The placing of names on memorials was not obligatory. The authorities left it to local communities to organise their own memorials, to raise funds for their erection and for their upkeep in the future.

Usually local War Memorial Committees were set up and they organised the fund raising and collection of names. Local newspapers, parish magazines, school journals and similar publications carried advertisements listing names collected so far and asking for any others. The War Memorial Committees tried very hard to ensure that as many names were included as possible.

As well as on outdoor monuments, names can be found on memorials at their residence, their schools, their churches and chapels, their places of work and where they played – cricket, rugby, football, Working Men’s clubs, and so forth. What is important to remember is that usually there was an interval of a few years between the end of the war and the creation of a memorial, and many things could have happened in that period of time.

• A family might not want to have the name added, because they simply wanted to put the past behind them and get on with their lives.
• A mother might say that her son needed no memorial as his name was engraved on her heart.
• The dead man might have left a widow and children, and these might have had to move away in order to survive. She might, for example, have been forced to leave a tied house.
• The dead man’s widow might have married again and wanted to put the past behind her.
• The casualty may have been an orphan or, if an only child, his/her parents might have died in the interval, leaving no family to propose his/her name for inclusion on the list.
• The casualty may have been of a differing religious denomination, and was therefore excluded if, for example, Non-Conformists and Roman Catholics were not to be listed on a "Parish" Memorial which would be located in the parish church. These churches might well have provided a memorial for their own members.
• Some families refused to accept that their loved one was dead and went to their own graves still hoping for a safe return. To add his name to the memorial meant accepting the unthinkable.
• Some men may have changed their names to escape criminal justice, or to sign up without their parents' knowledge, and their real name, and fate, was not known.
• If the man had been shot at dawn, the family or the local population might not want to include his name. This would be a local decision, because there was never any decree from the authorities that their names should not be added.
• In the case of the Second World War - with fewer casualties - there was some reluctance to fund additional names on an existing Memorial.

We would like to insert a note of caution here and urge researchers to try and find out why a name was omitted in the first place before they proceed, because they might - for instance - be going against the family’s wishes. With the passage of time, this argument is weakening, and whatever the cause was before, the families now might well be only too pleased to add the name.

We suggest, too, that a check is made that the names are not included on another local memorial. Parish and county boundaries have changed over the years and there was often an overlap. Do a surname search on the NEWMP website to check. We also suggest that researchers look for variations of spelling of surnames, for example, Mathew or Matthew.

TO ADD A NAME TO A MEMORIAL

Firstly, find out who owns the memorial.

War memorials are very much local affairs, and central government has nothing to do with them. Sometimes the memorial was officially handed over to the local Parish Council at the unveiling. Parish and town councils have authority under an Act of Parliament of 1923 to erect and maintain their local memorials.

If it is a public memorial, go to the local authority – the parish or town council, and negotiate with them.

There is a move to have all free standing open air memorials and lych-gates recorded as Listed, usually Grade II. Up until now, this meant that permission for any adjustment would need to be sought from Heritage England. This no longer applies. Heritage England wish to remove the extra barrier, and are happy to list a memorial after its restoration.
If the memorial is inside a parish church, or in its grounds, a Diocesan Faculty would be needed for any adjustment, and this will add to the cost.

If it is in a Nonconformist or other church denomination, you will need to discuss this with their local minister or priest. If it is in a school, or club or other private premises, then go directly to the owner or person in charge of such premises and negotiate with them.

You might also consider creating an individual memorial - a seat in the park, a tree, or a candlestick in the church. You will still need to get permission.

North East War Memorials Project is happy to carry information on the relevant “Every Name A Story” page on its website under your own name, including any stories or photos which may be attached to the name. Please contact us, and we will be only too happy to oblige. There is no charge.

Our aim is to pull all this information into one massive tribute to all those who suffer through war, either because they fought or because they were left to pick up the pieces.