Notes: 1. An alternative proposal for a memorial was houses for widows, but was defeated in a ballot.
2. At the unveiling, the clock in the tower was started by Mr. Stead, one of the oldest employees of the coal company.
3. The stone laying ceremony took place on Armistice Day November 1922. The first stone was laid by Private John Lee who lost his sight whilst serving in the war.
4. Other foundation stones are as follows:
——–
This stone was laid on
behalf of the Rechabites
by S. Hunter, Esq.
——–
This stone was laid on
behalf of the Sacriston P.S.A.
by T.F. Brass O.B.E. J.P. C.C.
President of the Institute
——–
This stone was on behalf
of the Mechanics Lodge
by G. Cowey Esq.
——–
In memoriam
by
The Sons of Temperance
——-
This stone was laid by
W.S. Hunter D.L., J.P.
Gilling Castle
——–
This stone was laid by
F.C. Hunter J.P.
Exmouth
——–
This stone was laid by
Capt. T.A. Bradford D.S.O.
——–
This stone was laid by
W.B. Sowerby Esq.
——–
This stone was laid on
behalf of the members of Sacriston Lodge by
B. Lambert Esq.
——–
This stone was laid by
Coroner J. Graham T.D.
——–
This stone was laid by
John Lawson M.P.
——–
This stone was laid by
Dr. J.H.R. Carson
——–
. ………laid on
…St Johns Ambulance
J.H. Thomas Esq.
——–
This stone was laid by
James Robson Esq. President of Durham D.M.A.
——–
This stone was laid on behalf of the Ex Service Mens Club by
James Henderson Esq.
——–
This stone was laid by Mrs Joseph Carr Sacriston
——–
This stone was laid by Mr and Mrs George Craig Sacriston
——–
This stone was laid by Allan Douglas and George Dixon Craig
There were other stones which had eroded.
4. The building was erected on the site of the old Wesleyan Chapel, which had been used as a Literary Institute on Front Street.
5. Mr. Brass was presented with a larger photograph of himself, with a smaller one in a silver frame. The smaller one he would keep as a souvenir, he presented the larger one to be placed in the hall.
6. Cpl. John Lee, a blinded ex-soldier, who laid a foundation stone, did the same thing at Kimblesworth (K24.01). The stone which he laid reads:
This stone was laid on behalf of the ex-servicemen
of Sacriston by Corporal John Lee, and dedicated
to the memory of all those who made the
supreme sacrifice
Aug. 1914 Nov. 1918.
Is this one of the stones now too weathered to read?
7. At the official opening the Chairman “rather regretted that it had been decided to convert the hall into a cinema, as he would have preferred to see it devoted to lectures of a scientific and literary nature. He was indeed sorry to hear that the committee had been driven to such financial straits that they had been obliged to convert the hall into a picture house, but his hope was that this condition of things would not long continue”.
8. The upper storey building had been destroyed by fire on 15th December 1961. The building was renovated in 1964 at a cost of £11,500, paid for mainly through insurance and Co-op Society Bank. Sacriston Parish Council gave £2,000 to buy a new electric chiming clock which was on top of the institute. The refurbished building was officially re-opened on 20th November 1964 and used as a cinema and community institute. At that time the membership was 600.
9. The Memorial Institute was demolished in 2009.
