Messrs Jones & Willis Ltd

Yay! This week I received permission to apply for a grant from the War Memorials Trust with the good news that the new funding for War Memorials means that they have changed the grant structure, previously it was up to 50% with a max of £3000, now it is up to 75% with a max of £30,000

That's some increase! It means that I can apply for up to £7,500 of the £10,000 needed.

Part of the application form is giving information about the history of the memorial and as I was gathering my information for this I found a note in the vestry minutes book which I had overlooked before...

I didn't know who made the memorial but it is written in the minutes that the vestry "approved the design submitted by Messrs Jones & Willis." now this isn't proof that the memorial was made by Jones & Willis but it's unlikely that they would have approved their designs then gone to another company! I am visiting the archives next week to check for further information.

Jones & Willis Ltd were a Birmingham-based company formed about 1850, they supplied church furniture, fabrics, clerical robes, carved wood and stone items, metalwork and stained glass. They had premises in London and Liverpool (Concert St off Bold St) A 1905 catalogue of their items is available here on the Internet Archive (free out-of-copyright images, opens in new window) It doesn't show anything that matches the memorial but it is 15 years too early, if anyone finds a later catalogue please let me know!