Cross 1914-18 1939-45 St. John the Divine Churchyard

St. John the Divine Church.

North-east corner of churchyard.

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

a. Unveiled 27th November 1921 by Fred. J. Hemsley of Woodside, who served throughout as a private soldier.
Dedicated by Rev. W. King, Vicar.

Heworth stone with panels of polished granite.

£400

Public subscription

J.P. Whittle of Amble.

a.
Dulce et
Decorum
est

Pro Patria Mori

To the glory of God
and in memory of
the men of
Chevington
and
Broomhill District
who fell in
the Great War
1914-1918

Lord God of Hosts
Be With Us Yet
Lest We Forget
Lest We Forget.

b.
1939-1945

Cross on tapering shaft on a tall, square pedestal, total height approx.18 feet (5.5m).

It stands on a base 72 inches square(183cms)

There is a carved laurel wreath at the foot of the shaft on all four sides.

Below each wreath is a shield, three of which bear the words “Dulce et / decorum est / pro patria mori” spread across the three.

Dark grey marble plaques each 34½  inches high x 26½  inches wide (87.5cms x 67.5cms) are on all four sides of the base.

The front one bears the dedication, the rear one bears the quotation.

The names from 1914-18 are on the south and north sides, with those from 1939-45 appearing on smaller plaques which have been added to the bottom on both sides.

Lettering is in elaborate Roman capitals with a few words in Gothic for the dedication.

The whole rests on two shallow steps.

1. The Morpeth Herald 07/05/1920 reports proposals by Broomhill and Chevington Drift to erect cottages for widows of colliery workers killed in 1914-18. A site opposite to the Vicarage was granted by Lord Grey, and fund raising was proposed. £111.10s had already been raised, and people were proposing to contribute 6d per week. However, local enquiries by the East Coquet Local History Society have not been able to find any further information.

2. Soon after the unveiling, the wreaths were removed and scattered. A letter denying responsibility following accusation appears in Alnwick & County Gazette 10/12/1921.

3. The cross was restored, with access to it from the road, with a blessing taking place on 20th July 2003. The Bishop of Newcastle conducted a formal rededication.

4. Friends of War Memorials (now War Memorials Trust) gave £150 grant towards the cost of the restoration.

5. Amble Social History Group, in A Time to Remember describes this church as being “St. John’s, Hadston”. The village of East Chevington was demolished in the 1960s for opencast coal mining to take place. The farm of West Chevington still exists.

6. Capt. Merivale, N.F., Broomhill was mentioned in the London Gazette for “gallant and distinguished conduct in the field”

Research on Chevington’s memorial
Historic England Listing

Photos: Janet Brown; Philip Thirkell;
photos at informal blessing 20/07/2003: J. Brown

Alnwick & County Gazette
03/12/1921 reports unveiling.

Illustrated Chronicle
29/11/1921 reports unveiling, with photos including one of Mr. Helmsley

Morpeth Herald
07/01/1916 reports those mentioned in despatches in Note 6 above;
02/12/1921 reports unveiling.

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
03/12/1921 reports unveiling.

Diocese of Newcastle
Faculty No. 774, 07/11/1921.

Morpeth County Library
Frith collection of photographs.

St. John’s Review
December 2003 contains a page of thanks to those who helped with the restoration.

By the Green of the Spring – A tribute to the men of Chevington and Broomhill who served in the First World War J.H. Hardy, published Amble Social History Group.

R.A.F. Acklington Elizabeth Stewart, 2002, Published by Amble Social History Group gives details of men buried in Chevington Cemetery.

A Time to Remember (published by Amble Social History Group)

“In This Quiet Lane” Chevington and Broomhill in World War Two J.H. Hardy; Glen Graphics; ISBN 1 900038 75 7

Their corner of a foreign field: a guide and tribute to the Commonwealth and exiled airmen who are buried in the Scottish border, Clark, Peter, Glen Graphics, 2002. ISBN 1 900038 50 1., pp.98-104.

Where the Hills Meet the Sky: A Guide to Wartime Crashes on the Cheviot Hills Peter Clark; Glen Graphics; ISBN 1 9000038 10 2)

Sources of quotations .
“Dulce et decorum est . . .” Horace, Odes Book 3, No.2, 1.13
“Lord God of Hosts . . .” Recessional (Rudyard Kipling).

S.C. Knox, North Broomhill;
Sally Bird;
Jim Shepherd, East Coquet LHS;
Janet Brown;
Mr. W. Pacey, South Broomhill;
John Hardy, Red Row;
Philip Thirkell;
Tony Harding;
Dorothy Hall

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