Rotary Northampton restores founder's grave site 100 years after his death in centenary celebrations

The Northampton Rotary Club has completed another milestone in its centenary celebrations by renovating the grave of their late founder A E Marlow.

The event coincides, somewhat tragically, with the 100-year anniversary of the founder's death, as he passed away just one year after founding the club in 1921.

After multiple attempts, amidst disruptions from Covid-19 and difficulties with funding, the venture was finally achieved once the centenary made remembering their history of central importance.

Clive Fowler, a member of Rotary Northampton who helped restore the grave, said: "Research into the history of our club, undertaken by our past member Roger Morris in 2013, identified the location of A E Marlow’s forgotten grave at Dallington Cemetery, Duston, Northampton.

"He died in London on the 11th July 1922, aged just 51 years. He had been at the club’s lunch the day before. Presumably having just completed his term as our first Rotary President.

"When I first inspected the grave in June 2013 with past President Roger Morris, it was in a sorry, neglected state.

"A tree had been allowed to grow within the grave causing the granite kerbs to be undermined and dislodged and it was overgrown with weeds.

"The work to take it apart, remove the tree roots and rebuild on a new or partially repaired concrete base required employing a monumental mason who had the skills to lift and move the extremely heavy granite components.

"At that time there was no budget to expedite the works required, our finances being directed to other causes, so the project was put on hold."

Alderman Albert Earnest Marlow JP was Northampton’s youngest mayor in 1904 at the age of 33 and one of the founding members of the Rotary Club of Northampton in the summer of 1921 and it’s first President.

His grave memorial headstone commemorate his wife, Katie, who died in 1964 at Mortlake, Surrey, two children, Kenneth and Albert who died within one year of birth, and a daughter Phyllis who died at the age of 37 in 1936. It is believed he had seven children in total.

A later horizontal stone memorial had been added commemorating the founder’s eldest son, Lt. Stanley Marlow who died at the age of 21 years in 1917, 'leading his men into action at Gaza, Palestine' and is buried in the English Cemetery there.

Assisted by a 'monumental' mason, Mr Les Finn of Towcester, Rotary not only rebuilt the grave, but also added a polished granite plaque explaining A E Marlow’s connection to the Rotary Club of Northampton and acknowledging the Centenary renovation works.

Mr Fowler said: "Following obtaining the necessary permissions from the local authorities we then had to establish whether there was any remaining family relatives to advise and obtain their agreements.

"Research into the Marlow family tree by our dearly missed Stephen Tomlinson and his subsequent contact with the Canadian branch of the family was of tremendous assistance in this endeavour.

"Eventually the go ahead could be given. Progress was intermittent and hampered by Covid related and other distractions, but the finished renovated grave was worth the wait and the mason's costs were very reasonable."

Marlow's grave can be visited at Dallington Cemetery in Harlestone Road.