Summary
War memorial. Erected 1921.
Reasons for Designation
The war memorial at St John of Jerusalem Church, Hackney, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as a First and Second World War memorial that has strong cultural and historic significance within both a local and national context;
* Commemorative: it forms a poignant reminder of 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 St John of Jerusalem Church and within the boundary of the Grade II listed churchyard wall.
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 1921 to commemorate residents of South Hackney who died during the conflict. The memorial was dedicated on the 22nd October 1921 in the presence of local clergy, dignitaries, a choir of 160 voices, detachments of uniformed organisations and the general public. An address was given by Lt General Sir Francis Lloyd who served as Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding London District during the First World War, and as such was responsible for the defence of London. The memorial was erected in place of temporary shrines on nine local streets, which had been decorated with flowers, flags and symbols of martial glory. One located on Palace Road (now Frampton Park Estate) was dedicated to 111 men from 70 houses that had gone to serve by the summer of 1916. Queen Mary visited these shrines and the Church of St John of Jerusalem in August 1916 where she saw a list of men who had been killed and a reredos in their memory. The Queen gave the Rector a framed print of The Great Sacrifice by James Clark (1858-1943).
Details
War memorial. Erected 1921.
End of official list entry
