Clowne War Memorial
Proposed War Memorial at Clowne.
18th December 1918
Several laudable suggestions were put forward at a largely attended parish meeting held in the Clowne Schools on Wednesday to consider the question of a memorial to the local men who have fought and died. Mr W. Mapletoft (Chairman of the Parish Council) presided.
Mr S.Porter suggested that an underground convenience, surmounted by a monument, be provided on The Green.
Mr J. H. Eastwood favoured the erection of a house for a parish nurse, with a mural tablet inscribed with the names of the fallen.
Mr A J.Calow suggested the establishment of a branch of the Y.C.M.A. in the village A drinking fountain and a trough for cattle on the site of the parish pump, with a plinth bearing the names of the fallen, was a suggestion made by Mr S.B.Brown.
The Rev.J. Waugh said there was already a scheme for enlarging the Parish Church and if the parish would help in this work and in the erection of a mural tablet it would form a very wise, permanent, and suitable memorial. They had already raised £2,200 towards the enlargement scheme.
Mr A.T.Hebbes suggested the removal of the parish pump, which was an eyesore, and on its site the erection, on a pedestal , of a figure representing Peace, with the names of the dead inscribed on the base, and in the outstretched hand of a figure a lamp, which he hoped the Parish Council would see was kept lighted on every dark night throughout the year. (Hear, hear.)
Mr Staton and Mr Scarborough suggested the erection of a pillar on the site of the parish pump, and an illuminated clock, with the names of the fallen inscribed on the sides of the pillar.
Col. Butler Bowdon suggested thethe formation of a committee to take into consideration the suggestions offered, and submit a definite scheme to a future meeting. The memorial ought to be of such a nature that it would be an ornament to the village. (Hear,hear.)
Mr Davenport supported Mr Hebbes suggestion.Mr H.Gregory appealed for the support of the young men, who had benefited more than anybody else by the war, and who had escaped service owing to the nature of their employment. The war had been a young man’s war, and they would benefit in the days to come. (Hear, hear.)
Eventually Col. Bowdens’s suggestion was agreed to, and the following were elected a committee, with the power to add to their number. Mesdames Allan, Stocks, Lilley, Fullwood, Gregory, The Rev. J. Waugh, Messrs J.Smith, H. Gregory, S Porter, W. Mapletoft, A. Eason, S. Woodhead, A.T. Hebbes, G Freeman, J. Staton, B. Milner, C. Bourne, H Thompson, A.J. Calow, J.H.Eastwood, R.Tinsley, Albert Womble, J.Bradley, A.Seston, T.Scarborough, W.H.English, A.G.Ottley, H.Davenport, W.Woodhead, J.A.Richardson, T.Truman, G.Henshaw and Doctors J.A. Magee and A.S.Allum.
Mr G.H.Calow was asked to act temporarily as secretary. An appeal for subscriptions in the room realised £101.
Parish Meetings Decision.
23rd January 1919
For the proposed war memorial the Clowne men who have fallen in action the following schemes new submitted by the committee to a meeting of parishioners held on Thursday last week, under the presidency of Coun. W. Mapletoft.
(1) The placing of a mural tablet in each place of worship and the setting aside of the residue of the fund for establishing a scholarship for poor students at a secondary school or university.
(2) The erection of a memorial on the Green or at the Cross, the residue of the fund to be allocated to the nursing fund.
(3) The erection of a nurse’s house with library and mural tablet attached.
After discussion, the meeting voted in favour of a memorial on the Green. Replying to Mr J. A. Richardson, the Chairman said he could not say what the cost of the suggested schemes would be. The Rector said he was responsible for the first proposal. He anticipated that the cost of the mural tablets would be something like £50 each, or between £180 and £200 altogether. The scholarships would be a great advantage to the village. There had been instances in the village where a little educational help would have been acceptable. Mr h. Gregory remarked that it was high time they had a nurse in the parish, and he did not there was one dissentient voice. If they secured one they would want a hoses. He was not particularly struck with monuments, he was in favour of a public library, and suggested approaching Mr Carnegie. With regard to scholarships, he considered they should be given by the State, and not have to depend upon the pockets of poor people. (Hear, hear.) His scheme would not be an incubus on the rates.Mr S. Porter disagreed with the Rector’s scheme: it seemed to split up in too many parts. The memorial should be erected in the most conspicuous place, where everybody could see it and read it, and he hoped that the Trustees of the different Churches would see to it that a tablet was erected. He would would spend every penny on the was memorial, even if they got £1,000. As to the question of a library, several attempts to start one had been made, but had failed. He agreed with Mr Gregory that a nurse was wanted for the parish. The memorial should be erected on the Green. Mr A. Eason supported the proposal, which was adopted.
Replying to a question, Mr Porter said the land on the Green was the property of the Parish Council. He thought they ought to raise £1 per house, and there was 1,250 houses in the parish. It was suggested that the question of a nurse be separated and dealt with by another committee, but there was an overwhelming majority against this step. The Secretary (Mr Hugh Thompson) announced that the amount realised up to date was £142.
Clowne Honours Dead.
War Memorial Unveiled by ex-Officer.
18th October 1920
The memorial which has been erected at Clowne to the local men who fell in the war was unveiled on Monday in the presence of a crowd of about 2,000. The monument which stands on the village green, is of white marble and surmounted by the figure of an infantryman, and has been erected by Messrs. Borrowdale, of Worksop. The names of 84 Clowne men are inscribed upon it. Mr. W. H. Gregory, chairman of the committee , presided and amongst those present were the Rev. J Waugh, Commander Phillips (Salvation Army), Messrs T. Scarbro, S. Woodhead, G.Freeman, S.Porter, and G.Henshaw. Members of the Old Comrades’ Association, in command of Lieut. J. Belfitt and Serge-Major M. Trott, and the Clowne Silver Prize Band were also in attendance. The Chairman said there had been some criticism in the parish respecting the delay in erecting the memorial, but the committee had been seriously handicapped in losing, by death, their treasurer, Mr A. Eason, and their secretary, Mr. Hugh Thompson, who had left the village. The committee had not been able to erect the elaborate memorial they intended doing owing to lack of financial support. The cost of the monument was £380, and they had raised a sum of £350.
The unveiling ceremony was performed by Lieut. Belfitt, who said the memorial had not met with the approval of all Clowne people, but it would answer the same purpose. They must remember it was not the monument, but the memory of the glorious dead they were honouring. In spite of the homage they had paid to the gallant lads, as one who had been through the ordeal he could tell them that they owed an undying debt of gratitude to those who had stood between them and the enemy.
Mr Porter remarked that at the outset he was not altogether in favour of the memorial, but he decided to give way to the majority. If those people who had criticised the Committee had attended the earlier meetings they would have had the opportunity of voting for or against any proposition. They had, however, done their best in the circumstances, and now it was all over it was up to them to see that those who were maimed in the war did not suffer. As a member of the Board of Guardians he had seen distressing cases. Addresses were also given by the Rev. J. Waugh and Commander Phillips and the “Last Post” was sounded by Bugler J. Jones. Many beautiful wreaths were placed on the memorial, including one from the Clowne Old Comrades Association.
Missing names were added to the memorial in 2022.
