Memorials to be rededicated

The service on Tuesday morning at 11am, will be held to awknowledge the completion of a major project to restore Crommelin, Dubordieu and Coulson memorials at a cost of £82,500 and organised by the Lisburn Memorial Trust (of the Lisburn Historical Society).

It is expected that the author of ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ Louis de Berniere will be in attendance.

The Lisburn Memorial Trust set out two years ago and obtained funding from Esme Mitchell Foundation, Lisburn City Council, the Huguenot Society, Lisburn Historical Society and donors to carry out a survey of the memorials.

They then successfully applied for £82,500 of lottery funding, which was then used to restore the memorials at the Cathedral of the Crommelin, Dubourdieu and Coulson families, all who made a major contribution to the development of the linen industry.

To acknowledge the Huguenot origins of the Crommelin and Dubourdieu families, part of the service will be in French. The service will be attended by descendants from Holland France, England and the USA followed by a reception (invitation only) at the Lisburn Museum.

Waring de Berniers from Carolina, who generously commissioned a medallion in bronze of the head of the Louis Crommelin to be placed on the memorial, will give a brief history of the various branches of the family.

Descendants of Saumarez Dubourdier will have a talk about their family.

Children from two local schools will also attend and their art work associated with the project will be on display.

A member of the Lisburn Memorials Trust Finny O’Sullivan, said they were very grateful of the support of the staff at the Lisburn Museum and Lisburn Cathedral.