NEWSLETTER ISSUE 8
November 2010
Update:
It has been longer than usual since the last newsletter, as we
have been working hard to get as much information as possible prepared for
uploading to the Web. We are happy to say that in December we will be hosting
an event at County Hall to show our progress with this, and more (see below).
We now have so much information that the usual ‘gaps’ list has become relatively
redundant. We now move on to photographs. From the start of the project, we
hoped to get up-to-date images of as many of the memorials as possible.
Attached to this issue is a list of some of the memorials that we do not have any
photographs of, or any up-to-date ones. In some cases, this may mean we do not
have a record of the inscriptions or names either, so your help in finding legible
photographs will be greatly appreciated.
We have now ordered some oral history recording equipment and will
endeavour to start recording soon. I have attached an invitation form for anyone
who can speak on aspects of local war memorials, casualties, or veteran
experiences. If you have already offered to speak, please fill in the form and send
it back to us and we will start to arrange interviews.
Events!
Our next event will be taking place at County Hall on Tuesday 14th December
in the evening. More details will be made available soon, but we are happy to say
that the event will again be opened by Leader of the County Council, Mr
Parsons, and will feature a fascinating talk by Craig Chalmers of the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission, whom it is a privilege to include in
our evening. Further details and a booking form will be circulated soon. Make
sure this date is in your diary!
As Remembrance Day approaches, keep your eyes out for local history talks
being given around the county on local casualties or memorials, or articles
popping up with interesting memorial information. We would also welcome
photographs taken at remembrance services around the county, so we can start
to build up a picture of our county’s modern day remembrance.
If you are knowledgeable on the war memorials of your village, you might be
interested in leading a war memorial walk. We will be running some training
sessions in January in partnership with Natural England and if you are interested,
keep an eye on the Heritage Wardens pages on the website
www.leics.gov.uk/heritage_wardens to find out when these will be. Perhaps you
could lead people from the village green to the church, to the memorial hall,
taking in some of the houses where the fallen used to live or work...
Conservation news:
Conservation projects which were advised on and supported by Leicestershire
County Council have now been completed at Coleorton (securing blocks and
making inscriptions legible again), Swinford (securing structure, gilding and
addition of WW2 names), Houghton on the Hill (making inscription legible), and
Melton Mowbray Egerton Lodge terrace (addition of two Afghanistan casualties,
and an updated conflict plaque). We are currently advising on several other
memorials and will keep you updated.
Inscriptions at Coleorton:
Before
After
Swinford:
Before: difficult to see names
After: structure reset, inscription gilded
After: WW2 names added to the side of
the memorial. This helps to correct a small plaque in the church which mistook
the fallen L Cpl E Crisp for Pte E Crisp who also served, but survived.
Inscriptions at Houghton on the Hill:
Before
After
Memorials at Risk:
We were very saddened to learn of the theft of the metal wreath from the
Whetstone High Street memorial cross, which is Grade II listed. The crime
reference number published on the internet is SB/05172/10-4 if anyone knows
anything about what happened, the contact is PC Billkhu on 0116 222 2222
(identification number 2875). The following photos were taken by Aubrey Finney
some years ago when the wreath was still in place, who we thank for sending in
the pictures:
St Saviour’s Church, Leicester: There are several war memorials listed on the
UK National Inventory for this church. The only one we have an up-to-date
account of is the stained glass window dedicated to Harvey Priestman Flint
(WW1), which, as you can see from the photographs shown (kindly shared by a
member of the family), has been irreparably damaged during a recent break-in. If
anyone can tell us about the situation on the others, please get in touch. As the
church is within the City, we can only record information and hope that the
owners will do what they can to ensure the safety of the other memorials.
Damage to the stained glass window in St Saviour’s church, dedicated to Post
Office worker and WW1 casualty, 2nd Lt Harvey Priestman Flint MC,
Leicestershire Regt. Died 27th May 1918. Kind thanks to the family for sharing
these images.
Websites:
The War Memorials website is currently being updated. Whilst the database
pages are a little way off completion, we are making small changes to the usual
homepage, and have added a ‘News and Newsletters’ page. We are
constructing some conservation information pages which will follow.
An inspiring new project has gone online, Remembering Scotland at War,
which is well worth a browse at www.rememberingscotlandatwar.org.uk It is an
‘online museum’ collecting memories and ephemera relating to WW2 and
subsequent conflicts, and each ‘exhibition’ includes information, documents and
images, and oral history clips.
News:
As a follow-up to the last newsletter’s article by Mel Gould on the Berles au Bois
service, please see the news reports (including video clips) at
news.bbc.co.uk/local/leicester/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9039000/90
39561.stm The event was also covered by the Leicester Mercury, which you may
already have seen. This is online at www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Villagesalute-war-hero/article-2687743-detail/article.html
Memorial highlight:
Carlton church WW1 stained glass window.
The window from inside and out (Copyright Louise Smedley-Hampson at
CameraChic)
This stunning Art & Crafts window in Carlton church was created by Theodora
Salusbury, and has recently been professionally conserved. Louise SmedleyHampson, who has taken all of the following photographs (Copyright Louise
Smedley-Hampson at CameraChic) was also kind enough to send the following
information on the window:
“Theodora Salusbury (1875-1956) was a Leicestershire born stained glass artist
who produced a limited number of windows in a variety of counties of England.
The majority are in Leicestershire, and one is in Wales.
There is a dedication which reads "The men of Carlton who gave their lives in the
Great War 1914-1918". The names on the brass plaque beneath the window
are:- John Howard Allcott; Joseph Collinton Farren; Eric Barnard Compton
Dougherty; Frederick William Goddard.
St Andrew's Church, Carlton, vestry meeting minutes of 29 August 1920, note
that "[It was] Resolved unanimously that Relatives and Friends be allowed to put
stained glass in the middle north window of the Parish Church plus a brass plate
naming 4 men."
On 31 October 1920, the window was unveiled by Lady Wheeler of Woodhouse
Eaves. £81 was given in donation by Sir Arthur Wheeler, Baronet.
The window was conserved in 2009, by Derek Hunt, Associate of the British
Society of Master Glass Painters; accredited by the Institute for Conservation
(ICON).”
Theodora Salusbury’s signature peacock
(Copyright Louise Smedley-Hampson at CameraChic)
Gabriel in close-up (Copyright Louise Smedley-Hampson at CameraChic)
Michael in close-up
All images Copyright Louise Smedley-Hampson at CameraChic
Can you help…?
There have been a number of enquiries which I would like to pass on to you. If
you can help, please get in touch.
World War One Tanks: Does anybody know which towns or villages were
offered, or accepted WW1 tanks after the war as thanks for raising money? We
know that Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley and Melton were offered to, and we
know that Hinckley and Loughborough accepted, but we are not sure of anything
else. If anyone has information, or references to documentary or other evidence,
please get in touch. A volunteer connected with Melton Carnegie Museum is
researching the subject.
Does anyone know anything about Cedric William Johnson, a WW1 casualty
named on a war memorial plaque in St George’s Church, Swannington? We are
looking for any details on him, or his local connections.
Does anyone know about – Harold Carey and Thomas Price, who are
commemorated in Higham on the Hill? Local researcher Celia is looking to find
out what their local connections were. A Leicestershire Villages web page on the
memorials in Higham is in development at
www.leicestershirevillages.com/highamonthehill/war-memorial.html , and more
information is welcome.
If anybody knows anything about two brothers from Welford Road, Leicester:
Percy Clifford Wright (4 Worcestershire Regt) and Frank Wright (2 Coldstream
Guards), both killed in WW1, please get in touch. We have had an enquiry about
where they are commemorated. Percy Clifford appears to be commemorated in
All Saints church, and his gravestone is also in Leicester. We are not aware of
Frank’s being commemorated anywhere in the county. If you happen to have
seen his name, please let us know and I will pass on the information.
As ever, if you have anything you would like to be included in coming
newsletters, or know of anyone who would like to receive these newsletters,
please provide an email address (or alternative contact) to the project at
warmemorials@leics.gov.uk or call 0116 267 0004.
Many thanks once again for your support and all your efforts, we hope to see you
in December,
Liz Blood
Heritage Support and War Memorials Officer
‘Holly Hayes’, 216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicestershire, LE4 4DG