The Memorial

Photo source- family album circa 1920

THIS

REREDOS IS ERECTED

TO THE GLORY OF GOD

AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE

MEN FROM THIS CHURCH AND PARISH

WHO, AT THE CALL OF KING AND COUNTRY,

LEFT ALL THAT WAS DEAR TO THEM,

ENDURED HARDNESS, FACED DANGER, AND

FINALLY PASSED OUT OF THE SIGHT OF MEN

BY THE PATH OF DUTY AND SELF SACRIFICE,

GIVING UP THEIR OWN LIVES THAT OTHERS

MIGHT LIVE IN FREEDOM.

LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER, SEE TO IT

 THAT THEIR NAMES BE NOT FORGOTTEN.

go here for list of names

This text (from the 6th line onwards) was taken from the scroll which accompanied the memorial plaques given to the families of war casualties, often called the 'death plaque' or the 'death penny' as it looked like a large penny. 

Church meeting minutes 1920 image courtesy of Paul Young (local historian)

Transcript of the entry from the church record book -

A special vestry meeting was held in the church vestry on Thursday evening the 16th October at 8pm.

The vicar the Rev C J Dawson presided supported by the Rev F W Lloyd, the churchwardens Miss P Backhouse & W.C. Downs & members of the congregation.

After the vicar had opened with prayer, the notice convening the meeting was read. The vicar then stated the reason for calling the meeting. Although a congregational meeting had already been held at which it was unanimously decided to place in the church a Reredos or Panel to the memory of our fallen soldiers & Sailors, & by which a sub-committee had been appointed to deal with the matter, the Vestry had to approve, satisfying the legal requirements and then proceed and obtain a faculty. During the discussion which followed Mr Pritchard proposed & Mrs Hargreaves seconded the ?? That the plans submitted by the sub-committee be approved. This was carried unanimously with the following amendment;- that the question of the enlargement of the panel be left to the sub-committee.

The inscription to be placed in the panel is:-

This reredos is erected to the Glory of God & in loving memory of the men from this church and parish who at the call of King & country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty & self sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom. Let those that come after see to it that their names are not forgotten.

The vicar was able to announce that over £90 had already been raised though  no appeal had yet gone forth.

The meeting terminated about 9.40 pm the vicar pronounced the benediction.

Signed Colin Dawson December



INTERESTING NOTE:
Colin Dawson's signature can also be found on many of the pension forms filled in by the families of the men on this reredos. However he has a more personal connection too as he was listed as the next-of-kin for one of the names on the memorial; Allen Dawson was his brother and one of the stories that I have found q ruite a lot of information for.

The memorial was still in the church when it was closed in 1972 and in 1976 when the building was handed over to the Churches Conservation Trust.  I have been informed that:

The 1914-1918 war memorial was cleaned up and refixed to the church wall in Dec 1978. It was stolen from the Church in 1992.

Enquiries are progressing as to whether the CCT have records of the 1978 cleaning as they may contain more photographs or detail about the carvings.

New Timeline:

I have now read the CCT files for St James and I've revised my opinion of when the memorial went missing:

1971: the memorial Roll of Honour Panel is visible in photographs of the church.

This is the last record we have of the memorial in the church. The references to cleaning in 1978 and theft in 1992 are about a different memorial. There are no references to our one at all. I'm wondering now whether it was stolen before the church was vested in the CCT.