Plaque 1914-18 St. Margaret of Antioch

Church of St. Margaret of Antioch Church, Main Street

In south aisle.

1914-18

Unveiled November  14th 1920 by Major Waring, MP for Blaydon and dedicated by Bishop Henson of Durham.

Brass plaque inside wood frame.

In Memoriam
the Officers and Men of this Parish
who fell in the World War
1914-1919
A new Clock has been placed in the Tower
and this Tablet erected
by public subscription.

Plaque set in a moulded frame 63 inches high x 32 inches wide (160cms x 81cms).

There is a raised ornamental border round the top and bottom.

Inside this is a single line border which also divides the panel into boxes.

The top box bears the dedication and the bottom box bears the dates.

The names are listed in two columns divided by a vertical line.

Lettering is in Roman lower case.

1. The newspaper report in the Northern Echo mentions the dedication of “a cross which had been placed in the tower . . . and a tablet bearing the names of 79 men . . .” all other newspapers state a clock was placed in the tower not a cross.

2. Canon Archdale, in accepting the tablet on behalf of the church wardens and himself stated that the men whose names were inscribed there on included Roman Catholics, Nonconformists and Churchmen and the names were inscribed without distinction of rank or creed.

3. The Bishop of Durham in his address said the memorials reminded them first of the inequality of sacrifice which war implied. War had set before them two contrasting figures which it behoved them well to consider. There was the figure of the fallen soldier – the figure of a man who had gone out to fight and had fallen; the other figure which the war had brought before them with sinister emphasis was the profiteer.

4. The Evening Chronicle tells of a man’s search for a memorial “made of marble – perhaps green marble – and was 8 to 10 feet high. It looked like an obelisk with the names of those who lost their lives on the four sides.” It was last seen c1953. It is thought that a churchyard clearance to create an open space in which headstones were laid flat may have been when the memorial was broken or simply removed. Further research in 2022 has not located this memorial or any references to it.

Photos: Errol Broomfield; Ron Carson; C. Sanders; Bob Dunn

Consett Guardian
19/11/1920 reports unveiling and dedication.

Evening Chronicle
19/04/2013 tells of the search for the lost memorial.

Illustrated Chronicle
11/11/1920 reports proposed unveiling on Sunday.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle
15/11/1920 reports unveiling.

Northern Echo
15/11/1920 reports unveiling with comments in Note 1 above.

Wearside Catholic News
20/11/1920 reports unveiling.

The Story Durham (formerly Durham County Record Office)
Ref: EP/Bur 2/10 (Burnopfield) Order of service for united thanksgiving services at Tanfield and Burnopfield for National Peace celebrations, n.d.
Ref: EP/Bur 2/8 (Burnopfield) Order of service for dedication of war memorial at Tanfield Parish Church, 14 November 1920

Memorial Brasses of County Durham William Lack, H. Martin Stuchfield and Philip Whittemore 2002 ISBN 095 4327101

The Men of Tanfield Parish who died in the Great War Peter Bell, 2007, Tantobie Community Centre Local History Project gives details of the men who died.

Errol Broomfield;
Ron Carson;
D. Graham;
C. Sanders;
Dorothy Hall;
Bob Dunn

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