The first meeting of Week St. Mary’s War Memorial Committee took place on the 28th of April 1919. By June the 25th 1919 a sum of £109 had been raised by public subscription and the granite cross had been ordered. On October 27th the decision to prepare the site was taken and materials were ordered for the foundations. Further moneys were raised by a public tea; Price 1/- (one shilling), followed by a magic lantern show on Palestine; Admission 6d (sixpence).
The war memorial was unveiled by Sir George Croydon Marks MP for the Launceston Division on Saturday 6th of December 1919 (Parliamentary divisions have been reorganised and renamed several times since). Prayers were lead by the rector, Rev. Charles Thomas Witmell; a lesson was read by Rev.T Rud and followed by a hymn. A tea followed in the Council School to which all service men had free invitations. After the tea Sir George gave a lecture on the League of Nations to a crowded audience.
At that time the fund contained a total of £134/11/6 (£134 pounds, 11 shillings and 6 pence). The memorial cross was supplied by The Bodmin Granite Company Ltd, and invoiced on the 9th of December 1919 for £123/10/4 (£123 pounds, 10 shillings and 4 pence).
In October 1946 the balance of the “Victory Day Celebrations” £15/6/3 was passed on to the 1939-45 War Memorial Fund. In April 1947, £7 was spent on cleaning and painting the memorial and in May 1948 £8/5/0 was spent having the names of the fallen added to the memorial.
At some time after the initial erection of the war memorial the maintenance and upkeep was taken on by the Week St. Mary Branch of the Royal British Legion and this they did until the nineteen-sixties. By this time the railings had deteriorated and in November 1964 the Week St. Mary Branch of the Royal British Legion wrote to the Parish Council to say that they were no longer able to be responsible for the memorial.In November 1967 responsibility of the War Memorial had been taken on by the Parish Council. Week St. Mary Royal British Legion passed the money in the war memorial fund onto the parish council. In February 1968 the old railings were removed at a cost of £5 less £1/15/0 for the scrap value of the old railings. In March 1970, £50 had been raised towards the new posts and chains which cost £55/9/0 to install.
Update: 2010 - Renovations to the War Memorial have been carried out with the help of funds from the War Memorial Trust and Cornwall Councillor Phil Tucker. It only remains to replace the chains around the Memorial. We hope you are pleased with the result, for this much-loved piece of village history. Week St Mary Parish Council
Those who gave their lives are remembered annually on Remembrance Sunday when the brief, but poignant service, concludes with the laying of a wreath and the sounding of the Last Post.
Private Ernest James HIGGINS (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry)
Died: 18/09/1917 - Aged: 19 - Son of William and Susanna Higgins, of Week St. Mary.
Private W. J. COLES (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry)
Died: 23/05/1919 - Age unknown
Private John KINSMAN (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry)
Died: 2/10/1916 - Aged: 19 - Son of Richard and Mary Kinsman, of Kitleigh, Week St. Mary.
Private Sidney LAWRENCE (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry)
Died: 10/09/1914 - Age unknown
Lance Corporal Hartley Owen ORCHARD (Military Police)
Died: 21/11/1918 - Aged: 21 - Son of Thomas and Mary Ann Orchard, of Carey House, Week St. Mary.
Sapper George Frederick Wright REED (Royal Engineers)
Died: 1/12/1915 - Aged: 36 - Husband of Alice Moyse Reed, of Week Green, Week St. Mary.
Private James ROGERS (Devonshire Regiment)
Died: 4/11/1917 - Aged: 21 - Son of John and Mary Mason Rogers, of Week St. Mary.
Private William John COLES (Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry)
Died: 18/09/1918 - Aged: 23 - Son of John and Emily Coles of Parsonage Green, Week St. Mary.
- For information on the War dead, search the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
- SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association)
50º 45'03.84N 4º 30'01.39W OS: SX 237977 Elevation: 142m
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