Cross 1914-18 St. John of Beverley’s Churchyard

St. John of Beverley Church, St John Lee Hexham, NE46 4PE. NY 93288 65742

Outside main door of church.

1914-18

Unveiled 12th May 1921 by Brig.General E.P. Riddell, D.S.O.
Dedicated by Bishop Hornby.

Woodburn stone

R.B. Aves of Hexham.

Designed by Mr. Hicks, diocesan architect.

At bottom of shaft of cross:
To the men
of
this Parish
who fell
in the war

On front face of pedestal
A.M.
1914  + 1919
D.G.
(Names)

Cross of elaborate shape on a slender shaft, resting on a pedestal which sits on three half-octagonal steps, total height 14 feet 6 inches and 9 feet 6 ins at the base (4.4m x 2.9m).

At the base of the shaft is the dedication.

The names are on all four sides of the plinth, on the riser and sloping shoulder of the base in Roman capitals.

1. Underneath the memorial is a bottle containing a piece of the Church Terrier parchment dated 1779. This is said to be accompanied by a copy of the “<i>Hexham Courant</i>”.

2. The memorial was originally flanked by an oak and a chestnut seedlings from Verdun, France, presented by Miss Henderson of The Riding.

3. Not all the men listed are from Acomb or the parish, at least three came from Canada. Presumably they had local connections.

Historic England Listing

Photos: J. Brown; Tony Harding, P. Thirkell; old postcard: Tony Harding

Hexham Weekly News
13/05/1921 reports unveiling.

Illustrated Chronicle
24/05/1920 reports proposals;
13/5/1921 reports unveiling.

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
29/05/1920 reports proposals.

St. John Lee, Northumberland William Maddison, Hexham, 1927, J. Catherall & Co (Printers) Ltd.

Paper written by Alan Grint on soldiers named on Acomb war memorials.

Hexham Historian
No.14 July 2004 contains an article by Alan Grint with one or two photographs. 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

Philip Thirkell;
George and Janet Brown;
Alan Grint;
Tony Harding;
Dorothy Hall

Alan Grint has researched the names on this memorial in his book In Silent Fortitude, 2011 Ergo Press ISBN 9780955751098 :-

Contact: Cogito books 01434 602555