War memorial at the Church of St Mary, Hackney, London

Entry Name: War memorial at the Church of St Mary

Listing Date: 4 January 2016

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1431826

ID on this website: 101431826

Location: St Mary's Church, Stoke Newington, Hackney, London, N16

County: London

District: Hackney

Electoral Ward/Division: Clissold

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Hackney

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: St Mary Stoke Newington

Church of England Diocese: London

Tagged with: War memorial

Summary

First World War memorial. Erected 1920.

Description

First World War memorial. Erected 1920.

MATERIALS: carved from limestone.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands within the churchyard to the north-west of St Mary’s Church. It comprises a Latin stone cross rising from a tapering chamfered shaft c.3m high. At the centre of the cross are the letters: HIS; denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus. The base of the shaft is supported by four small gabled buttresses on each side and stands on a moulded octagonal plinth 1.1m high, and octagonal base 0.4m high. There are laurel wreaths set in recessed panels on four sides of the plinth and inscriptions to three sides. On the east side is inscription: THIS CROSS IS/ DEDICATED/ TO THE GLORY/ OF GOD AND IN/ MEMORY OF THE/ MEN FROM THIS/ PARISH WHO/ FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1919. The base beneath it is inscribed: AND IN THE WAR OF/ 1939-1945/. The inscriptions on the north and east sides are no longer legible. However, the former is recorded as: GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. The latter is recorded as: I SENT YOU OUT WITH MOURNING AND WEEPING BUT GOD WILL GIVE YOU TO ME AGAIN WITH JOY AND GLADNESS FOR EVER. There are four sets of inset double steps in the base, which is formed of three courses of ashlar, the top course of which forms a moulded cornice.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 10 February 2017.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw a huge wave of public commemoration with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. One such memorial was erected in 1920 to the design of Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott to commemorate residents of Stoke Newington who died during the conflict. The memorial was dedicated during a ceremony attended by the Bishop of London on 11th October 1920. Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott, who was grandson of Sir George Gilbert Scott, also designed memorials at Speldhurst (Kent), Little Kimble (Bucks) and West Derby (Merseyside).

Reasons for Listing

The First World War Memorial at St Mary’s Church, Stoke Newington, erected in 1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* 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;
* Design: an elegant Latin stone cross set upon a tapering shaft, octagonal plinth decorated with laurel wreaths and octagonal base;
* Group value: it stands alongside the Grade II* listed Church of St Mary, and adjacent to the Grade II* listed old church and Grade II registered Clissold Park.

External Links

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.