Location
On the staircase leading to the gallery from the north side of the Baptistry (see Cathedral Plan).
Description
The marble plaque is worn and difficult to read. The text is in Latin.
LAKE TASWELL. ARM
ARTIS MEDENDI PER PLURES ANNOS IN HOC OPPIDO
CULTORIS EGREGIO
QUI OBIIT 18 DIE FEB ANNO DOM. 1830 AET SUAE 84
VIR SI QUIS ALIUS. MORUM GRAVITATE ERUDITIONIS SOLIDAE COPIA VITAE INTEGRITATE PRAECLARUS. IN QUO ANIMI VIRES NATURALES CUM LITERATUM HUMANIORUM CULTU ACCORDIS DOTIBUS EXIMIIS MIRABILEM IN MODUM CERTABANT. QUI NON SOLUM AD QUOD JUSTUM ET BONUM ERAT FACILE EXCOLUIT ET DOCUIT. SED IN SEIPSO EXHIBUIT ET SIC VIXITUT RELIGIONIS SECTATOREM ASSIDUUM CIVEM INTEGERRIMUM. MARITUM AC PATREM AMANTISSIMUM OMNIBUS IN EXEMPLUM SE PRAEBUIT. CUJUS NE TANTAE VIRTUTES QUAS IPSE PRO SUA MODESTIA SINGULARI SAEPIUS DENEGARE VOLUIT. OBLIVIONI TRADERENTUR HOC QUALECUNQUE MONUMENTUM
FILIAE PIETAS POSUIT
HIC ETIAM
JUXTA AVI CINERES
EXUVIAS DEPOSUIT MORTALES
EXOPTATISSIMUS PRONEPOS
LAKE ALLEN. ARM
INTERIORIS TEMPLI LONDINI SOCIUS
QUI INGENIO ULTRA COMMUNEM MORTALIUN
SORTEM DOTATUS
PRIMA ADOLESCENTIA QUICQUID EST ARTIUM LIBERALIUM DIDICIT COLERE ET AVI VIRTUTES AEMULATUS SUA INDOLE
ET INDUSTRIA EGREGIE HONESTAVIT MOX PROVECTIORI AETATE. REI ANTIQUARIAE STUDIOSISSIMUS JUXTA AC PERITISSIMUS. ORBI LITTERATO SCRIPTIS SUIS SE HAUD INFELICITER COMMENDAVIT. OPTIMAMQUE SPEM AD MAJORA ASSURGENDI SI VIXISSET. DEDIT
DIGNUS SANE QUI SENEX FIERET JUVENIS UTPOTE QUI SENEM IN JUVENE MONSTRABAT SED CORPORIS VIRIBUS MENTIS HAUD ADAEQUATIS ET PAULATIM IN DIES DECRESCENTIBUS. IMMATURO (PROH DOLOR) CORREPTUS EST FATO. ET AETATEN VIRTUTE SUPERGRESSUS OMNIBUS FLEBILIS BONIS INVIDAE MORTI CESSIT.
DIE 16 APRILIS. ANNO DOM 1824
AET. SUAE 24
PATRIS ET NEPOTIS CARISSIMORUM MEMORIAE
SUAM UT TESTETUR REVERENTIAM AMOREM MOESTITIUM
FILIA AEQUE AC MATEERTERA
HANC TABULAM MARMOREAM
NON SINE LACHRYMIS PONI CURAVIT
Translation
LAKE TASWELL ESQ.
FOR MANY YEARS AN OUTSTANDING PRACTITIONER OF THE HEALING ART IN THIS TOWN
WHO PASSED AWAY ON THE 18TH DAY OF FEBRUARY IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1830
A MAN, IF EVER THERE WAS ONE, DISTINGUISHED FOR SERIOUSNESS OF MORALS, PLENTIFULNESS OF SOLID LEARNING AND INTEGRITY OF LIFE, IN WHOM A NATURAL STRENGTH OF CHARACTER VIED, TO A REMARKABLE EXTENT, WITH THE CULTIVATION OF THE HUMANITIES AND PROFOUND GIFTS OF THE HEART. WHO NOT ONLY CULTIVATED AND TAUGHT WHAT WAS RIGHTEOUS AND GOOD, BUT EXHIBITED THE SAME IN HIS OWN PERSON, AND SO LIVED THAT HE PRESENTED HIMSELF AS AN EXAMPLE TO ALL. AN ASSIDUOUS FOLLOWER OF RELIGION, A CITIZEN OF UTMOST INTEGRITY AND A MOST LOVING HUSBAND AND FATHER WHOSE GREAT VIRTUES WHICH HE HIMSELF OFTEN WISHED, THROUGH HIS UNIQUE MODESTY, TO DENY - LEST THEY BE FORGOTTEN, HIS DAUGHTER'S PIETY SET UP THIS MODEST MONUMENT.
HERE ALSO
NEXT TO HIS GRANDFATHER'S ASHES
THE MOST BELOVED GRANDSON
LAKE ALLEN ESQ.
FELLOW OF THE INNER TEMPLE OF LONDON
LAID DOWN HIS OWN MORTAL REMAINS
WHO, ENDOWED WITH TALENT BEYOND THE COMMON LOT OF MORTALS, LEARNT IN HIS FIRST YOUTH TO CULTIVATE ALL THE LIBERAL ARTS, AND, EMULATING HIS GRANDFATHER'S VIRTUES, DID THEM OUTSTANDING HONOUR BY HIS OWN CHARACTER AND INDUSTRY. SOON WITH ADVANCING YEARS, BEING EQUALLY DEDICATED TO AND SKILLED IN ANTIQUARIAN STUDIES, HE COMMENDED HIMSELF TO THE WORLD OF LETTERS, NOY UNSUCCESSFULLY, BY HIS OWN WRITINGS, AND HE GAVE A MOST EXCELLENT HOPE OF RISING TO GREATER HEIGHTS, IF HE HAD LIVED. A YOUNG MAN CERTAINLY DESERVING OF GROWING OLD, AS IT WERE, IN HIS YOUNG SELF HE REVEALED THE OLD MAN HE MIGHT HAVE BECOME. BUT THE STRENGTH OF HIS BODY FAILING TO MATCH THAT OF HIS MIND, AND GRADUALLY DECLINING DAY BY DAY, HE WAS SNATCHED AWAY BY A PREMATURE DOOM, AND HAVING SURPASSED HIS AGE IN VIRTUE, AND LAMENTED BY ALL GOOD PEOPLE, HE YIELDED TO ENVIOUS DEATH ON THE 16TH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1824, AT THE AGE OF 24.
TO THE MEMORY OF A MOST BELOVED FATHER AND NEPHEW, TO BEAR WITNESS TO HER RESPECT, LOVE AND GRIEF, THE DAUGHTER AND AUNT CAUSED THIS MARBLE TABLET TO BE SET UP, NOT WITHOUT TEARS.
Thanks to Chris Gibson for the translation
Further Information
Lake Taswell was a Surgeon and apothecary and also was part proprietor at one time of the Portsmouth Theatre. He acquired land at Southsea afterwards known as Allens Fields. The 'Taswell Arms Tavern' is on part of the Estate. The old 'South Hants. Cricket Ground' was also part of the Estate. He wrote anonymously The Portsmouth Guide; or a description of the ancient and present place of the place; its buildings, charitable foundations, fairs, markets, play-house and assembly-room; with the times of coming in and
going out of machines, waggons, posts, &c. To which is added, some account of the Isle of Wight, a description of Spithead, the Harbour, the Dock-Yard, Gun-Wharf, Common, Gosport, Haslar Hospital, several of the adjacent towns, gentlemen's seats, &c. &c
Interspersed with many particulars, useful, curious and entertaining. Portsmouth: Printed and sold by R. Carr, corner of the Grand Parade. 1775. [Price One Shilling.]
Lake Allen (1799-1824) was the author of The History of Portsmouth; containing a full and enlarged account of its ancient and present state.... (1817). He was the grandson of Dr. Lake Taswell, who compiled the first Portsmouth guide, published in 1775. In 1817 he was befriended by Frederic Madden. Their early lives and their friendship are the subject of the article by John Webb, "Young Antiquaries: Lake Allen and Frederic Madden", in Hampshire Studies. "Lake" was the name of a family which had married into the Taswell family.
[Adapted from items in The Portsmouth Encyclopedia]