Summary

First World War memorial.

Description

First World War memorial.

MATERIALS: marble.

PLAN: the memorial is located in the cemetery which faces the High Street.

EXTERIOR: the memorial is in the form of a Celtic cross embellished with a raised interlaced pattern. The rectangular panelled shaft stands on a two-tiered base surrounded by a kerb with shallow square caps at each corner. On the east face of the memorial the bottom of the shaft is inscribed ‘TO THE/ GLORY OF GOD’, and the higher base is inscribed ‘AND IN/ PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THOSE WHO DIED FOR THEIR/ COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1919’. The lower base is inscribed with the names of the fallen. The west side of the lower base is inscribed ‘ERECTED BY SUBSCRIPTION, NOVEMBER 1919’, and the higher base is inscribed ‘SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945’ with the name of the fallen.

History

The concept of commemorating war dead did not develop to any great extent until towards the end of the C19. Prior to then memorials were rare and were mainly dedicated to individual officers, or sometimes regiments. The first large-scale erection of war memorials dedicated to the ordinary soldier followed the Second Boer War of 1899-1902, which was the first major war following reforms to the British Army which led to regiments being recruited from local communities and with volunteer soldiers. However, it was the aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

The war memorial in Morcott was erected after the First World War to commemorate the lives of the fallen from the village. It was dedicated on 30 November 1919 by the Rev. M. S. Kemmis. To mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the war, the memorial has been cleaned and missing letters from names have been renewed. The name of the one serviceman who died in the Second World War has been added.

Reasons for Listing

Morcott War Memorial, which stands in the cemetery, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reason:

* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677430

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)