Testimony
21:28
Elisabeth Owen - Epitaph to her Son - Harcourt Owen 1899 - 1918
For Remembrance Sunday - A poem by a mother, Elizabeth Owen whose son died during the 1914-18 war.
My heart is filled with longing
For my beloved boy.
My Benjamin of the family
He was my help and joy.
So full of life and fun
Just nineteen years scarce saw he
Before his task was done.
Who nobly laid his young life down
Willing to do his share.
He counted not the awful cost
His country for to spare.
And now he is with Jesus
His life’s sand quickly run
Just help me from my heart to say
Dear Lord thy will be done.
Mother
Life’s course nobly run
Last task nobly done.
_________________________
The above poem was found written inside a presentation book - A Dictionary Of Eminent Welshmen 1700-1900, presented to Harcourt Owen in 1911 at Glandwr CE School, Llanidloes, Wales. Sadly, Harcourt was later to die in what became known as the Great War, 20 June 1918, France, he was just 19 years of age. It is an extremely poignant poem. Most war poetry was made by soldiers, so this is very rare to find something from the perspective of a mother. So for this years Remembrance Sunday, I decided to make a picture about this as it sums up so much. It made me think about Harcourts, mother, Elisabeth.....and maybe she was even there that day the book was presented, so I sketched the presentaton and placed her sitting there in the foreground, clapping. Books have special meaning so for this to be written inside on the flyleaf, it must have been very special indeed....with so many memories, a tribute and prayer and also some kind of closure. There is very little information and no photos of Harcourt, although Harcourt does have a service record, his regiment was the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. There are no known living relatives, but maybe the poem and picture will find a connection and jog someones memory.
The very beautiful and poignant epitaph, was indeed surprising to find........may well have been unseen for years. A mother's grief buried in her son`s school presentation book... I wonder if the family knew of this? ....when older people pass away, their books can hold so much - as in this case. Elisabeth Owen must have kept that book by her when she had the difficult task of going through her deceased sons belongings. - the book must have meant so much, and most likely she sat during the book presentation at school, and of course we can only imagine all the memories that accompany this.
Thomas Harcourt Owens parents - David and Elisabeth Owen
