Stoke Bruerne and Shutlanger War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

Stoke Bruerne and Shutlanger War Memorial, which stands alongside the church of St Mary the Virgin, 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;
* Group value: it stands alongside the Grade II*-listed church of St Mary the Virgin.

History

The memorial records the servicemen of Stoke Bruerne and the adjoining village of Shutlanger who died during the First World War, and also Sister Elsie Anne Bull who nursed soldiers in France and Serbia. Sister Bull died in 1919 as a result of sickness contracted on service, and is buried in the churchyard. The memorial was presumably erected in or soon after 1920 like the majority of those across the country. The names of two servicemen from Shutlanger who died during the Second World War were added later.

Details

The memorial stands in the churchyard, close to the south-west corner of the Grade II*-listed church of St Mary the Virgin. It consists of a white marble obelisk, c2.5 m high, with a small wreath carved in relief at the top of the front (east) face. The obelisk is set on a splayed plinth, which itself stands on a square base, both of white marble. A shallow, chamfered, lower base is of a red stone.

Inscriptions in applied metal lettering on the plinth and base read:

(north face) (9 NAMES)

(east face) TO THE GLORY OF/ GOD/ AND IN MEMORY OF THE/ BRAVE MEN,/ WHO FROM/ STOKE BRUERNE & SHUTLANGER/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-18 and on the base GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIEND.

(south face) (10 NAMES)

(west face) SACRED TO THE MEMORY/ OF/ THE TWO BRAVE MEN/ FROM SHUTLANGER/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN/ THE SECOND GREAT WAR/ 1939 - 1945 (NAMES) and on the base “AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN/ THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.”

The memorial stands on a concrete surround defined by an elaborate low iron chain, suspended from corner and mid-posts.

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, 17 January 2017.

Sources

Websites
Roll of Honour (Northamptonshire, Stoke Bruerne), accessed 16/03/2015 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Northamptonshire/StokeBruerne.html
War Memorials Register, accessed 17 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/15089
War Memorials Online, accessed 17 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/146240

End of official list entry

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