The Story of Broughton in Amounderness War Memorial
As the reports of heavy losses during the 1st world war started to filter back to the country and the acknowledgement that many of the bodies would not be coming home….the movement started to have local war memorials. The 1st of these were raised as early as 1916. The requests and discussions were focused on the “clubs”, parish churches or the parish councils. In Broughton the parish council took the lead with a formal Parish meeting being called at the Village Club Room, on Whittingham Lane on the 18th December 1919.
This meeting was to decide what would be a “suitable memorial to the fallen heroes of the Parish” (A). This meeting does not list the attendees but it does mention the various types of memorials and their champions. Richard Hardman (the PC chair) suggested a cross in the Pinfold (2) and Mr.H.D. Wilson suggested an alms house between the police station and the post (1). However the meeting ended without a decision and meeting was adjourned until January whilst costs were looked into. The Almshouses was dismissed in a note to the chair as being “not fundable in the current fiscal time”.
A 2nd Parish meeting was held on January 28th 1920 and 18 attendees with more than half women (the only time they are at any of the meetings), they included the vicar from Broughton Parish Church the Rev Samuel Collinson, the doctor Dr.Sykes and the village policeman P.C.Kent. The Rev Father Blackos of Fernyhaugh, sent his apologise and a letter saying that the church in Fernyhaugh was looking for its “own memorial on the roadside to the shrine” (B). This meeting focused on where to put the memorial. George Hardman was presiding and said that an old parishioner had been to see him and “he was not in favour of the Pinfold (2) being used”, he felt it should be “near the church and would be willing to pay for the land in the vicarage field (4)” he also felt “that the Pinfold had been used for sheep and other animals”(A). The site proposed was “half way between the vicarage and church lane”. The vicar though there would be “difficulty in obtaining the same” (A) and suggested “brook Meadow” (5) instead. Mr Wilson though this would be to low but Mr Hardman thought it could be raised. This site was put to the meeting and the agreed unanimously. The meeting then moved to a suitable design and a committee was appointed to look at designs and costs.
This group now calling themselves “the committee” then seemed to take over the management of the memorial but did not meet again until the 16th October 1920. This meeting was a “site(s)” visit. They started on Brook Meadow (5) and decide against this as to raise it would be expensive and if not raised it would be much lower than the road. They moved to the corner of church lane (4) no comments are made about this site. Then to Mr Wilson's field opposite Mr. Clarks lodge (3), but this would mean cutting down many trees, so it was agreed that the Church Lane site was best.
n.b. these notes are out of date order in the record book and appear to have been added at a later date with different handwriting and ink
The next meeting was scheduled for the 8th December 1920 when the committee was to report to a full parish meeting, but it was delayed until 20th January 1921. The parish meeting started with letter from the Rev Collinson in which a number of reasons were listed (access to the church and future use of the land for building being (B), as to why the agreed site of the end of church lane would not possible, as a result the meeting rescinded the motion of the 16th October. Discussion then moved to other sites (A) Mr Collinson's Field between the vicarage gates and church lane; considered but declined as it “was thought the commissioners would want a large piece (?)
For breaking in the middle of the field” (CWGC) (B/F) by the “virgins” (C) square on Whittingham lane: this was seen as to far from church and off the main through road (C), the “only other site suitable “”corner of Bank Hall Lane adjoining the highway”: this was owned by Mr Wilson who said “he would be pleased to give the land” (A)This was voted on and agreed it thanks.
The design for the memorial had been produced as a model by the Rev Collinson and this design was agreed, but after deciding the site a “small committee: Robert Houghton & Robert Hardman (B)” was set up to take “ expert opinion” on the design/look at alterations/modifications and to ”proceed with the appeal for the necessary funds”.
This appeal was advertised in the newspaper and a number of events were held. A coffee morning in the club rooms by the “Messer Cooke, Ainsworth, Sykes and Hoyle (E) and a “race day” by the primary school.
On Fridays 11th November 1921 at 4pm the memorial an “unveiling ceremony was presided over by the chairman of the parish council Mr.R.Hardman” (A) It was unveiled by Colonel W.S.Bowes D S O who lived at Rose Cottage and dedicated by the Reverend Collinson, with a “trumpet last post” by soldiers from Fulwood Barracks. This was followed by “tea in the club rooms prepared by the ladies committee” (B)
This is not the end of the story, in February 1922 the parish council minutes stated that the “indenture” (now called custodial documents) from Mr Wilson passed the keeping of the site to the Parish council as guardians. The PC agreed to pay the outstanding accounts of £80 before this was signed. This was agreed and a motion to “place the war memorial in the keeping of the parish council to maintain on behalf of the parishioners” was agreed. These documents and the ones form the East side memorial are held at the LCC archives.
Other Memorials in Broughton
Broughton church houses a carved crucifix “picked up by Major A.T.R.Houghton, company commander of the 4th North Lancashire regiment, when he and his men were billeted among the ruins of a monastery at Ypres in November 1916. The figure was partly damaged by German shells”. (C)(D)
In the church there is also a memorial to Francis Thomas’s sons Wilson who died in 1915 at Gallipoli Rhea WW” memorial was unveiled by Air Marshall Sir Hugh Sydney Porter Walmsaley he was the youngest son of James Walmsley who lived in Waratah on Lightfoot Lane.(C)
The war memorial was built at Fernyhaugh and stands on the roadside leading to the shrine as envisaged by Father Blackos.
Other links to WW1: There is s reference to “the Hollies” which during the 1st WW was converted into convalescent home for soldiers and sailors and a memory that the Barton church school children used to “polish the brass inside as their contribution to the war effort” (C)
Inscription on Broughton War Memorial:
We remember before thee, O Lord, and entrust to thy keeping those who in two wars have died in defence of Justice and Freedom.
They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Those who fell in the First World War:
1914 - 1918 War
Eric Osmond COLLINSON d. 18th May 1915 aged 26 Private: 16th Battalion: Canadian Infantry
Robert EVANS d. 30th July 1917 aged 35 Sergeant: 1st/4th Battalion: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Charles Edward HOYLE d. 14th May 1917 aged 21 Corporal: “A” Battery 165th Brigade: Royal Field Artillery
Tom JACKSON d. 1st July 1916 aged 18 Private: 10th Battalion: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Thomas Austin PAGE d. 7th June 1917 aged 26? Rifleman: 4th Battalion: 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Frank ROBERTS d. 5th September 1917 aged 24 Private: “C” Company 2nd/8th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
William SYKES d. 4th April 1918 aged 36 Lieutenant: 112th Battery: Royal Field Artillery
James THORNTON d 24th March 1918 aged 27 Lance Corporal: 2nd Battalion: Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Joseph Benjamin WATSON d. 6th April 1920 aged 26? Private: Royal Army Ordnance Corps
n.b. names in brackets are people with the same surname who were at the 2nd Parish meeting, full detailsof all the names will be published later this year and are on the Imperial War Museum's website: “lives of WW1”
Sources
A. Parish council minutes held at LCC archives (18/12/1919-27/06/1923
B. Original “Trust” documents for both sites held ta LCC archives (1943 & 1947)
C. Rev.George Jackson (1979 ) Broughton Roundabout Leyland Printing company
D. F.EdenWilson, R.D Houghton (1971)A short history of the Parich church of St.Jogn the Baptist
E. Notes from LCC archives
F. CWGC notes
Broughton's Second World War Memorials
In 1947 a committee was set up for a memorial to those who had died in the 1939-1945 war. The memorial was paid for by a subscription that was managed by a committee. In December 1947 an advert for this appeal was placed in the Lancashire Evening Post with the secretary of the appeal being Roger Houghton living in “the cottage”.
Names for the memorial were invited as were ideas for the memorial as it was not then assumed that it would be added to the existing WW1 memorial. The committee was then offered the area on the east side as well by the Dickson family to offer a way of “contemplating” the memorial across the road…..you must remember that at that point the Garstang Road was not the busy road of today.
G. The idea of a bench of contemplation was suggested by the “women’s fundraising group” and the Dickson’s offered to plant behind the bench area with a coppice of trees.
On the west side, the WW1 memorial was enhanced by an area of paving, railings & behind it a sandstone altar, on either side of this were panels for the names of those who had died in the war. On the front of the altar was the inscription:
TRANQUIL YOU LIE YOUR KNIGHTLY VIRTUE PROVED
YOUR MEMORY HALLOWED IN THE LAND YOU LOVE
1914-1918
(This is taken from “O Valiant Hearts” a hymn remembering the fallen of the 1st World War, with words from a poem by Sir John Stanhope Arkwright(1872-1954))
In 1948 in time for the armistice service in November the memorial was completed and dedicated.
Denis Anthony Bentley 15th March 1945
Ronald John Buckley 12th August 1940
Thomas Leonard Cain 3rd September 1940
Bryan Inglis Cannell 14th August 1942
Arthur Carr 23rdSeptember 1940
Clifford Carr 7th December 1942
John Edward Chadwick 7th November 1941
Geoffrey Thomas Chapman 28th July 1942
Thomas Crossfield Derham 3rd December 1943
Anthony Chambre Dickson 5th December 1941
Joseph Ignatius Holden 22nd June 1945
Eleanor Leigh 1st June 1943
Terence Anthony Lendrum 19th November 1940
James Mason 16th July 1944
Samuel Myerscough 20th November 1943
Charles Naylor 19th June 1940
Norman Parkinson 2nd October 1942
Donald Parkinson 6th August 1944
George Nevil Sutton 3rd May 1944
George Telford Stevenson 16th October 1945
William Wallbank 10th July 1944
John Walmsley 13th June 1945
John Nelson Wilkinson 18th July 1945
Henry Walmsley 15th October 1940.