Memorial

Cross 1914-18 1939-45 High Street

Cornforth

Memorial Name: Cross 1914-18 1939-45 High Street (C115.03)

NEWMP Ref No.: C115.03

Parish: Cornforth

Original Location:

High Street.

In front of Joseph Hopper Terrace.

Which War:

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

a. Unveiled November 15th 1924 by Mr. Richard A. Pease;
dedicated by Rev. T.F. Fyffe, Vicar.

b. Unveiled November 7th 1953

Materials Used:

Creetown granite

Cost:

About £325

How Money was Raised:

Site given by Ecclesiastical Commissioners;
public subscription;
fund raising by Cornforth Working Party;
miners’ and workmen’s lodges also contributed.

Ownership and Maintenance: Handed over to Parish Council for upkeep

Inscription:

a.
In honour and to the memory
of the men of this parish
who gave their lives in the Great War
1914-1918

“Ye that live on mid English pastures green,
Remember us and think what might have been”.

b.
1939-1945

Memorial Description:

Cross of Celtic wheel type 9 feet high (2.7m) on square tapering plinth.

This rests on two steps, the upper one of which has a receptacle for flowers at each corner.

The whole is raised on a square platform surrounded by grassed area.

The names for 1914-18 are listed in three columns on the front and in two columns on the sides.

The quotation is on the front of the top step.

An additional sloping tablet at the foot of the cross bears the details for 1939-45 with the names listed in three columns.

The lettering is in sans serif capitals.

Names:

a. 107 surnames and initials..
b. 24 surnames and initials..
See transcript.

Notes:

1. The original idea was for an embellished granite column.

2. The site is on a lawn outside Thrislington Colliery Aged Miners Homes, 1925.

3. At the unveiling ceremony, the proceedings were held up for a while because of abuse from a drunken man.

4. The cross was intended “to stand within a 16 feet enclosure (4.9m), concrete flagged, with iron railings and gate, the base of the cross being raised two steps from the flags”.

5. A collection towards the cost of the memorials was taken at the unveiling. £300 had been raised towards the £325 needed.

6. In 2016 a grant of £1,000 towards restoration work was awarded by War Memorials Trust.

External Links:

Historic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: C. Sanders; Simon Raine; E.G. Hurrell, (Cornforth Parish Council);
photos of Millennium Heritage Banner 1997 showing the parish of Cornforth with the War Memorial: Janet Brown

Auckland and County Chronicle
20/11/1924 reports unveiling.

Durham County Advertiser
18/01/1924 tells of proposals to raise the memorial, and that the Parish Council accept full responsibility for it in the future.

Illustrated Chronicle
13/11/1924 carries photo of memorial to be unveiled on Saturday;
17/11/1924 reports unveiling with photos.

Conveyance of land
01/05/1924 by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for the site of the memorial.

Thrislington, Cornforth and West Cornforth Robin Walton, 1981. (On DCRO shelves)

Source of quotation:
“Ye that live on mid England’s pastures green . . .” (Not ascertained)

Research Acknowledgements:

Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale;
C. Sanders;
Janet Brown;
E.G. Hurrell, Cornforth Parish Council;
Andy Denholm;
Dorothy Hall;
War Memorials Trust

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:

WEST CORNFORTH      High Street.

 

Front face                                     

  In honour and to the memory                    

  of the men of this parish                      

  who gave their lives in the Great War          

  1914-1918                                      

                                              

  Bartlett C.     Chisholm T.P.   Doyle J.       

  Bell J.G..      Clark T.        Dyke G.        

  Bell J.         Close J.        Eltringham M.  

  Blenkinsop A.   Cole J.         Emmerson W.    

  Blower E.       Cole T.         Ferguson H.    

  Booth R.        Cole W.         Ferguson T.    

  Bowman J.D.     Connor J.       Ferry W.       

  Bowman W.       Crosby T.       Fleetham J.    

  Brown M.        Curry S.        Freeman R.H.   

  Buddin Jas.     Davis W.        Frith R.       

  Buddin Jos.     Dixon J.        Furnival G.    

  Carr W.         Dixon W.        Glendenning W.

  Chatt G.        Doran J.        Gowland G.W.   

 ——————————————————–

On front of pedestal 

 

  “Ye that live on mid English pastures green,

  Remember us and think what might have been”.   

——————————————————–

On sloping panel at foot.

               

  1939 – 1945                           

  Armstrong W.    Hardy J.G.      Nicholson R.           

  Bell J.         Kay J.          Sanderson T.W.       

  Brewster J.     Kennedy R.H.    Stubbings W.     

  Carr W.         Kirkley J.G.    Smith H.          

  Cadman L.       Kelly J.A.      Smith G.

  Ellsbury R.     Lee D.          Smith A.       

  Elliot F.T.     Laverick W.     Smith S.          

  Hare L.         Mackenzie R.    Poole R.         

——————————————————–

Right face                       Left face        

  Gowland J.T.    Jennings C.A.   Norris E.F.    Scorer W.    

  Gray T.         Johnson J.W.    North A.       Scott W.P.   

  Green J.        Kell M.         North J.W.     Sheldon T.   

  Gregory S.      Kell T.         Partlen J.J.   Smith F.     

  Grint F.        Kell T.         Peart J.       Smith J.     

  Grint R.        Laidler J.G.    Price J.W.     Steel W.     

  Hall T.         Laverick W.     Purdy T.       Thirlaway D.T.

  Harrison P.M.   Liddle C.       Purdy W.       Todd W.        

  Henderson R.    Lynn J.W.       Pyburn J.      Todd W.        

  Heron J.V.      MacCullum A.    Ridden J.      Walton J.G.    

  Heron R.        Moffat G.       Robinson E.P.  Ward T.      

  Hill R.         Mould A.        Robinson G.    Wilby J.     

  Hodgson D.      Murray T.       Rowcroft W.    Wilby W.H.   

  Hodgson S.      Naylor J.       Rossiter E.    Wilson E.    

  Hopper J.       Neasham J.      Rossiter T.    Wright G.W.  

  Hunter J.C.     Nelson R.       Routledge H.   Young J.   

  James R.        Nixon W.

  Johnson A.      Kirkby W.

NamesC115.03

War Memorial Indexes

County Durham Index

Newcastle Index

Northumberland Index

Over The Tees Index

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