Summary

A war memorial standing in the graveyard of St Michael and All Angels Church, unveiled in 1922.

Description

A war memorial standing in the graveyard of St Michael and All Angels Church, unveiled in 1922.

MATERIALS: Whitby stone.

PLAN: the memorial is square on plan.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial comprises a square ashlar masonry plinth with a two-stepped base above, the lower step has a moulded cornice. Above the base is a tall slender tapering shaft, atop of which is a Latin cross with fleur de lys and a small bronze sword of sacrifice inset at the centre. There is a commemorative plaque on the upper step of the base which reads: IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR/ GOD KING AND COUNTRY/ IN THE WORLD WARS OF/ 1914 - 1918 AND 1939 – 1945/. - JESU MERCY -/ MAY THEY REST IN PEACE. On the lower part of the base is a further larger plaque on which is inscribed the Roll of Honour.

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 Farnsfield Memorial was unveiled by Captain Sherbrooke on 24 August 1922 and dedicated by the Ven. W.J. Conybeare, Archdeacon of Nottingham. The unveiling was reported by the Newark Advertiser on 27 August. There were originally 27 names on the memorial and a further 5 names were added following the Second World War. The original memorial plaque has been eroded, although it is still legible. A new plaque was installed in the 1990s which was paid for by the Farnsfield and District branch of the Royal British Legion.

Reasons for Listing

Farnsfield War Memorial, which is situated in the Churchyard of St Michael and All Angers and was unveiled in 1922, 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.

Architectural interest:

* as a simple but well-executed Latin cross memorial.

Group Value:

* with the Grade II-listed Church of St Michael and All Angels.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q97301846

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

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback