Monument 10 Yards To East Of Church Of St John To Victims Of Mill Fire At Colne Bridge

This is a memorial column located 10 yards east of the Church of St. John, commemorating the victims of a mill fire at Colne Bridge. It was dated 1821 and restored in 1969. The column is made of ashlar and is very short, featuring a dentilled capital topped with a crest of foliage, standing on a square ashlar plinth with a frieze.

One side of the column is inscribed in capital letters: "To commemorate the dreadful fate of seventeen children who fell unhappy victims to a raging fire at Mr. Atkinson's factory, Colne Bridge. Feb. 14th 1818. This monument was erected by voluntary contribution MDCCCXXI." Another side lists the names and ages of the victims, all girls aged between 9 and 18 years. A third side bears the inscription: "Near this place lie what remained of the bodies of seventeen children, a striking and awful instance of the uncertainty of life and the vanity of human attainments." The fourth side features a poem.