"STANSFIELD WAR MEMORIALS"

All Saints Church Congregational Church The memorials, now both installed in All Saints Church The Church of All Saints, Stansfield The memorial of All Saints is a wall mounted wooden plaque in the form of a shelter, under the eaves of which is a crucifix and the dedication in painted lettering:- GREAT LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS S.JOHN XV.13 STANSFIELD MEN WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR Below this is a glazed frame in which, hand-written, under the dedication "PRAY FOR THE SOULS OF THE GALLANT DEAD" are the names, rank and date of death of the eight men, in date of death order followed by:-THEY WILL GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH UNTO THE GOD OF GODS, APPEARETH EVERY ONE OF THEM IN SION ..PSALM .LXXXIV:7 R.I.P. The bottom of the memorial is a form of rack (to hold wreaths and crosses ?) Strangely, the Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register states that this memorial was unveiled on 24th March 1918 and recorded in the Suffolk Chronicle and Mercury. It seems attempts must be made to find this newspaper. Seems strange that a memorial was dedicated that long before the end of the war, especially as that date was when the Germans were over running our positions on the Somme. The IWM do say that quite a few memorials were inaugurated in the Spring especially of 1918. Of a similar size and again in wood, the memorial which was originally in the Congregational Church has a pediment with the words IN LOVING MEMORY OF. Then, in the top centre of the main board, is screwed a cast bronze laurel wreath headed by the badge of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on which, in white letters, is the inscription headed by H.D. S.S.U ( Haverhill District Sunday School Union) and IN MEMORY OF HARRY BROWN REPORTED MISSING FRANCE AUG.22nd 1917 To the left of this are the inscribed names of WILLIAM PRICE HERBERT CRYSELL GEORGE CRYSELL FRANK TAYLOR GEORGE SETCHELL and on the right MEMBERS OF STANSFIELD CONGREGATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL under the wreath is inscribed:- WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN" JOHN XV 13 The Congregational Memorial was unveiled and dedicated by Rev Eric Weir of Stowmarket on 15th May 1921, and reported in the Suffolk and Essex Free Press on 18th May :- STANSFIELD - MEMORIAL SERVICE A memorial service which was most impressive throughout, was conducted by the Rev. Eric Weir, of Stowmarket, at the Congregational Church. The sermon, based on Rev. 21-1("There was no more sea") was a beautiful and tender appeal for faith in the hereafter, with special reference to the lads who had given their lives in the war. The hymns sung were "Hark, the sound of Holy Voice", "Rest of the Weary " and "For all the Saints". The 23rd psalm and the anthem "What are these?" were rendered by the choir. After the service the memorial, which is in the form of an oak tablet, inscribed with the names of the six ex-scholars of the Sunday School and members of the Church, and a large silver flower vase for the the Communion table, was unveiled and dedicated by the Rev. Eric Weir. The names of the six men were Harry Brown, William Price, Herbert Crysell, George Crysell, Frank Taylor and George Setchell. Mr. Marsh was the organist and played the "Dead March, and the service closed with the "Last Post" and "Reveille". In 1972 the Congregational church joined with the English Presbyterian church to become the United Reformed Church. go BACK to Stansfield home page

They shall grow not 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.