War Memorials of Newnham in Hertfordshire

Newnham is a small village near Ashwell in Hertfordshire. The parish church is St Vincent's and features several medieval wall murals [1]. There has probably been a parish church at Newnham for over 1,000 years.  The earliest parts of the present north wall are thought to date from the 12th century, the chancel from the 13th, the tower and south aisle from the 14th and the clerestory windows and south porch from the 15th century.

The church, which is dedicated to St Vincent, serves a small village community of some 100 people. Since 1998 they have been part of the United Benefice of Ashwell, Hinxworth and Newnham – the Benefice includes the two redundant churches at the hamlets of St George, Edworth and St Mary Magdalene, Caldecote.

St Vincent's Church, Newnham, Hertfordshire

On the north wall of the nave fragments can be seen of medieval wall-paintings dating from the 14th and 15th centuries (some may be as early as the 13th century).  The best preserved of these shows the lower half of St Christopher - his feet, the base of his staff, cliffs and some lively looking fish in a turbulent stream.  Unfortunately, the upper half of the Saint with the infant Christ on his shoulders was unwittingly destroyed during the reconstruction of the nave roof in Victorian times. Other intriguing fragments await conservation; a mysterious circle with figures of strange beasts, and a human figure on the window edge close to the pulpit.  In fact there are traces of early colour beneath the limewash in many areas of the interior. [2]

Roll of Honour

The roll of honour comprises a hand-written roll on a pre-printed form [3].

Hand-written roll of honour at Newnham

Your prayers are asked

for those who have gone

to serve our King & Country

by land and sea and air

Our Roll of Honour

1914-1918
Brown, Percy (M.M) Brown, Raymond E. Glass, Edward Glass, Harold Haylock, Charles Hine, Eric G. Hine, Evelyn V Jarman, Percy (Edmund) Johnson, Harold (M.M) Johnson, Leonard Johnson, Percy (R.I.P)	Lucas, Harry Lucas, Reginald Muncey, Edmund P. Norman, Harold K. Norman, Walter L. Stoten, William A. Thurgood, Frederick J. White, Reginald Worboys, Frederick Worboys, Thomas
1939-1945
Baylay, G. (G????????? F?????) Baylay, Monica Baylay, Peter Berry, Michael Berry, Oliver Berry, Roger Bullard, Reginald J. (RIP) Chamberlain, Elphinstone Chandler, Percy S. Chapman, Alfred W. Damant, Reginald Davey, Jack Farr, Percy R[obert] Anthony (Lieut) (RIP) Farr, Dinah Gray, Dr Charles (Major RAMC) Hammond, Edward Hoy, Salter Hoy, Albert W. Hoy, Doris Hoy, Bertram S. Hoy, Ernest J. (RIP) Hoy, Stanley	Mynott, Arthur Norman, John L Picking, Harry Kenneth Pettyjohn, William Prator, Arthur Roberts, Ronald Rosendale, Charles Robert Smith, Arthur Surridge, Kenneth R. Wilkins, Frederick

[1] Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newnham,_Hertfordshire)
[2] The Church of England (http://www.achurchnearyou.com/newnham-st-vincent/)
[3] IWM Memorials Archive (http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22771)

War Memorials of Therfield in Hertfordshire

The Church of St Mary the Virgin, in Therfield, Hertfordshire has stood the test of time. The most recent church was completed in 1878 and it replaced a church that had been located here since the 13th Century. When it was replaced, the windows, pulpit and font were removed from the old church and built into the new structure. The tower contains six bells dating from 1597 until 1707.

The war memorial consists of a memorial clock on the Church tower. On accessing the church, there are three memorial plaques. A roll of honour for those who died in WW1, a plaque confirming the clock was placed as a memorial and a personal memorial plaque to the memory of Joseph Thomas.

The memorial was erected in 1919, designed by the clockmakers William Potts & Sons Limited of Leeds and was dedicated on the 8th February 1920 by Revd H R Humphrey [1].

St Mary the Virgin Church, Therfield, Hertfordshire

Therfield Memorial Clock

Plaque 1

This tablet is placed here by the people of Therfield,

in proud memory of her sons who were faithful unto

death, in the great war 1914-1918.

PTE William Andrews

PTE Ernest Badcock

PTE Sidney Batt

PTE Albert Bullard

PTE Sidney Bullard

PTE Thomas Bullard

LCPL William Bullard

PTE Thomas Drage

PTE William Edwards

CPL Victor Fardell

PTE Charles Gatward

PTE Walter Gatward

PTE Joseph Hagger

PTE Thomas Kingsley

PTE Frederick Knights

PTE Francis Leete

PTE Arthur Rayner

PTE Percy Rayner

PTE William Stoten

PTE Ernest Watson

PTE Frederick Watson

Their name liveth for evermore.

Plaque 2

The clock on the tower

was placed there to

perpetuate their memory

Plaque 3

Individual Memorial to Joseph Thomas, Therfield, Hertfordshire

To the memory of

JOSEPH THOMAS

Saddler Corporal 209th Company, Army Service Corps.

Voluntary Soldier in the GREAT WAR 1914

Served with distinction in the

Auxiliary Horse Transport, Salonica.

Where he succumbed to a severe illness

And gave his life for his Country

on FEBRUARY 1st 1917 aged 31 years

interred at the BRITISH CEMETERY SALONICA. Grave No. 794

ERECTED IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE BY HIS SORROWING WIDOW

& CHILDREN AND HIS FORMER EMPLOYERS I. BEER & SONS SMITHFIELD EC

[1] IWM Memorials Archive (http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22621)