War memorial in the churchyard of St John the Evangelist, Bacup

Summary

First World War Memorial, 1924, by William Heyworth, with later Second World War additions.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial in the churchyard of the Church of St John the Evangelist, Bacup is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* it is a dignified war monument, executed in good quality materials, with careful attention to its form and detailing.

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on the congregation of the Church of St John the Evangelist, Bacup during the First and Second World Wars.

Group value:

* it benefits from a spatial group value with the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Evangelist.

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 in the churchyard of the Grade II-listed Church of St John the Evangelist, Bacup in 1924, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 28 members of the church congregation, who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was designed and erected by Will Heyworth of Messrs Hargreaves and Co, Stacksteads, at a cost of £170, paid for through the generosity of the parishioners of the Church of St John the Evangelist. The dedication service led by the Vicar, Reverend V English MA was held within the church, and an address was given by the Reverend W Ingham, the Vicar of Constabelee, Rawtenstall, stressing that 'we should endeavour to our utmost to make this world brighter, better and happier'. A procession then followed to the memorial, where the unveiling ceremony was undertaken by Lieutenant-Colonel G G H Bolton MC, who gave a speech advocating that all countries should join the League of Nations and '..they should try and avoid any further conflict such as the one through which the world had passed'. The ceremony came to an end with the laying of floral tributes.

Following the end of the Second World War, the names of five further Fallen members of the church were incised into the rear panel of the memorial.

Details

First World War Memorial, 1924, by William Heyworth, with Second World War additions.

MATERIALS: Yorkshire stone.

PLAN: cross and shaft raised on a square-plan pedestal, plinth and podium.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated in the churchyard to the east of the Church of St John the Evangelist (Grade II), facing out over Burnley Road. It comprises a Bottony cross mounted on a tapered ashlar shaft, on a decorative pedestal, standing on a plinth and podium. The front (east) elevation of the shaft is decorated with a laurel wreath carved in relief between the dates 1914 / 1918. The pedestal has a square canopy and is encased on all sides by gabled Tudor-style, trefoil panels, with double chamfered frames. The east panel has incised lettering that reads IN / MEMORY / MAKE THEM / TO BE NUMBERED / WITH / THY SAINTS. The side panels record the names of 27 of the Fallen from the First World War, and the rear (west) panel records one name from the First World War. The names on the south panel are inscribed beneath an incised Alpha, and those on the north panel beneath an Omega. Following the Second World War, a further five names were added to the inscription on the rear panel, with the date 1939-1945. The pedestal stands on a chamfered plinth, raised on a podium with a single step.

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum, War memorials, St John the Evangelist, accessed 14 March 2018 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/597?utm_source=ukniwm&utm_medium=rw&utm_campaign=wmalaunch
Rossendale Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society - Rossendale, St John the Evangelist Church, accessed 14 March 2018 from http://www.rossendale-fhhs.org.uk/files/war_memorials/st_john_bacup_memorial.html
War Memorials Online - St. John the Evangelist Church, accessed 14 March 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/183798/

Other
The Times, Saturday February 23, 1924 - Memorial to Fallen Heros, Cenotaph at St John's, Bacup

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