Memorial

Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Town Gate

Swalwell

Memorial Name: Cross 1914-18 1939-45 Town Gate (S85.01)

NEWMP Ref No.: S85.01

Parish: Swalwell

Original Location:

Town gate, Hexham Road.

Present Location:

Resited near to Holy Trinity Church due to building of access road to the Western Bypass.

Which War:

a. 1914-18
b. 1939-45

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

a. Unveiled Easter Monday 1918 by Rt. Hon Earl of Durham K.C., Lord Lieutenant.

Materials Used:

Stone ashlar with Lakeland slate panels.

Who Commissioned:

War Memorial Committee

Cost:

£250

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

W.H. Wood, F.R.I.B.A. of Newcastle.

Ownership and Maintenance: At the dedication ceremony, the memorial was handed over to the Whickham Council.

Inscription:

a. On each panel above the plaques.
Swalwell War Memorial.
Greater love
hath no Man
than this –
that a man
lay down
his life For
his friends –
Pray for us.

b.
Remember also those
who gave their lives in
World War
1939-1945

Memorial Description:

Cross on octagonal column on octagonal double pedestal, total height 27 feet (8.2m).

The upper pedestal bears a shield carved in relief on each sunken face.

The dedication is carved around the middle of the column in raised elaborate lettering above the names.

The lower pedestal carries the names in a single column on a smoothed sunken panel on each face.

Below these, on one face, are the words “Swalwell War Memorial”.

Below this, another sunken panel carries the names and dedication for 1939-1945.

The information on the unveiling of the original cross is on the sloping face of the bottom pedestal.

Lettering is in sans serif capitals throughout apart from the quotation.

(“Ashlar with inscribed Lakeland slate panels. Octagonal. Perpendicular style. Wide step to double-chamfered pedestal inscribed ‘Unveiled by the Rt. Hon. Earl of Durham K.C. Lord Lieutenant Easter Monday 1918’ and bearing 9 panels of names of dead of two World Wars. Low-relief lettering in band above panels; sloped coping supports moulded and coped buttresses defining ogee-headed panels containing black shields under string. Foliage decoration to tall tapered shaft with cross finial”).

Names:

a. 128 surnames, initials, ranks and regiments.
b. 17 surnames and initials.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. It was estimated that 400 men had gone from Swalwell, of whom about 70 died.

2. Attention is frequently drawn to the very early date of the unveiling.

External Links:

Historic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: C. Sanders; Kevin Milburn; Ken Blythe

Blaydon Courier
 30/03/1918 reports proposed unveiling;
06/04/1918 reports unveiling.

Illustrated Chronicle
12/10/1916 reports proposals including drawing;
15/02/1918 reports permission for site;
08/03/1918 reports proposals for unveiling;
01/04/1918 reports unveiling this afternoon;
02/04/1918 reports unveiling.

Gateshead Archive
Report of Unveiling in Blaydon Courier April 6th 1918

Whickham, Swalwell and Dunston A. Brazendale (Images of England Series; 1998)

The Story Durham (formerly Durham Record Office)
Register of those who served 1939-45 D/X 723/60

Source of quotation
 “Greater love hath no man . . .” St. John 15 v 13

Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 10 12 Wed -1916- 01
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 10 12 Wed -1916-02
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 02 15 Fri -1918
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 03 08 Fri -1918
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 01 Mon -1918
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 02 Tue -1918 01
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 02 Tue -1918 02
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 02 Tue -1918 03
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 02 Tue -1918 04
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 02 Tue -1918 05
Sources Link: Illustrated Chronicle 04 02 Tue -1918 06

Additional Research Documents

Research Acknowledgements:

Ethel and Neville Armstrong (Whickham & District L.H.S.);
Mrs. N. Smith;
Sylvia Hacker;
Kevin Armstrong;
Mr. & Mrs. T.W. Lodge;
George Nairn;
Dorothy Hall;
James Pasby;
Kevin Milburn;
Ken Blythe;
Doreen Morton

Research In Progress:

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

Provide Details

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

Names Documents:

SWALWELL    Town gate, Hexham Road.

Front upper face 1914-19           Second upper face 1914-18

          

     Greater love                 hath no man           

               DLI                DLI           

     L/C    F. Armstrong           Pte.   E. Finlay         

     Corp.  R. Armstrong           “      R.V. Gillender      

     “      M. Barnes              “      M. Hails           

     Pte.   W. Casey               “      J. Hair                 

     “      R. Churchill           “      R. Harvey          

     “      J. Clark               “      W .Hines            

     “      R. Copeland            Corp.  J.E. Hodgson     

     “      G. Cliff               Pte.   J.S. Irving               

     “      W.H. Charlton          “      F. Johnson          

     “      T. Davis               Sergt. G.A. Johnson     

     “      R. Drinkald            Pte.   R. Knotts                

     “      J. Drummond            Corp.  T.G. Lister          

     “      W. Finlay D.C.M.       Corp.  W. Laybourn         

—————————————————–

Lower front face:

     Swalwell War Memorial.

     Remember also those

     who gave their lives in

     World War

     1939-1945

     P.F. Arkless      Jos. Lambert

     M.S. Cliff        J.M.T. Turner

     R.V. Clarkson     W.W. Raine

     D. Crass          J. Rutter

     G. Foster         G. Shepherd

     W. Hudspeth       E. Shalles

     G.S. Hogg         T. Simpson

     R.S. Laybourn     A.H. Still

          W. Stonehouse

     —————–

On plinth:

        Unveiled by the Rt Hon

     The Earl of Durham K.G.

           Lord Lieutenant

        Easter Monday 1918    

—————————————————–

Third upper face 1914-18           Fourth upper face 1914-8

     than this                          that a man    

 

      D.L.I.  

     Pte.   R. Nicholson           Pte.   G. Lambert  E.Y.         

     “      G.R. Oxley             “      J.W. Lumley  W.R.R.  

     “      R.G. Pearson           “      J. McClusky  R.F.C.        

     Corp.  J.T. Reed              “      J. MaQuire  R.E.         

     Pte.   M. Rose                Corp.  W.M. Norvell  A.I.F.    

     Sergt. W. Scott               Pte.   J. Nelson  K.O.S.B.        

     2ndLt. J. Swindle             “      J. Oxley N.L.      

     Pte.   M. Swindle             “      P. Smith  K.O.S.B.         

     “      J. Thompson            Sap.   T. Simpson  R.E.            

     L/C.   G. Wilkinson MM        Pte.   J.S. Tindall C.R.           

     “      F. Wallace             Corp   J.S. Turnbull A.I.F.         

     Corp.  M. Wigham              Pte.   G. Watson K.O.S.B.       

     Pte.   W. Wright              “      S. Wright S.S.R.           

At foot of panel                   At foot of panel

     L/Cpl  C.W. Smith             A.B.   M. Newton.

     

—————————————————–

Fifth upper face 1914-18           Sixth upper face 1914-18

                lay down                his life for        

     Corp.  D. Aitken  Candns      R.N. & R.N.D.       

     Pte.   T.E. Armstrong  R.I.F. A.B.   J.C. Benson          

     “      W. Bowen  R.E.         “      G. Braddock       

     “      N.W. Braddock K.O.S.B. “      R. Chadwick    

     “      N. Braddock  W.R.R.    L.S.   G. Delaney       

     Bomb.  J.E. Brown  R.G.A.     E.R.A. J.D. Forster          

     Sergt. P.J. Conlan  R.D.C.    A.B.   W.R. Hails      

     Pte.   E. Finlay  E.Y.        “      R. Harrison      

     “      F. Finlay  E.Y.        “      J.R. Jobling       

     “      T. Finlay  E.Y.        “      J.W. Kimber       

     “      M. Hails  S.R.         L.S.   A. Laybourn     

     “      R. Hails  R.F.A.       “      J. Ledger      

     “      C.H. Jones 22nd N&D’s   A.B    A. Rolf        

                                   “      J.T. Scott

                                   “      G.M. Storey

                                   C.P.O. T Watson D.C.M. M.M.

                                   A.B.   J.H. Whitfield

                                   “      J.E. Wilkinson   

                                   P.O.   H.G. Williamson

                                          M.M. & bar    

 

On lower edge                       At foot of panel          

     Corp.M Ledger D.C.M. N.F.    Pte.    A Grainger W.Y.R.

—————————————————–

Seventh upper face 1914-18         Eighth upper face 1914-18

           his friends                        Pray for us.

 

              N.F.                                N.F.    

     L/C.   S Battensby            Corp.  S.B. Morpeth   

     Pte.   T. Brown               Pte.   J.O. Poulton

     “      J. Briggs              “      D. Robertson

     “      E. Coleman             “      M. Robson

     Sergt. T.A. Carr              “      F. Rowell

     Pte.   J.T. Drinkald          “      A.B. Rowe   

     “      T. Hope                “      T.E. Steel

     “      J. Halfpenny           “      G. Swaddle

     “      J. Iley                “      R. Simpson

     “      J.W. Johnson           “      P. Teasdale

     “      A. Johnson             “      W. Turnbull   

     “      W.F. Murray            “      J. Welch

     “      J. Morpeth             “      J. Watson    

At foot of panel

     Pte.   J.T. Williamson E.L.R.

NamesS85.01      

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