Tetford War Memorial, Tetford, Lincolnshire

Summary

First World war stone memorial with marble table featuring inscription, topped by a pinnacle and orb, and erected by bricklayer William Camplin in 1921.

Description

First World war stone memorial with marble table featuring inscription, topped by a pinnacle and orb, and erected by bricklayer William Camplin in 1921.

MATERIALS: stone memorial with marble table featuring inscription.

PLAN: an octagonal spired monument surmounted by an orb.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial features a tapering base below a plinth, with columns and capitals at each corner. Each of the four columns support a triangular shaped pediment, with a cross at the apex of each. The centre of the monument is topped by a pinnacle and orb.

The inscription on the white marble tablet of memorial reads: ‘TO/ THE GLORY/ OF GOD/ AND/ IN LOVING MEMORY/ OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES/ IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR/ 1914 - 1918/ AT REST/ GREATER LOVE HATH/ NO MAN THAN THIS,/ THAT A MAN LAY DOWN/ HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS/ NAMES.’

Also commemorated is one life lost in World War Two, with the inscription reading: ‘THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED/ 1939-1945.’

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, as a result both of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, and of 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.

Tetford War Memorial is the product of a larger trend in 1918: the formation of local committees with the sole purpose of raising funds for the erection of a memorial. The committee for Tetford’s memorial certainly existed by August 1919, and work on the site had begun by December 1919, though a definite date for its unveiling remains elusive. The committee was driven by Mrs E.A. Maughan, who raised money (through events such as a concert in August 1919) for the erection of Tetford War Memorial by local bricklayer William Camplin in early 1921. The memorial was placed on high ground overlooking a road, provided by Mr Albert Edward Maughan of Tetford House.

The octagonal spired monument was supplied by Messrs Browning and Son of Spilsby, costing £20. The service for its opening (potentially in January or February 1920) was conducted by Revd. William Wood MA.

In January 1925, the Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian reported that a memorial service for those who died in the First World War took place at Tetford. A procession to Tetford War Memorial was followed by a short service, in which Rev. J. Thomas and Rev. H.P Browell addressed the attendees, and Mr M. Broyn laid a wreath.

On 12th July 1948, Tetford Parish Council formally took over the responsibility for the monument from the War Memorial Trust, a role that they still hold today. From 1950 till at least 1968, the Parish Council, having approached the City Council, received a duty of a penny rate on the villagers of Tetford, used for the maintenance of the memorial. In 1968, the memorial needed urgent repair work, which was carried out by Jack Camplin for £3.00-£5.00.

Reasons for Listing

Tetford War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:Historic interest:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the community and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as an elegantly designed and well-executed war memorial, which survives well.

External Links

Historic England Listing

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.