James Sadler Headstone | British Balloon Museum & Library

James Sadler Headstone

Category: hardware

Sub-category:

Catalogue number: H9/0057

Plain headstone with a simple point at the top. Wording and no carved images.

Close up of the top half of the headstone giving name, date of death and age.

Close up of the bottom half of the headstone explaining the replacement on the centenary of James's death.

Details

Description:	James Sadler, the first English Aeronaut, is buried in the grounds of St Edmunds Hall, Oxford. He died 27 March 1828. On the centenary of his death The Royal Aeronautical Society renewed the headstone. The headstone was renewed again in 1984 and the second headstone was donated to the BBM&L. The wording is not very legible, wetting the stone helped, it reads: 'Sacred to the memory of James Sadler. He died March 27th 1828 aged 75 years. This stone was renewed by The Aeronautical Society on the occasion of the centenary of the death of the Above named. James Sadler the first English Aeronaut.'
Image(s) credit:	Tim Turner, John Crawford, July 2025

Description:

James Sadler, the first English Aeronaut, is buried in the grounds of St Edmunds Hall, Oxford. He died 27 March 1828. On the centenary of his death The Royal Aeronautical Society renewed the headstone. The headstone was renewed again in 1984 and the second headstone was donated to the BBM&L. The wording is not very legible, wetting the stone helped, it reads: 'Sacred to the memory of James Sadler. He died March 27th 1828 aged 75 years. This stone was renewed by The Aeronautical Society on the occasion of the centenary of the death of the Above named. James Sadler the first English Aeronaut.'

Image(s) credit:

Tim Turner, John Crawford, July 2025