The Ancient Order of Foresters war memorial (Lost)
We know this roll of honour existed but not what happened to it. We presume it went elsewhere when the Keighley Order either moved or closed down, but we have no further information about it. The Imperial War Museum holds very little information about it apart from a local newspaper reference dated 1923, which we have transcribed and featured below.
Very little is known about what happened to this memorial. Apparently many years ago, it was on display at the Temperance Hall on North Street which ironically, is now a Wetherspoons public house.
The Ancient Order of Foresters was a Friendly Society, similar to the Order of Shepherds; the Order of Oddfellows; and the Rechabites, all of these were separate societies which were effectively an insurance society to which you paid a subscription in exchange for help and support if you fell on difficult times. This ‘insurance’ protected a person or their family if the breadwinner died or fell ill, becoming unable to work to support their family.
Keighley News, Saturday 3rd February 1923, Page 10:
WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED
At a special meeting of the Court Economy Lodge of the Ancient Order of Foresters held on Monday evening in the Temperance Institute, the lodge war memorial was unveiled. The memorial is a tablet of light and dark fumed oak, and at the head appear the emblem and motto of the Order. In raised lettering is the following inscription: “In grateful memory of 47 brothers of the Ancient Order of Foresters who served during the Great War, 1914-19, five of whom made the supreme sacrifice. Then follow the names of the five men – George N. Barber, Joe Foulds, Henry Inman, Edgar Scott, and Samuel Whitaker, who were killed, and below are the names of those who served. The unveiling ceremony was performed by Bro. T. P. Burton, C.R., and a short address was given by Bro, H. Padley, Bro W. Shackleton presided over a moderate attendance.
Names of men who were on this memorial:
There were 47 members of Keighley’s Ancient Order of Foresters who served in the Great War, all of whom were listed on this memorial. Five of these men lost their lives in the war.
They were:
George N. Barber
Joe Foulds
Henry Inman
Edgar Scott
Samuel Whitaker
Information sources:
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
The Imperial War Museum.
