North East War Memorials Project -

Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Abbey Grounds

H51.03

HEXHAM

NY 935640

Priory and Parish Church of St. Andrew, Market Place. In the grounds.

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

Unveiled 29th September, 1921 by Prince Henry (later Duke of Gloucester) and dedicated by the Rector, Rev. J.V.C. Farquhar .

Cross based on Blomfield type. Four octagonal steps of various depths and diminishing width are surmounted by a tall octagonal plinth, the whole base being about 2.43m (8 feet) high. This is topped by plain cross about 2.13m (7 feet) high, with a bronze sword mounted on the east face, the whole being 4.57m (15 feet) high. The names are carved into the stone on all eight sides of the top three parts below the cross, and are painted black. All lettering is in incised Roman capitals throughout.
Old photos show that it was originally surrounded by a circle of small stones enclosing a paved area.

White Portland stone

On centre face, middle step:
Here are inscribed / names which bid us / by service our / debt repay.

On centre face, lower step:
This cross and S. Wilfrid's / War Memorial Hospital / are dedicated to the / glorious memory of the / men of Hexham who laid / down their lives in the / Great Wars 1914-1918 / 1939-1945.

a. 230 names, ranks and regiments.
b. 102 names, ranks and regiments.
See transcript.

The Hospital Committee

�15,000 for Hospital and Cross.

Public subscription.

Good.

Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, R.A.; built by William Cresswell of Hexham.

Hexham Town Council.

1. The words "Wars1914" run into one another, and it is obvious that the letter "s" had been inserted and the dates "1939-1945" squeezed in at the bottom.

2. Maurice Cresswell, the son of William Cresswell, who created this memorial, carved the memorial stone at Kohima which bears the words "When you go home, tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow we gave our today". Acknowledgments: from Roger Morris..

3. An Allotments Association was to be formed, and it would hold a show of vegetables to raise funds for the memorial.

4. In August 2016 An appeal was launched for information about the names on the memorial. This appeared in the Hexham Courant 26/08/2016. There are discrepancies in the details on the memorial.

5 In 1997 a major spring-clean was proposed, with estimates of costs between �4,000 and �4,500.

Photos: J. Brown; C.N. Dallison; old postcards: Tony Harding; John S. Perry

Peace Celebrations leaflet appointing Committees to organise events and raise funds for the memorials; photocopies of assorted programmes of services in Hexham Abbey Thanksgiving for Cessation of Hostilities 17/11/1918; "Welcome Home" Service of Thanksgiving 27/04/1919; Special Memorial Service for all who have fallen during the War (24th Oct, year not stated)

Hexham Courant 14/02/1920 gives details of fund raising so far; Saturday, 01/10/1921 gives full report of the unveiling ceremony; (date unknown) gives an account of William Cresswell and the memorial at Kohima; 25/08/1995 reports the carving on the Kohima Memorial; 13/12/1996 reports that Remembrance Day services were marred because of the poor state of the memorial; 12/09/1997 reports proposals for a spring clean; 08/02/2008 reports a large crack that would cost �3,000 to repair; 26/08/2016 carries details of the appeal for information on the names.

Newcastle Daily Journal 03/01/1920 page 3.

Illustrated Chronicle 30/09/1921 reports unveiling with photos.

Evening Dispatch 30/09/1921 reports unveiling.

Hexham Weekly News 14/11/1919 reports silent homage; 14/11/1919 reports donations to fund; reports Allotments Assocn. proposals; 17/09/1920 reports lists of names and ranks received so far.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle 12/09/1921 reports fund raising fete; 30/09/1921 reports unveiling.

Newcastle Central Library photographs c1935, 1954.

Morpeth County Library Frith collection of photographs; Postcard collection contains photograph of unveiling.

Hexham Historian No.15 carries an article entitled 'Only Fools and Horses' by Alan Grint about the Hexham men who fought at Gallipoli in 1915. It is extracted from In Silent Fortitude. Published by Hexham Local History Society; ISSN 1323-0563. www.hexhamhistorian.org.

In Silent Fortitude: In Memory of the Men of the North Tyne Valley who Fell in the Great War; Alan Isaac Grint; 2011; Ergo Press; ISBN 9780955751097

Source of quotation:
�Here are inscribed names which bid us by service our debt repay� Not ascertained.

Historic England Listing

Evening Dispatch 1921 09 30 Fri

Unveiling Programme 1921

Index to names

The late Ken and Dorothy Southern; J. Brown; Colin Dallison; John S. Perry; Tony Harding; Derick Tiffin (Hexham Town Council); Dorothy Hall; Roger Morris

Alan Grint has researched the names on the Hexham memorials in his book The Faith and Fire Within, 2006, Ergo Press ISBN 0955275814 Faith and Fire Within - Amazon or Cogito Books 01434 602555

You are looking at all the information and the best images we have so far on this memorial. If you can supply more information or better images please get in touch by sending an email to enquiries@newmp.org.uk.

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Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Abbey Grounds (H51.03)

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