Memorial

Cenotaph 1914-18 Smith’s Dock

North Shields

Memorial Name: Cenotaph 1914-18 Smith's Dock (N34.04)

NEWMP Ref No.: N34.04

Parish: North Shields

Original Location:

In Recreation Park

Present Location:

Minton Lane (west side) in West End Park.

Which War:

1914-18

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

Unveiled July 24th 1922 by Maj.Gen. Sir R.A. Kerr Montgomery, .KC.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.
dedicated by Rev. R.E. Holmes, Vicar of Christ Church, North Shields.

Materials Used:

York stone, Portland stone.

Who Commissioned:

Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd.

Cost:

Directors of Smiths Docks Ltd.

How Money was Raised:

South Bank Employees’ Relief Fund, begun in August 1914, had raised over £14,000, which was used to provide a recreation park, the cenotaph, and the rest used for widows, orphans, and disabled servicemen.

Present Condition: Names rapidly becoming obliterated, extensively vandalised with spray paint. Cleaned in recent years.

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

Designed by Unsworth and Triggs, London; Messrs. Stephen Easton Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne.

Inscription:

On front face :
To the
glory of God
and the honour of
their country
In memoriam

On back face :
Erected by
Smith’s Dock Company Limited,
in memory of the Employees
from all Departments who gave
their lives in the Great War.
July 1922

Memorial Description:

Recreation Park of 25 acres given for the workmen of the Bull Ring and Pontoon Departments.

Cenotaph 13 feet (3.96m) high on a 12 inches (304mm) high mound.

At the top are wreaths carved in half relief on tall, corniced, tapered cenotaph flanked by tall pilasters, the upper sections curved with reeded necking.

The dates 1914-18 are incised inside the wreath at the top.

The dedication is set below the wreath.

The names are incised in two columns on the front and the back.

All lettering is in Roman capitals.

Names:

141 names and initials.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. “Rumour is that a building firm wishes to build on the Sports field, so perhaps the Memorial will be demolished.” (R.W. Gould, June 1991)

2. This memorial is one of three identical monuments raised by the firm in each of their three recreation parks in North Shields, South Shields and Normanby. Each monument carries the names from all three locations

3. From the Company, 1300 men went to fight and 140 were killed.

4. “North Tyneside City Challenge say the memorial has been moved a short distance, into the workmen’s compound for the housing development in this district, to protect against vandalism; and it is hoped to establish it in very near its old position, when development work allows” (Dr. R.W. Gould, 24/10/1994)

5. It is now incorporated in a housing estate. Although there are houses nearby the memorial is still in a park setting and has a school behind it.

6. At the unveiling of the Cenotaph, Gen. Montgomery said: “His hearers had a fine chance of making their memorial a real live one; they ought not to let the memory of the fallen fade. He suggested that, to keep their memory green, the sports winning team lay a wreath in memory of the men who had gained the crown, and that all who looked on that cenotaph would play the game.”

External Links:

Historic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: Jim Winter; Linda Robinson

Newcastle Weekly Chronicle
29/07/1922 reports unveiling.

Northern Echo
20/07/1922 reports proposed unveiling;

Shields Daily News
25/07/1922 reports unveiling ceremony

South Shields Gazette
25/07/1922 reports unveiling of cenotaph;
29/07/1922 reports additional information

“Smith’s Dock Monthly”
July 1919 shows names and photographs of those who died with details of service and death;
March 1922 gives details of the proposals for the monuments;
August 1922 gives details of unveiling ceremonies;
September 1920 contains brief mention of this memorial, together with that at Harton, in a report of the unveiling of the Company’s memorial at South Shields (photocopies on file)

Research Acknowledgements:

Ralph W. Gould;
Richard C. Simpson;
Jim Winter;
Tony Harding;
Dorothy Hall;
Michael Mulhern;
Linda Robinson

Research In Progress:

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

If you know more about this memorial, please send the details to NEWMP.

Names Documents:

NORTH SHIELDS, Smith’s Park.

 

On front (north) face                                    

  To the

  glory of God

  and the honour of

  their country

                                                        

  Agar, W.          Fallon, T.

  Aitken, T.W.      Fearnley, G.

  Algie, W.         Fennon, T.

  Annett, F.        Forster, J.J.

  Atkinson, A.      Forster, E.T.Y.

  Badsey, B.        Fox, H.

  Bennett, E.T.     French, J.H.

  Boyes, T.         Gallagher, C.

  Boyle, P.         Gillings, J.W.

  Boylen, J.        Gonans, F.

  Brookbanks, W.    Grant, W.

  Brown, E.         Harbron, W.

  Burdon, J.E.      Hardwick, R.

  Burdon, M.        Harrison, J.

  Burdon, T.        Hart, J.

  Callender, J.     Haw, R.W.

  Campbell, G.      Hellam, J.R.

  Carey, J.         Henderson, R.

  Case, P.          Hogg, J.H.

  Chater, F.        Hogg, R.H.

  Chater, J.        Hogg, T.

  Clark, A.         Holt, J.S.

  Clark, J.         Howey, A.

  Clark, W.         Hutchings, W.H.

  Clark, W.N.       Hutchinson, H.M.

  Clint, S.         Huthart, T.

  Collings, W.      Jamieson, J.

  Conley, J.        Joyce, E.

  Connelly, M.      Kerr, T.

  Connolly, J.      Laing, E.

  Conway, J.        Landells, J.

  Cook, A.          Lane, W.R.

  Darling, A.H.     Lattimer, J.

  Dennier, J.       Lawrence, W.

  Dunn, J.          Lenham, J.W.

  Edwards, L.J.     Little, J.E.

  Elston, S.G.      Lumsden, R.

  English, J.

  Eustace-Smith, R.

    

  In memoriam

———————————————-

On back (South) face)     

                    

  Mackin, T.        Stewart, H.

  Mainger, J.       Stoddart, C.

  Manson, A.V.      Svenson, A.T.

  Martin, O.        Swinburne, T.

  Matthews, J.T.    Swinney, W.

  McDougall, C.     Taylor, G.W.

  McElroy, F.       Taylor, J.R.

  Milburn, R.       Teasdale, J.W.

  Miller, J.        Theakston, J.W.

  Milliken, H.      Thirkell, E.

  Mortlock, H.J.    Tinkler, G.A.

  Mortlock, T.      Vaughan, E.

  Mulligan, P.      Wade, A.     

  Myers, T.H.       Wade, D

  Norton, W.        Ward, E.

  O’Halleron, M.    Watson, F.R.

  O’Hara, C.        Watts, G.

  Patterson, J.G.   Waugh, J.

  Potts, J.L.       Welsh, D.F.

  Prentice, E.G.    Wetherell, R.G.

  Quogan E.         Wheatley, J.

  Rackham, R.       Wikstram, C.

  Reed, T.I.C.      Wiles, J.D.

  Richardson, W.    Wilson, A.

  Robson, A.        Wood, S.

  Robson, T.W.      Young, F.

  Ross, D.        

  Rowley, C.           

  Rowse, J.      

  Shannon, E.             

  Smith, A.

  Smith, F.  

  Smith, M.

  South, W.

  Spalding, F.G.

  Spencer, G.   

  Sproul, A.

  Sproul, J.           

  Stevenson, A.

  Erected by Smith Dock Company Ltd in memory of employees

  from All Departments who gave their lives in the Great War

  July 1922

NamesN34.04

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