Location
From the St. Marys Road entrance the memorial is in the right hand side of the cemetery about 300m from the gate and about 100m from the road in the Hewitt's Plot.
 

Memorial
Memorial - George Bayne
 
Mile End Cemetery
Memorial - George Bayne
 
Inscription
THIS MEMORIAL
IS ERECTED
BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION
IN MEMORY OF
GEORGE BAYNE
BY WHOSE EXERTIONS
FOR MORE THAN A
QUARTER OF A CENTURY
A SOUND RELIGIOUS
AND SECULAR EDUCATION
WAS IMPARTED TO
THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN
OF THE POORER CLASSES
OF THIS BOROUGH.
HE WAS BORN 19TH. JULY, 1819,
DIED 19TH. JANUARY 1876
AND IS INTERRED
IN THIS CEMETERY.
WILLIAM PINK ESQ. MAYOR.


 
Further Information
 
From the Hampshire Telegraph, 22 January, 1876
"George Bayne was beloved by hundreds of children, he having devoted much time and money during the past 20 years to their education, both secular and religious; while the young persons of both sexes, who have received religious training at the Clarendon Place Sunday Schools, have been legion. Mr. Baynes may be said to have been a second John Pounds. In order to convey some idea of the extent of the work being carried on, we may state that at the time of his death no less than 500 poor children were under instruction."
 
From the Portsmouth Times
"Hundreds of sailor lads who are today ploughing the main, owe their start in life to Mr. Bayne. Many a promising soldier, industrial mechanic and studious clerk will cherish his memory as one who saved them from the perils of the streets and afforded them the means to gain vantage ground on the battlefield of life."
 
George Bayne was originally buried in Mile End Cemetery and this memorial was placed outside, facing Commercial Road (see photo). The Cemetery was later converted to a public garden and then a car park for the Continental Ferryport. It is not known exactly when the memorial was moved to Kingston Cemetery, nor whether Bayne's body was transferred or not.
 
From Patricia Lovell...
...who says that the Bayne memorial had been moved to Kingston Cemetery before 1981 when she had become interested in Bayne's life. She goes on to say that George was widowed early, some 27 years before his own death. The Mile End Cemetery Records show that Maria Bayne, aged 24 of Amelia Row, Landport, died August 30th 1848 and was buried on the 5th September 1848. George Bayne, aged 50 of Chandos Street, died 19 Jan 1876 buried 26 Jan 1876, his body being placed with that of his wife in the cemetery outside of which the memorial to him was erected by public subscription.

top