Roll of Honour 1914-18 Washington Colliery

After 1931 Washington Colliery Welfare Hall and Institute, Spout Lane, Washington was demolished 2015.NZ308573

F Pit Museum, Albany Way, Washington. NE37

1914-18

Unveiled March 26th 1921 by J. Olds, Treasurer of the Lodge, assisted by Rev. A. Begg Vicar of Usworth.

Rededicated and unveiled April 14th 2015, in its new location at F Pit, By Rev. Julie Wing Usworth Parish.

Oak and granite

Durham Miners Association

£200

Usworth Colliery D.M.A.

Made by the C.W.S. at Pelaw.

For King and Country.
Roll of Honour
Dedicated to the memory
of those Washington Colliery Workmen
who made the supreme sacrifice.
1914. The Great War. 1919.

Washington Miners Lodge War Fund.

For Freedom’s Cause.

Roll of Honour.

Elaborate carved oak-framed memorial 10 feet 9 inches high x 6 feet 3 inches wide (3.27m x 1.90m), with pediment and classical side-pillars on a granite base.

At centre top is a cartouche containing the words “For King and Country”.

The words “Roll of Honour” are set on a scroll, divided by a DMA monogram, for “Durham Miners Association”.

The centre panel is of granite with gold lettering.

The names are listed in three columns, the lettering handwritten in gilt using sans serif capitals.

The dedication is in a mixture of Gothic and Roman capitals.

The words “For Freedom’s cause” are carved into a stone lintel at the bottom using sans serif capitals which have been gilded.

1. The Hall became a nightclub for a while.

2. The Northern Echo and Sunderland Echo reports says the name of the Treasurer who did the unveiling was ‘Olders’.

3. One report states that this was to commemorate the men from “F” Pit Lodge.

4. The Miners Hall has been redeveloped, as it was no longer in use. NEWMP was contacted asking about the location of the Memorial and agreement about the ownership.

5. Usworth Colliery was owned:
1845 – G. Elliott
1840s – J. Johansson & Sir George Elliott
1850s – George Elliott & Johasshon
1882 – John Bowes & Partners Ltd.
1900s – Johnasson, Gordon & Co. Ltd.
1910s – Leverson’s Wallsend Collieries Ltd.
1940s – Washington Coal Co. Ltd.
1947 – National Coal Board (N.C.B.)

6. The Memorial has now been re-located in the ‘F’ Pit Museum in Washington. This will be open for 20 days a year for public viewing. (See below)

7. The Memorial was in safe keeping by Sunderland Borough Council for a few years, as the original building it was housed in, was threatened by vandals and arson attacks.

8. There was a carpet fund inaugurated to finance the Memorial, the ladies of the fund had organised this fund.

Photos: Simon Raine; James Pasby

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
2/4/1921 reports unveiling.

Northern Echo
28/3/1921 reports unveiling.

.Sunderland Echo
28/3/1921 reports unveiling.
(Available on The British Newspaper Archive)
14/04/2015 reports unveiling and re-dedication

Source of quotation
“For Freedom’s Cause.” Not ascertained

Bill Craddock;
Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale;
James Pasby;
Dorothy Hall;
Cllr J. Kelly

Wessington U3A War Memorials Group (in Washington) has fairly extensive details of the WW1 men on Usworth, Washington Village and Harraton memorials. There are files of their information in libraries at Shiney Row, Washington, Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead, Birtley, Durham Record Office and Tyne Wear Archives Blandford Street Newcastle. There are also files of information about life and events in Harraton Parish during WW1 in the same places

DVDs can be watched through youtube

Washington men in the Great War – Wad thou gan?

Washington Men at The Somme

From Washington to Wipers and Warlencourt

The Wear at War

Washington in the Great War – Whisht Lads, a book by Peter Welsh L3 (from the author) published by Pen & Sword 2014 ISBN 978 1 78346 385 6

Contact: petewelshgettysburg@btinternet.com