A grave designed by Archibald Knox in Douglas Borough Cemetery has been restored to its former glory.

Charles ’Charlie’ Michael Parkinson died on January 14, 1919 during the ’Spanish flu’ pandemic.

Mr Parkinson’s death, like many that winter, was very sudden.

A report entitled ’Mortality Record’ in the Isle of Man Times for Saturday, January 25, 1919 put the figures of those dying at the time into sharp focus, saying: ’The mortality returns for last week were heavy, reaching at one period seven deaths in thirty-six hours.’

Mr Parkinson was one-time Sergeant Major of the Volunteers, having been one of the original members of the Corps.

Before that, he had been in charge of one section called the Sandsiders and later he became Cadet Captain.

On the day of Mr Parkinson’s funeral the weather was bad but there was a very good attendance, and the Sandsiders provided a firing party at his graveside when he was buried.

The headstone placed on his grave had beautifully gold highlighted Knox motifs, including an elongated Celtic wheel cross, which has inevitably seen wear over the past 102 years.

More recently however, an adjacent grave stone had fallen over and badly damaged the front surround of the grave plot.

As a result, over the past year, the Archibald Knox Forum (AKF) and Mr Parkinson’s grand-daughter Helen Taylorson have endeavoured to have the grave repaired.

The works to do so were carried out by T.E. Cubbon Monumental Masons.

As a result, the headstone has been cleaned and regilded, and two more family names added to the new kerbing, using the same Knox style lettering.

Mrs Taylorson thanked the AKF and said: ’My father, my aunt and two uncles were all from the island so I feel I have a great respect for the Isle of Man.

’I’m also most grateful to the friendship that’s been afforded to me.

’I literally just arrived on the island and everybody’s been so friendly and supportive and it’s just lovely to be able to look back and just feel a little bit emotional about it all.’

She added that a visit to the Manx Museum to research her family was on the cards in the coming days, saying: ’I sadly never knew my grandparents, but I feel I know a little bit more about them now and I’d love to find out more hopefully through the help of the museum.’