Memorial

Roll of Honour 1914-18 St. Joseph R.C.

Birtley Gateshead

Memorial Name: Roll of Honour 1914-18 St. Joseph R.C. (B127.09)

NEWMP Ref No.: B127.09

Parish: Birtley Gateshead

Original Location:

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Birtley Lane.

Which War:

1914-18

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

Blessed as part of the Pieta in September 1918.

Materials Used:

Marble

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

Wall of Cheltenham.

Inscription:

Large plaque:
Of your charity pray for the repose of the souls of
(names)
“Greater love no man hath, than to lay down his life for his friend.”

Two smaller plaques :
Also of (names)

Memorial Description:

Three rectangular plaques.

The larger one is landscape format, very plain, with the names listed in two columns divided by a vertical line.

The other two, equally plain, situated below the larger plaque, are smaller, portrait format, bearing the names in a single column on each.

The lettering is in elaborate Roman capitals throughout.

The quotation at the foot of the large plaque is in italics.

Names:

Larger plaque – 26 names, ranks and date of death.
Left hand lower plaque – 14 names and ranks.
Right hand lower plaque – 7 names.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. “On the wall are the marble tablets with the names of those from the parish who fell in the Great War of 1914-1918. These were originally attached to the base of a Pieta, one of many such carved by the firm of Wall of Cheltenham, which was blessed as a war memorial by Abbot David Hurley in 1918 on the 75th anniversary of the church’s opening. Until the 1960s, it stood to the right of the Lady Chapel arch . . .This Pieta is now outside deteriorating in the graveyard, but fortunately these panels, together with those added bearing the names of those who fell in the Second World War, were rescued and restored to the church.” (For Pieta see B127.02)

Sources:

Photos: Ron Carson; Dorothy Hall

St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Birtley. A Short history and description. Dom Geoffrey Scott, O.S.B. Booklet written for the 150th anniversary of the opening of the church in 1993. This contains the information quoted in Note 1 above.

Source of quotation:
“Greater love hath no man than this . . .” St. John 15 v 13

Additional Research Documents

Research Acknowledgements:

Ron Carson;
Errol Broomfield;
Dorothy Hall

Research In Progress:

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk

Provide Details

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Names Documents:

BIRTLEY St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church

 

Top plaque

  Of your charity pray for the repose of the souls of

  Pte. William Sables   Sep. 16, 1914    Pte. Joseph Mulcahy      Nov.16 1915

  “    Joseph Blythe    April 26, 1915   “    Patrick O’Neill     Jan. 5 1916

  “    Thomas Ross      April 26    “    “    John Bell           Jan. 25  “

  “    Thomas O’Neill   April 26    “    “    Martin Coyle        Feb. 26  “

  “    Joseph May       April 26    “    “    Hugh Thompson       July 1   “

  “    James Wm. Ward   April 26    “    “    Saml Birchall       July 1   “

  “    Alex. Stobbart   April 26    “    “    Charles Elliott     July 18  “

  “    Michael Bussy    May 24      “    “    Joseph Toner        July 22  “

  “    James Rice       June 19     “    “    Joseph Kelly        Sep. 3   “

  “    Ralph Elliott    June 30     “    “    John Whalen         Oct. 3   “

  “    John Leach       July 17     “    “    Frank Smith         Nov. 6   “

  L.Corp. James Corr    Sep. 25     “    “    John D. McKay       Dec. 17  “

  Pte. William Donelly  Nov. 14     “    L.Corp. William M. Riley Jan. 4th 1917

 

“Greater love no man hath, than to lay down his life for his friend.”

———————————————————————-

Left hand plaque                    Right hand plaque

  

  Also of                             Also of

  Pte.     Frank Chapman              Frank Toner

  “        John E. Martin             Thos. N. Watson

  “        William Olliver (sic)      Sol. McGinn

  “        Edward Small               Thos. G. Herron

  “        John McIntyre              Robt. Donnelly

  “        Andrew O’Neill             Edwd. Connolly

  “        Robt. Comerford            John McCorry

  “        Geo. Fenton

  “        Denis Grimes

  Cy.S.Mr. Philip Blythe M.C.

  Pte.     Thos. Neville

  Sergt.   M.L. Neville

  Pte.     Hy Barrett

  “        John McAvoy

———————————————————————-

The report in the Chester Chronicle gives slight variations:

  Pte. W. Sables      Pte. J. Mulcahy         Pte. F. Chapman

  Pte. J. Blythe      Pte. P. O’Neill         Pte. J.E. Martin

  Pte. T. Ross        Pte. J. Bell            Pte. W. Oliver

  Pte. T. O’Neill     Pte. M. Coyle           Pte. E. Small

  Pte. J. May         Pte. H. Thompson        Pte. J. McIntyre

  Pte. J.W. Ward      Pte. S. Birchall        Pte. A. O’Neill

  Pte. A. Stobbart    Pte. C. Elliott         Pte. R. Comerford

  Pte. M. Busey       Pte. J. Tower           Pte. J. Fenton

  Pte. J. Rice        Pte. J. Kelly           Pte. D. Grimes

  Pte. R. Elliott     Pte. J. Whalen          Co. Sgt. Maj. Philip Blythe

  Pte. J. Leach       Pte. F. Smith           Pte. T. Neville

  L-Cpl. J. Carr      Pte. J.D. McKay         Sgt. M.L. Neville

  Pte. W. Donnelly    L-Cpl. W.M. Riley       Pte. H. Barrett

                      Pte. J. McAvoy

NamesB127.09   

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