General John Cadwallader was a hero of the American revolution. Having waged war against Britain it seems odd that his daughter Frances should marry into the English nobility becoming Barroness Erskine. Or maybe not.

After their wedding in 1799 They travelled to England from her native Philidelphia to take up the family seat at Restormel Castle in Cornwall. Before she left, her father commissioned this portrait of her by artist Henry Wolf. Frances never did return to Philadelphia and died in 1843. Just four months after her death, the Baron married again – this time to her cousin Ann Travis Bond, who became the second Barroness Erskine. This appears an unseemly and swift period of mourning. Or maybe not. By 1853, the Baron was engaged on his third betrothal, following the death of his second wife at Brighton.

The Erskine tomb is one of the handsomest remaining. Although the lettering has become worn, much of the intricate ornamental stonework remains. The second Baroness was not the first occupant and was preceded by Rachel Bond, aunt to Baroneses one and two. Her initials are shown prominently in the stonework. We have not yet uncovered anything more about the Erskine~Bonds or their time at Brighton. The Erskine monument sits within the Rest Garden at St Nicholas opposite to the vaults.