Lamps of Sacrifice: Whitwick

Church of St John the Baptist

North Street, Whitwick

Medieval church restored by James Piers St Aubyn, 1848-50 (grade II* listed)

The memorial is located to the east of the church. It was designed in 1921 by the vicar, Rev TW Walters. It stands 20' high and is 18' wide at its widest point.

It had been hoped that the memorial could be erected in Whitwick's old Market Place, on a portion of land that belonged to the National Schools, but this request was refused by the school trustees in August 1919. It was then proposed to erect the memorial in the centre of the churchyard, in an area that was without graves. Permission was granted by the Bishop of Peterborough in April 1921.

The contract between the Whitwick War Memorial Committee and Wells & Co of Hugglescote, sculptors, was signed on the 23 May 1921 for £510.

The memorial was unveiled on 5 November 1921 by General SIr Reginald Hoskins KCB CMG DSO and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Peterborough. The total cost on completion was £558.18s.3d.

Ernest Hall

Pte Ernest Hall was employed as a baker's assistant until enlisting in August 1914. Just seven months later, on 13 March 1915, Ernest was killed in action at Neuve-Chapelle aged 26. Ernest was married with three children, the youngest being just a baby. Ernest is reported to have been Whitwick's first casualty of the war.

RC Church of the Holy Cross

Parsonwood Hill, Whitwick

RC church designed by McCarthy & Co, 1904-05 (not listed)

In February 1918 the RC Bishop of Nottingham unveiled a memorial tablet containing the names of twelve men who made the supreme sacrifice in the war. The names were recorded on small bronze plates and fixed to the tablet in three columns. The memorial now contains the names of 21 men, fixed to the tablet in four columns.

Cemetery

Church Lane, Whitwick

Cemetery laid out by John Salisbury, 1877-78 (not listed)

The four-acre cemetery is maintained by the District Council. There are sections for Anglican, Catholic and non-conformist graves.

William Zachariah Parker

Pte Parker's grave is not marked by an IWGC headstone, but by an inscription on the base of a marble cross on the family grave. The inscription reads: "In loving memory of our dear son William Zachariah Parker, who died 30 June 1919 aged 24 years. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". A private in the Cheshire regiment, he died (like so many others) from the effects of gas poisoning.

Image credits: Michael Faulkner (three images)