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Bethersden

Built into the Churchyard wall of the Church of St Margaret’s, this granite memorial consists of a simple Latin cross atop a slightly tapering shaft; both of which are octagonal in form. The base of the shaft is a square block with chamfered upper edges and this rests on a plinth with capstone. The base for the memorial consists of two tiers of unequal depth; the upper is particularly narrow relative to the lower. The upper tier is flanked by two square panels embedded into the Churchyard wall and set at an obtuse angle to the plinth against which they are placed. A significant portion of the lower base tier front face is beveled at 45 degrees, leaving square faced blocks at each end; the upper surface of which has been sufficiently hollowed to accommodate a small plant. The front face of the plinth and the beveled face of the lower-tier of the base are inscribed.

In 2011, a grant of £195 was offered through the Small Grants Scheme towards re-pointing & re-lettering works. All open and failed joints were raked out and re-pointed with a lime mortar mix that matched the existing in colour, texture and bonding strength and the lettering was re-painted black to assist legibility as the lead lettering had weathered to a colour similar to the granite memorial.

The memorial was built in 1920 by local builder Mr Russell and dedicated on 22nd December 1921 by Col. Cornwallis. The total cost of the memorial was £188-12s-10p.

The front face of the plinth bears the inscription:

“1914 In memory of 1919”

Beneath which are the names of fourteen men who fell in the First World War:

“2nd Lieut Herbert Bright Hyland         Pte John Hicks
Pte Frederick Walter Bourne              Tpr Arthur Walter Kingsnorth
Pte John Edward Briggs                     Pte Henry Thomas Lovell
Pte Harry Claringbold                        L/Cpl George Thomas Millen
Pte Sydney William Guess                  Pte William Moore
Pte Cecil Hicks                                Pte Charles Frederick Murrell
A. B. Harry Herbert Hicks                   Gnr George Ernest Ring”

“Their name liveth for evermore”

The beveled face of the base’s lower-tier is inscribed:

“1939 – 1945”

Followed by the names of seven men killed during the Second World War:

“Sydney John Davies,                         Ernest Frank Penfold,
Frederick George Murrell,                     John Mansel Pleydell,
Richard Henry Neale,                           William Charles Roots,
                            James Henry Vine.”

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM4561
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 1805

War Memorials Online: 120730

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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