A remarkable transformation has restored a little known monument to one of Exeter's greats.
The ornate gravestone of Exeter's first Fire Superintendent William Pett has emerged from 80 years of grime, slime and weathering to its original glory, thanks to the Friends of Higher Cemetery.
Friends' secretary Bill Parrot said: "The headstone, in the Higher Cemetery, has a unique design but it had become badly discoloured, to the extent that a representation of his medals (at the base) was almost unrecognizable.
"As there is apparently no longer anyone responsible for its upkeep, the Friends of Higher Cemetery arranged for the memorial to be professionally cleaned.
"The cost of the work was shared between the Friends and Exeter Historic Buildings Trust."
And it is a fitting tribute to Mr Pett, who arrived in Exeter in the grim wake of the Theatre Royal inferno which claimed 186 lives on September 5, 1887.
As David Cornforth, writer and compiler of the influential Exeter Memories website, declared: "This single event was the catalyst that forced the city council to take on the responsibility from the fire-insurance companies for fire fighting in the city. To control the new force, William Pett was appointed as the Superintendent."
In his biography of the great man, Mr Cornforth reports: "He was appointed in January 1888, at a salary of 40s per week and on the 1st March 1888 the Exeter Fire Brigade was formed.
"He immediately set about organising an efficient fire fighting service, introducing the latest equipment and methods, along with a training program for his newly recruited firemen. The service initially employed an engineer and 14 firemen, recruited locally.
"William Pett liked to lead from the front, and would not allow any man to do anything that he was not prepared to do himself."
One of Pett's two sons, William Montague Pett, joined the Exeter Fire Brigade before going to South Africa during the Boer War, as part of the 98th Ambulance Brigade.
His name appears on the Boer War Memorial Tablet in the Guildhall. Later, he was appointed Superintendent of the fire brigade in Singapore.
Pett's youngest son Algernon was the first person to take a fire engine to South Africa. His family now live in the United States.
An innovative man, Pett was responsible for several patents for fire-fighting equipment including an arrangement for directing water at the top of a fire escape, improvements to sprinkler systems and a way of dealing with fire in a ship's cargo. He also devised a system of coded whistles instead of shouting directions to his men. In January 1914, Pett introduced Exeter's first motor fire engine, the Merryweather Ltd FJ450 Exonia, that also towed the old steam driven Devonia pump.
Pett lived on the premises at the Fire House, New North Road, and was often the first to pick up the phone when a call was made for assistance from the Fire Brigade. When a fire was discovered at 5.10am at the Victoria Hall in 1919, it was William Pett who took the call. When off duty he liked to go out shooting ducks in the countryside, and he was a keen cricketer for the Exeter Cricket Club, as fitted his competitive nature.
During a representative match against a visiting MCC team which included the great WG Grace, Pett made a score of 70 runs, while WG made nought. Pett's wife Emily was active in the Red Cross, and between 1910 and 1919 was the Quarter Master for the organisation, before promotion to Commandant of Devon's 52nd Exeter Division.
He retired in May 1927 and died on July 15, 1934.
Added Mr Cornforth: "After an active and popular time as Superintendent of the Exeter Fire Brigade, William Pett retired in May 1927 from the service that he had created. "He died on the 15th July 1934 and was buried at Higher Cemetery, where there was placed a headstone that befits his lifelong passion - a carefully carved, stone fire fighters' helmet."
Now 80 years on , and thanks to the hard work of a small band of dedicated volunteers, that gravestone stands a fitting tribute to a fine man.
