Notes: 1. The Secondary School opened in May 1931. When the new Comprehensive School was built at Pelton Roseberry, the Junior School moved into the former Senior School, the Infants moved into the former Junior School, and a nursery was opened where the Infants had been. A new school was built on the site in 2005.
2. Durham Chronicle April/May 1950
Pelton Memorial Unveiled Stone in Garden of Remembrance.
Mrs Anderson, wife of Mr Anderson, headmaster of Pelton Modern School, on Wednesday, unveiled a memorial stone in the Garden of Remembrance, in the quadrangle of the school to commemorate the men of the Pelton District who fell in the war. The stone in the form of a bird bath bears the names of the men, most of whom were scholars at the school, and is surrounded by rose bushes, one for each of the fallen. The memorial was dedicated by Canon C.R. Appleton, Rector and Rural Dean of Chester le Street in the presence of the scholars, staff and governors of the school, relatives of the fallen and representatives of Durham County Education Authority.
Rev. W.D. Carter, Vicar of Pelton and Rev. R.N. Hughes, Methodist Minister also took part in the ceremony and the stone was formally accepted on behalf of the county authority by Mr W.N. Linkleter, Assistant Director of Education for Durham County.
Last Post and Reveille were sounded and Audrey Walker, a scholar, read Lawrence Binyon’s poem ‘To the Fallen.’
Mr Hughes commented that it was fitting that the ceremony should take place before Mr Anderson, the headmaster who originated the memorial, went into retirement. Mr Anderson had watched many of these named on the memorial grow from boyhood and maintained interest in them long after their schooldays were over. The people of Pelton and district would always be glad that one of the last things Mr Anderson did as headmaster was to arrange the dedication service. Mr Hughes reminded his hearers that by their sacrifice the fallen had made it possible for the good things of this country to survive and in these challenging days the best way of doing honour to them was to dedicate their own lives to God and country. They must all strive to put first righteousness, truth and goodness, qualities much needed today.
Mr Anderson said £59 was subscribed to the memorial fund and a balance of £5 14s 9d would be used for the maintenance of the garden of remembrance. He thanked all donors and intimated that relatives of the fallen could, if they so wished, place flowers at the memorial on anniversary or birthdays. The roses each commemorating one of the fallen would either be sent to the relatives or left blooming or could, if desired, be sent to church as altar flowers. Bulbs would also be planted in the garden of remembrance so that the garden would be kept ‘alive’ all the year round.
Names on the memorial stone are:- F. Brown; F. Carradus; R. Cockburn; G. Frost; R. Gordon; N. Goundry; A.S. Gray; P. Gray; J. Hall; R. Hall; J. Hardy; G. Harrison; J.D. Hogden; R. Kelly; J.H. Liddle; J. Little; J.G. Lynch; G. Mason; G.R. Nesbitt; G. Nicholson; F. Oakes; T. Samms; R. Scarth; L. Shaw; R. Wilson; J.W. Evans, J. Turnbull. (List agrees with Service Sheet)
3. The list of names on this stone differs from the list given on the Garden of Remembrance dedication programme. See P26.04
4. “By comparing photos taken in 1959 and those in 2000 and 2006, there are five names missing and the spelling of J.D. Hogden (1959) reads “J.D. Hogdon” (2000). My conclusion is that the stone has been replaced at some time”.Dorothy Hall
5. The memorial stone was placed by the entrance door to the new Primary School in 2005.
