Great Yarmouth Cemetery

Norfolk

Charles Lucroft Chipperfield (1827-1904)

Charles was born the son of a tailor with the same name in Great Yarmouth, and worked as a clerk and maltster. By 1859, it was feared that war might break out again with France and that an invasion of England would be launched. To that end, Charles joined the Norfolk Rifle Volunteers when they formed in 1859, paying for his own uniform, rifle and other equipment. He was promoted swiftly from Private to Corporal and then to Lance-Sergeant. By 1862, he was involved in the creation of the 4th Company and went on to serve as its Colour Sergeant for 14 years, later serving as Paymaster-Sergeant and Quarter-Master-Sergeant. Also, in 1862, he went to train at the School of Musketry, paying his own expenses. Not only did he become a first-class marksman but also became qualified to teach musketry. Using his skills as a Clerk, Charles also audited the battalion’s accounts and, from 1876, took over its account keeping, which he did without pay for the next sixteen years. He died in 1904, nine years after his wife Mary Ann, who he had married in 1850. Although permission for full military honours at his funeral was refused by the War Office, his coffin was covered by the Union Flag, with his helmet and sword placed on top, and his pallbearers were uniformed non-commissioned officers. Although he had no surviving family, his funeral was well attended by his fellows from the Volunteer Rifles and also the Freemasons, of which he had been a member for many years.

Restored by Steve Davies, with research by Hilary Challis

Arthur Alexander Lee (1845-1900)

Arthur was born in Chelsea on 3rd September as the third son of Naval Commander William Valentine Lee and Harriet Lee. His two eldest brothers also joined the Navy and Arthur carried on the family tradition by joining at the age of 13 in 1858, but did not apparently officially enlist until 12th March 1860. He spent much of the next few years in Portsmouth or in the English Channel, serving aboard HMS Britannia, HMS Edgar and HMS Victory. When he became 17, Arthur was posted as an acting sub-lieutenant aboard HMS Barrosa, on which he was stationed for the next five years, becoming a full sub-lieutenant in September 1865. After a short period aboard HMS Excellent at Portsmouth and some leave, he served aboard HMS Viper between June 1867 and April 1868, being promoted to Lieutenant in his final week aboard ship. After three months serving aboard HMS Duncan on the Scottish Coast near Queensferry, Leith, Arthur transferred to the West African Command, where he served on various harbour vessels at Fernando Po. He was assigned eventually to HMS Myrmidon on 22nd July 1869, but in that December he was court-martialled on the grounds that he took another sailor’s hammock and refused to keep watch when ordered. He was dismissed from the service, on the grounds that he was insane due to his eccentric conduct. It is more likely that he was suffering from severe depression, which was not understood at the time. He was returned to England, where he was sent to Haslar Hospital and then later to the Royal Naval Hospital at Great Yarmouth, where he was formally diagnosed as insane, thus cancelling his court martial, and he was placed on the retired list. He spent the rest of his life in hospital due to his insanity, eventually dying of Bright’s Disease, now known as nephritis.

Restored by Steve Davies, with research by Hilary Challis