St. John the Evangelist Church, War Memorial - Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
N 53° 05.182 W 002° 14.464
30U E 550830 N 5882147
This war memorial is located in the churchyard at the front entrance of St. John the Evangelist Church on The Avenue in Kidsgrove.
Waymark Code: WMVKXM
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/01/2017
Views: 2
This War Memorial is Grade II listed for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a memorial in the form of a Calvary with accompanying statuary that is well crafted and has artistic qualities.
It is a First World War memorial that was erected c1920. A further inscription was added after the Second World War in memory of the eight who died in that conflict.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is situated in a prominent location, close to the liturgical west end of the church. It is in the form of a wooden Calvary with a stone figure of Christ. To either side are the carved figures of the Virgin Mary and St John the Baptist and at the foot of the cross is a kneeling figure, probably Mary Magdalene.
Two reconstituted stone blocks carry dedicatory plaques.
The left-hand plaque is inscribed:
'PRAY FOR THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE
GREAT WAR 1914-1918
THOMAS FINN JOHN McKEOWN
JOHN MORAN JOHN PRYOR
HENRY SHAW DOMINIC SWEENEY
JOHN WILKINSON '
(It also includes one of the Fallen from the Second World War underneath the names mentioned above).
JAMES PRYOR - 1954
The plaque on the second block carries the inscription:
'1939-45
JOANNES RAFFERTY.
RICHARDUS HENNESSEY.
PETRUS KEVIN GARVEY.
FRANCISCUS CAREY.
JOANNES CHRISTOPHORUS GARVEY.
JOANNES HIGGINS.
THOMAS MURPHY.
PIE JESU DOMINE DONA EIS REQUIEM.'
Source: (
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Interestingly, the men’s first names— a number of whose surnames suggest Irish heritage, are recorded in their Latin form on the World War 2 plaque, which was not the case for their Great War predecessors. Source page 19 at the following link: (
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'Delight as war memorial secures Grade II listed status' a report in the Sentinel Newspaper: (
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