Crofton Park (St Mary Magdalen) War Memorial

Grounds of the Church of St Mary Magdalen, 73 Comerford Road, Crofton Park, London, SE4 2BA

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

First World War memorial, formed of a wooden cross with Christ sculpture set on a brick plinth with plaque. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1449916
Date first listed:: 06-Nov-2017
List Entry Name:: Crofton Park (St Mary Magdalen) War Memorial
Statutory Address:: Grounds of the Church of St Mary Magdalen, 73 Comerford Road, Crofton Park, London, SE4 2BA

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1449916
Date first listed:: 06-Nov-2017
List Entry Name:: Crofton Park (St Mary Magdalen) War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: Grounds of the Church of St Mary Magdalen, 73 Comerford Road, Crofton Park, London, SE4 2BA

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Grounds of the Church of St Mary Magdalen, 73 Comerford Road, Crofton Park, London, SE4 2BA

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: Lewisham (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ3640675196

Summary

First World War memorial, formed of a wooden cross with Christ sculpture set on a brick plinth with plaque.

Reasons for Designation

Crofton Park (St Mary Magdalen) War Memorial 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 has made in the First World War; * Design: as a dignified war memorial depicting Christ at Calvary.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also 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.

One such memorial was raised at the Church of St Mary Magdalen in Crofton Park as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial was the idea of Parish Priest and Assumptionist Rector of Brockley Father Marie-Louis Deydier, who had served as a military chaplain; it was unveiled on 7 July 1917 in a ceremony attended by Sir John and Lady Knill, the Mayor of Lewisham, the Assumptionist Provincial, the Lord Mayor of London, and relatives of the fallen. It was blessed by one Father Francis, as Father Deydier was still in France. The marble tablet designed by Joseph Dutton was added the following year. The memorial continues to be the focus of annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations.

Details

Wooden cross, replete with INRI board, and a lifelike sculpture of Jesus Christ. It rests on a brick base, which bears a marble plaque resembling an open book; the left side reads (chi-rho symbol) / O CRVX AVE SPES VNICA /“GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD / GLORY SAVE IN THE CROSS / OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST / GAL. VI 14 / TO THE MEMORY OF / MEN OF THIS MISSION / WHO IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - GAVE THEIR / LIVES FOR FREEDOM & / JUSTICE THIS CROSS IS / DEDICATED. The right side lists the names, followed by REQVIESCANT IN PACE.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 January 2018.

Sources

Websites
IWM - St Mary Magdalene, accessed 15 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/12255
Lewisham War Memorials - Brockley, St Mary Magdalen RC Church WW1 Memorial, accessed 24 August 2017 from http://lewishamwarmemorials.wikidot.com/memorial:st-mary-magdalen-rc-church-ww1-memorial
St Mary Magdalene - History, accessed 25 September 2017 from http://smm-brockley.org/history/
Taking Stock - St Mary Magdalen, accessed 25 September 2017 from http://taking-stock.org.uk/Home/Dioceses/Archdiocese-of-Southwark/Brockley-St-Magdalen
War Memorials Online, accessed 30 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/255060

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.