Scalford War Memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial, erected in 1920; further names added after the Second World War.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial in Scalford 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 church’s community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* for its design, a simple but dignified classical memorial.

Group value:

* with the Church of St Egelwin the Martyr (Grade II), in whose churchyard it stands, and a medieval churchyard cross (listed and scheduled) and two chest tombs (listed Grade II), with which it forms a poignant memorial grouping.

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: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised at Scalford as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the 25 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was altered after the Second World War to include the names of three servicemen who died in that conflict.

The memorial, planned by committee from as early as April 1919, was designed and erected by Mr A Herbert, monumental mason of Melton Mowbray, at a cost of £123 12s 6d and was paid for by public subscription. The memorial, sited in the churchyard of the Church of St Egelwin the Martyr, was unveiled and dedicated on Saturday 30 October 1920 by Reverend HT Mogridge, Vicar of Scalford.

Details

A First World War memorial, erected in 1920; further names added after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: grey Cornish granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial, which is about 2.3m high, comprises a square-section pillar with “HIS” carved in relief within a small circle, with deep cornice and moulded capstone bearing an incised cross to the front face, all on a two-tiered, heavily-moulded base. The pillar has a polished face to the front side, which bears the First World War inscription. The front and back faces of the pillar bear the inscriptions in leaded lettering.

The inscription reads: HIS// TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN/ PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THOSE WHO DIED FOR THEIR/ COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)/ ERECTED BY SUBSCRIPTION 1920// TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN/ PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY/ OF THOSE WHO DIED FOR THEIR/ COUNTRY/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES).

Sources

Websites
Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register: Scalford War Memorial, accessed 06 June 2019 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/14790
Leicestershire County Council’s Leicestershire & Rutland War Memorials Project website, accessed 06 June 2019 from http://www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/memorials/view/989

Other
‘Unveiling of Memorial’, in Melton Mowbray Times, 05 November 1920, p.3
DE 3091/101, at Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Scalford Parish Record File: ‘Report of Memorial to the Scalford men who fell in the Great War 1914-1918.’

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