Gwillim Memorial Restoration

The Gwillim Memorial Management Committee is a sub-group of the Whitchurch Parochial Church Council, which carried out the programme of activities surrounding the Memorial, ensuring its long-term conservation.

The Gwillims were an important family in the local area for over 200 years. They owned the Old Court at Whitchurch between 1600 and 1868, and were benefactors of St. Dubricius Church. Thomas Gwillim built the family grave enclosure in 1744.

The family has links with the Simcoe family in Devon and Canada. The only grandchild, Elizabeth Posthuma, of Thomas Gwillim married into the Simcoe family in 1781. John G. Simcoe and Elizabeth travelled to Canada, where he was made the first Governor of Upper Canada, the Founder of Toronto. Because of these links, the Gwillim Memorial is of historical interest to people from all over the world. Additionally, 2006 is the 200th anniversary of the death of General Simcoe, enabling the potential for tourism activity to rise following the repair works.

The restoration work included the purchasing of new coping stones, renovating wrought ironwork, a new gate, repointing of the back wall and making the paving inside the Memorial safe.

This restoration resulted in a variety of benefits, such as a safe and accessible Memorial for the public to view, and an enhanced image of its surrounding area for the benefit of local residents, church attendees and visitors. These were the obvious gains.

Working in co-ordination with the physical renovation of the site, the additional benefits included:

• A web site to link in with other sites relating to the Gwillim’s, both in Canada and Devon
• Awareness raising through educational and drama sessions in local schools, publications and public meetings
• A fixed plaque giving information about the Memorial
• A brown tourist sign on the lane leading to the church

Throughout the course of this project, information covering all aspects was made available through public history meetings, a book, and displays at the local fete, in the church and in local businesses.

Jo Dawson
Project Leader
Tel: (01600) 890243

Ann Parker
Co-ordinator/Researcher
Tel: (01989) 563995