For King and Country: Blackmore During the First World War (Part 2): War Memorials

Blackmore War Memorials and Remembrance

It was government policy to bury those lost where they fell. As we know some bodies were never recovered from the theatre of war and are commemorated on huge walls in a foreign land. Many remain in a foreign field, Rupert Brooke wrote, “that is for ever England”.

The Blackmore War Memorial

The Armistice on 11th November 1918 marked the end of hostilities with Germany and plans to erect a war memorial in Blackmore began only three months later.

A public subscription raised £106:15s:1d, against a final cost of £274. To help bridge the gap, it was decided to hold a hold a draw to raise funds.

Mr Jasper promised a pig, Mr Hull promised a pig and a pair of fowls and Mr Marriage a pair of ducks and seven pounds of roasting beef.

The War Memorial was dedicated on 7th November 1920, four days before the second Anniversary of the Armistice.

The Essex County Chronicle reported:

“The unveiling of the war memorial took place on Sunday afternoon, a very large number of people being present. The ceremony began with the singing of “O God Our Help In Ages Past” followed by the lesson read by the Vicar (the Revd. W L Petrie) and prayers by Pastor Francis.

At the request of Mr Edmund Marriage, Lieut. Col. Gibbons D.S.O. then unveiled the memorial congratulating Blackmore for having sent 103 men out of a population of 600.

He mentioned that one in every five had paid the supreme sacrifice – Mr J H Hull then asked Mr E Marriage as Chairman of the Parish Council, to accept custody of the memorial.

The names of the fallen are inscribed on the front face, and on the other faces the names of the men from the village who served are inscribed”.

The Church Memorial

The church also has a Memorial in its former Lady Chapel, now the Vestry, a window bearing names of those who died in the Great War, as it became known.

The list of those remembered on Blackmore’s stained-glass window differs from that of the Parish War Memorial. Alfred George Ellis’ name is additional. Charles Wash, the brother of Walter, and David and Edward Sutton are omitted.

There were no specific rules laid down as to who should or should not be included on War Memorials. Generally, though, it appears that if the individual had parents, or family, living in the village then he was commemorated on the War Memorial.

Stondon Massey

Revd. Edward Henry Lisle Reeve, who had succeeded his father as Rector of Stondon Massey in 1893, was a keen local historian who wrote ‘Notes For A Parish History’ maintaining an eye-witness account of events in Stondon Massey and the locality.

He wrote about the decision to include names on the Stondon Massey War Memorial tablet:

“The six names are all that we could fairly include, though Ernest Maynard, a Blackmore lad who worked in the Rectory garden here up to the time of enlisting, was well known, and almost eligible; and Fred Garnham, who fell in the Mons retreat, had been brought up in the village, but had married and joined from Radley Green, Writtle.

R J Ellis was living at Norton [Mandeville] when he died, but was included as being a true Stondon lad, and with his old parents still in the parish”.

Herbert Game

Illustrative of this is Herbert Game, who married Alice Symons at Blackmore on 6th October 1909. He was killed during the Battle of the Somme on 15th October 1916.

Sergeant Herbert Game, of the 11th Battalion Essex Regiment is commemorated on the War Memorial at Chelsfield, Kent, where his widow remarried.

Ongar War Memorial Medical Centre

Another War Memorial is the Ongar War Memorial Medical Centre, rebuilt in 2011.

One month after the end of the War it was decided to build a Cottage Hospital. However, raising money proved difficult and it was not until 1928 that a site in Shelley was purchased and August 1933 before it was finally opened.

Inside the former building was a Roll of Honour to those who died from several local parishes.

The names on the Roll were not always accurately spelt, and there were duplications of names such as Herbert Miller, Harry Riglin, and James Roast being three of the four names which appear on both parish memorials at Blackmore and Doddinghurst.

In 2012 the official opening of the Medical Centre included the unveiling of a large carved memorial stone affixed to the wall of the reception area of the town’s surgery.

Derek Berwin, the principal researcher, wrote:

“The roll is based on first born in, then if not born in then resided in, it is in no way meant to imply that Church and War Memorials should be altered or names that have been read out at Remembrance time should be changed.”

In my view it is right that existing memorials should not be tinkered with. Twenty-nine men are listed in respect of Blackmore.

Renewed Remembrance

In terms of renewed remembrance, the neighbouring parishes of Ingatestone & Fryerning, and Doddinghurst have both had new War Memorials erected over the last twelve years.

Blackmore’s War Memorial was re-carved in 2010.

Gunner Ted Sutton

The only Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial in Blackmore churchyard in respect of the First World War is to Gunner Ted Sutton.

He died on 24th November 1918, aged 31, in hospital in Exeter having been injured by shrapnel. He was buried on 30th November 1918.

Ted was born in Edmonton to parents who had previously lived in Blackmore and was living in Tottenham with his father when he enlisted in November 1915.

His father, John Sutton, a widower, appears to have returned to Blackmore soon afterwards. He outlived his two sons, David, age 24, and Edward, who both died within a month of one another in 1918 and are both remembered among the fallen on the War Memorial.

Tipps Cross Remembrance Hall

Finally, Tipps Cross Remembrance Hall has its origins in the Blackmore and Stondon Massey Ex-Serviceman’s Club founded on Armistice Day 1921.