouses curiosity among observant people who notice it. The grave is that of Robert Lewis Elloway, a chauffeur and resident of Warminster Common, who died in a motoring accident on 19th May 1915. The details concerning the accident are as follows:
The Wiltshire Times & News, dated Friday 21st May 1915, reported that Robert Lewis Elloway, aged 25, living at Chapel Street, Warminster, was a chauffeur in the employ of the Warminster Company. He and seven others had been to Bath on the previous Wednesday, first to see the races, followed by a visit to the theatre. All eight were travelling home in a six-cylinder 25-30 h.p. Studebaker car, registration number AM 3359, when the accident happened on the A36 Warminster road at Bathampton. Mr Elloway suffered fatal injuries.
His passengers were Miss Eva Robinson, aged 23 (the daughter of Mrs Cook of 35 Market Place, Warminster), who lost consciousness, received cuts to the head and face, and suffered internal injuries. Mr Cook, chemist and aerated water manufacturer, was badly bruised; Mrs Ethel Cook received a slight injury to her back; George Alsop, aged 25, of Melrose [High Street, Warminster], employed in the service of Lt. Clawner, R.E., of Sutton Veny, received a cut face; Mr H. Wyman, the manager of Cook’s Codford branch, was shaken; Mr Sherlock, a boarding house proprietor, was unhurt; and Mr Strangley, manager to Mr Bates, canteen contractor of Station Road, Warminster, was bruised.
News of the accident was relayed to Bath Fire Station at 9.45 p.m. by an Army officer on a motorcycle, who led the way back to the scene, about 125 yards beyond the junction where the road forked off to Bathampton village, near St. George’s Hill. Mr Elloway was found lying on the grass by the side of the road, with no apparent fractures. Ten yards further on they found Miss Robinson. She was bleeding profusely from her mouth and internal injuries seemed obvious. A doctor sent them immediately to hospital, where Mr Elloway, whose condition was hopeless, died after 1.30 a.m.
The newspaper report added that three of the passengers had been seated on the back seat of the car, two others on adjustable seats, and another two on the seat with the driver. The car had been left standing on three wheels, one rear wheel was left with the hub only – the wheel and tyre had disappeared. The car, which was an open-top affair, had turned over after the hind part had skidded, the wheel striking a bank, causing the vehicle to move to the centre of the road. All but one of the spokes of the wheel had snapped off.
Following their time at the races the party had been to a theatre, leaving at 9.25 p.m. The accident happened at 9.35 p.m. The car had been proceeding at a moderate pace. Mrs Cook had complained of the speed at which they had driven to Bath and had requested a slower journey home. The occupants were thrown out after the car had swerved to the left, then straight, and then left again. The driver, Mr Elloway, recovered consciousness briefly after the accident. Mrs Cook said to him: “Oh Bob, what have you done?” He replied: “It wasn’t me” before he relapsed.
At the Coroner’s inquest it was recorded that the deceased had driven for the Duke of Somerset and was an experienced driver. He had suffered an extensive rupture of the liver, dying at about 1.45 a.m. due to shock. Henry Wyman stated that they had left for Warminster and had reached a piece of turf bank that projected out a little. The front off-side wheel ran on the bank. The driver put the brake on and pulled the wheel over but the car slid across the road, went over, and everyone was pitched out. It went over on the near-side. When he got up he found the driver hanging over the side of the car, quite unconscious.
The car had been travelling at about 25 mph. The road was dry but it rained after. Mr Wyman could not give any real explanation why the car ran into the high bank on the right hand side of the road. Arthur George Sherlock stated that the off-side front wheel mounted the bank and all he could remember was the car going over. The inquest was adjourned.
Mr Elloway’s funeral was held on Whit Monday afternoon at Christ Church and was attended by employees of the Warminster Motor Company and Mr Claude Willcox, the proprietor.
At the resumed inquest the Coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
The carving of a car on the gravestone. Whoever did the carving, maybe someone at F. Curtis & Son, funeral directors and monumental masons, Warminster; it seems they did a resemblance of a Studebaker car with a hood, from the First World War period, complete with spoked wheels.
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First published in The Warminster, Wylye Valley And District Recorder, No.3, December 2005
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