- Memorial, in York Minster, to Frederick Vyner who died 21-April-1870 in Greece. He was captured and killed by Brigands who took him for ransom. His final written words said "we must trust to God that we may die bravely as Englishmen should do".
He was captured by bandits whilst travelling in Greece in 1870. The lawlessness in Greece
culminated in the murder of a party of British and Italian tourists, which comprised British diplomat E. H. C. Herbert
(the first cousin of Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon), Frederick Vyner (the brother-in-law of George Robinson, 1st
Marquess of Ripon, Lord President of the Council), Italian diplomat Count de Boyl, and Lloyd (an engineer). A
significant ransom was demanded, and in part collected, before a botched rescue attempt led to his death and the deaths
of his two companions.
Vyner's mother determined that the ransom would be used to fund the building of a memorial
church on her Yorkshire estate, his sister, Lady Ripon, embarking on an identical project, building St Mary's Church on
her estate at Studley Royal. Burges obtained the commissions for both churches in 1870, perhaps because of the
connection between his greatest patron, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute and Vyner, who had been friends at
Oxford. The construction of the Church of Christ the Consoler (Skelton-on-Ure, in Yorkshire, England) began in 1871 and
the church was complete by 1876. The interior style is rich , with members of Burges' favoured team e.g. Nicholls and
Lonsdale, contributing. It is particularly interesting as representing an architectural move from Burges' favoured Early
French style to an English inspiration.
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