Keighley Sunday Circle War Memorial Board
Currently held in storage with Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley. Previous Location, Keighley Sunday Circle, Church Green, Keighley.
Physical Description:
First World War war memorial, Oak board with broken pediment and inscription in gold lettering. Names on board 19 died, 68 served and returned.
Ceremonies: Unveiling by Mayor of Keighley on 24th September 1922. Dedication by local clergy/dignitaries.
Report in Keighley News 30th September 1922 (see below)
Inscription reads:
K.S.C. 1914 ROLL OF HONOUR 1919.
| KILLED IN ACTION: Birtwhistle, E. Bray, H. Cole, J. A. Davis, G. Holmes, S. Kitchinman, A. Long, W. Moorhouse, W. G. Raw, J. T. Riby, C. Rooke, A. Rossiter, A. Rothera, C. Shepherd, W. Smith, J. Sorton, J. H. Swift, P. Whitaker, J. Hainsworth, G.
SERVED |
SERVED Collens, J. A. Conyers, T. Cowburn, J. Doverner, H. Eagles, D. Feather, J. S. Ginz, B. Goulding, J. Heaton, T. Hill, F. Hudson, J. W. Hiscoe, J. Hudson, W. Jackson, H. Keighley F. Keighley, N. Kynnersley, W. Mason, G. Mackey, J. Metcalfe, W. Mitchell, D. Moore, W. Norton, T. Ogden, J. Petty, J. Pitt, C. Perston, C. Reynolds, E. Rollinson, G. Ruddock, E. Scaife, J. Scott, H. Smith, F. Smith, W. Sorton, E. Sorton, A. Spencer, M. Stable, A. Steadman, J. Sugden, W. Thompson, H. Thompson, S. Threapleton, J. W. Walker, S. Waddington, W. Waite, W. Waite, D. Weatherall, A. Wright H. |
THE GREAT WAR.
Keighley News, Saturday 30th September 1922, page 8:
MEMORIAL TO KEIGHLEY SOLDIERS.
MAYOR’S PLEA FOR PEACE.
SERVICES OF SUNDAY CIRCLE MEMBERS.
A solemn and impressive service was held on Sunday afternoon at the rooms of the Keighley Sunday Circle, Church Green, when an oak memorial tablet, to commemorate the services of the men connected with the society who served in the Great War, was unveiled. The tablet, which is very neatly designed, bears eighty-seven names, including the following nineteen who were killed in action: E. Birtwhistle, H. Bray, J. A. Cole, G. Davis, G. Hainsworth, S. Holmes, A. Kitchinman, W. Long, W. G. Moorhouse, J. T. Raw, C. Riby, A. Rooke, A. Rossiter, C. Rothera, W. Shepherd, J. Smith, J. H. Sorton, P. Swift, and J. Whitaker.
PLEA FOR BROTHERHOOD.
The service was largely attended, and Mr. George Goddard (president of the society), who was in the chair, had the support of the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr. and Mrs. James Longton), the Rev. S. G. Dimond (pastor of the United Methodist Church, Cavendish Street), Mr. Andrew Clark, Mr. Wilfrid Law (secretary), and others.
The Chairman said, as they were gathered together that afternoon for that mournful duty, he could not help but ask himself.” What does war cause?” It let loose all things that were bad and hellish in the land; it caused murder, lust, and robbery. Lives were lost, and men were crippled and diseased. When we come to think about it, is it not time that there was no such thing as war?” asked Mr. Goddard. Men and women must make themselves determined to have no more. When we could get the thought spread throughout the whole world that all men and women should be brothers and sisters, then the time would have come when there would be no more war and the kingdom of Christ would stretch from shore to shore. That time would be what people called the millennium, and to reach it they must look to Christ to guide them. (Applause.)
The Mayor, who performed the unveiling ceremony, said it had been his melancholy duty to be present at some of the unveilings of these memorials. To him it had been a very sad task, for every memorial was a witness to calamity and to distress. It was a witness to the sorrows of fathers and mothers, and of broken homes where a wife had been left or where children had become orphans. During the time he had served the town as Mayor it had been his duty to go into France, and there he had seen the evidences of the war, such as no one would believe unless they had seen them. The most appalling sights were the cemeteries. There were hundreds of crosses, the graves of the British soldiers being indicated by white crosses and the graves of the German soldiers by black crosses. The French showed the utmost reverence for the British graves, said Mr. Longton.
THE WASTE OF WAR.
Remarking that he was glad memorials were being put up in various places, the Mayor said he wanted everyone to think of the dreadful consequences of war. “I want these memorials to be an education, and make everyone peacemakers, and to be a reminder to all that we are hoping for the time when wars will be no more.” said the Mayor. War was waste, waste of life, waste of property, and a waste of everything we treasured, and he hoped that the time was coming when there would be brotherhood among all nations. At the present time the eastern sky was very clouded and very threatening, and his personal wish was that all the difficulties should be overcome by negotiation and not by any shedding of blood. I pray, and I am sure you do the same,” said the Mayor, “that God will give us peace in our time. He hoped that the influence of the memorials would spread to every rank and that they would do something toward making nations believe that no one nation should have all the privileges. It was a question of selfishness of nations as well as selfishness of man that had principally caused the difficulties we had to-day. (Applause.)
The Rev. S. G. Dimond, in dedicating the memorial, said it was the first gathering of this nature that he had attended in Keighley. He fully realised, however, that the roll of honour represented a great deal of sorrow, and that homes had been broken in such a way that they could never be the same again. Out of such experiences there were things to learn. They needed to realise the great truth that every abiding joy in life was paid for at the price of bloodshed. Everyone of our great blessings had been bought at some sacrifice. Men had spent sacrificial lives, many had been martyrs, and the rights of public speech and nature that he had attended in Keighley. He fully realised, however, that the roll of honour represented a great deal of sorrow, and that homes had been broken in such way that they could never be the same again. Out of such experiences there were things to learn. They needed to realise the great truth that every abiding joy in life was paid for at the price of bloodshed. Everyone of our great blessings had been bought at some sacrifice. Men had spent sacrificial lives, many had been martyrs, and the rights of public speech and freedom of religious thought had all been gained at some sacrifice. We were inclined to forget the price of peace. In the spirit of Jesus Christ they should take the precious gift. of life and pour it out in sacrificial service for our fellow-men. (Applause)
Mr. Andrew Clark moved and Mr. A. Blackwell seconded a vote of thanks to the Mayor, Mayoress, and Mr. Dimond During the afternoon Miss N. Brown (Keighley) rendered two solos.
Information sources:
Cliffe Castle Museum.
Dale Keeton.
Imperial War Museum. Ref: 28794
Photos by Andy Wade.
