In St Matthew’s Churchyard, Coates, the headstone of the former Warden of Bledisloe Lodge, Derrick Christopherson (1911-59), stands to right of the pathway from the south gate. Noting his early death at age 48, I wondered if he had suffered stress caused by his boisterous ‘Ag’ student residents. So, I began to research the story of this man, who throughout the 1950s was a significant person in our village. August 2019 was the 60^th anniversary of his death. My research uncovered as many questions as answers.

Born to an affluent family, with homes in Belgravia, London, and a farm in Kent, Derrick attended Winchester College. During WWII, Derrick served in North Africa as an RASC officer, but then in Italy served as a guardsman, before promotion to Sergeant-Major. His brother was a much-decorated war hero who became colonel of his regiment. In 1946/7, Derrick studied at the Cirencester RAC before returning, after a time farming in Kent, to become a popular Warden at Coates. He died after a short illness in Cirencester’s Memorial Hospital. A great many College and community members attended his funeral, but no close family, except possibly two cousins.

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