SHEPSHED, Leicestershire.
BY Richard Blood &
Tarina La Rue-Blood
Shepshed War Memorial.
At a meeting of the Soldiers and Sailors Committee, held on March 16th 1918, Mr. Joseph Harriman J.P. expressed his desire to erect a War memorial in Shepshed. It was proposed to inscribe thereon the names of all the men of Shepshed, Charley and the Oaks-in-Charnwood, who gave there lives for King & Country.
Designs were obtained from Messer’s John Daymond and Son, of London. The cost without lettering, but including the concrete foundation (13 feet square and 18 inches thick), was £462 10s 0d.
The monument is of Portland stone, standing some 17 feet high on three square steps. With projecting peers on angles of the pedestal, making room in all for 16 marble tablets to hold about 800 names. With four carved vases, one wreath, four enriched drops with inscription labels, and wording in raised letters. All surmounted by a lamp.
The first delivery of stone was made on October 25th 1918. The work of erection (expected to take about two months), began on October 29th.
The Memorial was unveiled at two o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday February 2nd 1918, by the Duke of Rutland, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire,
It originally stood in the center of the Market Place. But it was later moved to its present site beside Glenfield Park, were It sits amid a shrub garden, and now has sadly to be protected from vandals (probably of a similar age to those whose names are proudly displayed thereon) by an ornate iron-railing fence and gates.
"THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES"
1914 – 1918.
1914
H HALL.
A W THORPE.
1915
G AKED.
R KIRBY.
J PARKER.
B S TOMLIN.
G H BARKER.
J H RICHARDSON.
H W MILLER.
W RICHMOND.
T SIMPSON.
E NEWTON.
H NELSON.
H UNWIN.
H THOMPSON.
1916.
A HINCHCLIFFE.
G BENNETT.
J HICKLING.
F BLAKE.
F JOHNSON.
M H GOODALL.
G TAPP.
T STEVENSON.
W GALE.
S GREEN.
J WALDRON.
A G FAGAN.
J CROWSON.
J H LACEY.
H FOSTER.
R ROSSELL.
C MILWARD.
C THORPE.
E TACEY.
A ROSE.
R HALLAM.
1917.
E C FREEMAN.
W BUTLER.
T RICHARDSON.
A DAVIE.
E BURTON.
O NEEDHAM.
C A JORDAN.
R S BAILEY.
A CORAH.
A ELEY.
A HARRINGTON.
G BOTT.
T PEACH.
F W SMITH.
J THURMAN.
G WALKER.
A HEWITT.
B BENNETT.
J W HIBBERD.
A MARTIN.
J T PAULEY.
F COMMONS.
A NEEDHAM.
J H CLARKSON.
L LYONS.
W E CORBETT.
W BLAKE.
A E PRATT.
J FREESTONE.
J O MILLS.
F R HARRIS.
C WOOD.
F B BOWLER.
V HULL.
A MASON.
B THURMAN.
J A WORTLEY.
M E JAMES.
J WALKER.
P KNIGHT.
E BOWLEY.
R E TOMBLIN.
W L HOLT.
R H HILL.
1918.
C W HALL.
G LESTER.
A BOWLEY.
A L BROWN.
G H BEXON.
C S BENNETT.
C CRAMP.
W BROTHERHOOD.
F SAVAGE.
H P BLAKE.
J A BUTLER.
S R DRING.
G F TOMBLIN.
E V KIRBY.
A MOSS.
J WORTLEY.
J L WORTLEY.
J LYONS.
T DRURY.
H JACQUES.
L KIDGER.
G GERMAN.
F PARES.
A BOWLEY.
G H WOOD
.W H H GIBBS.
R KIRBY.
E UNWIN.
C V MANDERFIELD.
B WORTLEY.
P B WALE.
W H CRANE.
T MEE.
J E ATKIN.
F NEEDHAM.
J L MATLOCK.
E A BRIERS.
G KNIGHT.
C W BENNETT.
B B BARKER.
J HODGKINSON.
A GREEN.
S W TAYLOR.
W WIBBERLY.
A LEESON.
H MILLS.
J W WHITE.
E BERRINGTON.
A E V WINTERS.
A CHAPMAN.
J BRIERS.
S KIDGER.
E FOSTER.
J H SIMMONS
.W A BERRIDGE.
A BRIERS.
S WOOD.
J W WEBSTER.
W DAVIES.
J H RICHARDSON.
A A ROSSELL.
R FREEMAN
.F MILNER.
W JORDAN.
A DARBY.
J T KIRBY.
R HILL.
"THESE ALSO GAVE THEIR LIVES".
1939 – 1945.
T
BENNETT.L BIRKENSHAW.
S BOND.
J BURNS.
H BURTON.
H CORBETT.
G COTTON.
R FARRANDS.
R GILLIVER.
L GRIMLEY.
B HALL.
T HARRINGTON.
A HIBBERT.
E HUTCHINSON.
G LAKIN.
L MANDERFIELD.
P MAWBY.
H MOORE.
R NEEDHAM.
A NEWTON.
T OLIVER.
R OVERTON.
S PLASTOW.
F POXON.
L QUEMBY.
K T ROBSON.
C ROE.
J ROE.
G ROSE.
S ROSSELL.
O SPENCE.
W SQUIRES.
S STORER.
C WHITWORTH
.D WILSON.
PRESENTED BY
JOSEPH HARRIMAN
AND
MRS J HARRIMAN
Shepshed Council Schools
War Memorial.
On Saturday Afternoon, October 11th 1919, A ceremony took place of unveiling the War Memorial by Mr W A Brockington, to the memory of the former teachers and scholars of the Shepshed Council Schools in the Hall Croft, who have lost their lives in the Great War. The 40 names are inscribed in gilt letters on a carved oak tablet, with the inscription in the centre as follows:
J E Atkin
W A Berridge
H P Blake
W Blake
G Bott
F B Bowler
E A Briers
Alb Briers
W Brotherhood
A Chapman
J H Clarkson
C Cramp
W Davis
H Hall
C W Hall
A Hewitt
C A Jordan
W A Jordan
G Lester
T Mee
TO THE MEMORY
OF THE
Brave Sons of the
Empire
Who lost their lives in
The Great War.
* *
They have fought the good
Fight, dying in the cause of
Humanity that honour might
Live.
H Mills
H Nelson
E Newton
J T Pauley
J Richardson
T Richardson
A A Rossell
F A Scott
F A Smith
J A Simmons
G Tapp
S Taylor
G A Thurman
P W Weatherall
J W Webster
J W White
J H Wortley
J L Wortley
F B Woulidge
A Rose
The memorial was draped with a Union Jack. It is placed in the centre of the wall in the Upper Schoolroom, facing the light. Mr M Smith (Chairman of the School Managers), presided at the gathering.
A hymn, " O God our help in ages past," was sung, and the Rev H Collard offered prayer. The whole of those present stood whilst Mr Brockington (Director of Education for Leicestershire), unveiled the Memorial. The Rev T Roberts, Mr C Mee JP, and Mr W Baker (Headmaster of the Schools), gave addresses; and the proceedings closed with the singing of the National Anthem and the pronouncing of the Benediction by the Rev T Roberts.