Back to Darwen War Memorials

Other Memorials

Darwen Grammar School | Painting, The Battle of Jutland | South African War (Boer War)
Western Cemetery | Belthorn | Queen's Square, Hoddlesden
Darwen Church War Memorials Project

Darwen Grammar School

The Memorial is now located at Darwen Vale High School, Holden Fold, Darwen
it is a handsome Book of Remembrance. It is contained in a bronze glass fronted unit set into the wall of the school. The case has raised lettering with a laurel pattern which decorates the left- and right-hand sides. The pages of the book are bordered by a fine blue and red edging with the names being written on one side of the page only.
The first page has the inscription;

Darwen Grammar school ww1.jpg
© John Lawson (WMR-54861)
WW1 War Memorial Book

THIS BOOK
CONTAINS THE
NAMES OF
FORMER PUPILS OF DARWEN
GRAMMAR
SCHOOL WHO
SERVED IN THE
GREAT WAR
On the unit are the Words;
TO THE MEMORY OF FORMER
PUPILS WHO FELL IN THE
GREAT WAR 1914-1918.
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.

There are 519 names in the book of these 66 gave there lives and 453 served and returned.
There is no information as to when it was unveiled and dedicated or by whom.
No names given.
WW2

Darwen Grammer School WW2.jpg
© Albert Gavagan (WMR-42317)

WW2 War Memorial

This Memorial is Bronze Tablet with a laurel border. At the top centre is the Grammar School badge. The inscription reads;
1939-1945

IN HONOURED MEMORY
OF OLD BOYS OF THIS
SCHOOL WHO GAVE THEIR
LIVES IN THE WORD WAR

The follow the names of the 20 men who gave their lives, they are;
Bury, Stancliffe Ronald; Davis, Keven; Elliott, Frank; Fielding, Richard Allen; Fish, Harry; Goodwin, Samuel; Harrison, James; Harwood, Ernest; Harwood, Ronald; Haworth, John; Holden, William; Ingleby, Peter; Jeffries, William; Jepson, Eric; Kay, Edwin; Kay, Levi Livesey; Lomax, Herbert Cecil; Marsden, Horace; Mcglynn, Alphonsus Bede; Stocks, Kenneth.
No further information at this time.
War Memorial Ref. No: 54861, 42317.

Painting, The Battle of Jutland

This painting shows a pivotal moment in the Battle of Jutland. It shows the fifth battle squadron, consisting of The Warspite, the Malaya, the Valiant and the Batham, going in to action on the afternoon of May 31st 1916 in support of the battle cruisers.
The painting was carried out by Charles Edward Dixon R.I. An anonymous donor presented the painting to Darwen Corporation in October 1920 where it was hung in Reference section of the Library. After the town was taken over by Blackburn in the local government reorganisation of 1974 it was removed to Blackburn Museum.
In 1974 Harold Heys, secretary of the Friends of Darwen Library, decided to get the painting back to Darwen. Succeeding, the painting was returned to its rightful home at the Library were it was unveiled on Saturday November 22nd, 2014, by former Royal Marine Ken Bennett

Blackburn Times: 30th October 1920
Lancashire Telegraph: 16th November 2014
War Memorial Ref. No. 54842

South African War (Boer War)

The Memorial is located in Belgrave Square, Darwen.
It takes the form of a Bronze Lion “statant” with the right front paw resting on a stone ball. The lion stands on a stone plinth made of Yorkshire stone. Each end panel of the plinth contain—at the head end—palm leaves—at the tail end—laurel leaves, each is surmounted by the Imperial Crown below each wreath is a rose. The front of the plinth has a sunken recess into which is a copper panel with an inscription and names. Above this and just below the Lion is a cartouche with the Borough Coat of Arms. An iron fence surrounds the memorial.

Boer War Memorial 5.jpg
© Albert Gavagan (WMR-42312)
The Darwen Boer War Memorial Front View

The Inscription on the Memorial reads;

SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 1899-1902
ERECTED BY
THE MAYOR OF DARWEN (ALD. JOHN TOMLINSON, J.P. C.C)
IN REMEMBRANCE OF ALL THE DARWEN MEN WHO FELL
Names
“THEIRS NOT TO REASON WHY
THEIRS BUT TO AND DIE”
AND IN COMMEMORATION OF THE SERVICES
VOLUNTARILY RENDERED BY THE FOLLOWING TOWNSMEN.
Names
HONOUR THE BRAVE

The names of the 14 men who gave their lives are;
Sergt. J. Candy, 1st S.L.R.; Sergt J.W. Robertson, G.H.; Cpl. W.T. Holden, R.F.A.;
Cpl. T. Moore, R.L.R.; Trp. J. garsden, W.D.M.T.; Trp. R. Keegan 14th H. Trp. Watson, 18th H. Sap. Bland, R.E.; Pte. E. Pomfret, 1st E.L.R.
Pte. J. Day, 1st E.L.R.; Pte. T. Dooley 1st E.L.R.; Pte. J. Eccles, 3rd E.L.R. Pte. F.G. Fraser. R.A.M.C.; F.C. Payne, 3rd E.L.R.
The names of the those who served and returned are;
Captains. A.W. Huntington, D.S.O. D.L.O.L.R., E.L. Carus, 1st V.B.E.L.R., F. Howard, 1st V.B.E.L.R.
Sergeant; Inst. P. Adams;
Sergeants; A. Fraser, J. Hewitt, T. Peake,
Corporals; D. Almond, W.Fish.
Lance Corporals; J. Gregory, W. Turbut
Buglers; A. Farren, J. Croft.
Privates; W. Aspin, G.F. Ainsworth, A. Babbington, G. Bentley, G. Birnie, D. Brown, J. Chamberlain, H. Cowell, T. Crook, E. Edge, R. Entwistle, A. Farren, D. Foulkes, T. Fowler, T. Hall, T. Hewitt, F. Naylor, R. Paul, J. Plant, T. Procter, W.H. Roscoe, J.T. Shipstone. J. Smith, R. Southworth, G. Tomlinson, R. Torrence, J. Turner, J. Wakefield, E.E. Whewell, H. Whittle, W. Whittle, W. Wild, W. Williams.
St. Johns Ambulance Corps; W. Crook, W.T. Duxbury, T.H. Stone.

Boer War Memorial 3.jpg
© Albert Gavagan (WMR-42312)
The Darwen Boer War Memorial SideView

The Memorial was given to the town by Deputy Mayor Alderman John Tomlinson. It was unveiled on Saturday 18th April 1903 by his wife Alice Tomlinson. Alderman Tomlinson then presented the Memorial to the Mayor, Robert Shorrock.
The original bronze lion was stolen in 1988 and replaced with a stone replica in 1991.
In July 2006 the lion's leg was broken off by vandals. Jack Crewdson, of Tockholes repaired and restored the lion in 2007. On 6th May 2007 the Darwen branch of the Royal British Legion held a rededication ceremony.

Blackburn Times: 25th April 1903.
Blackburn Weekly Telegraph 25th April 1903
Lancashire Telegraph: 29th July 2006, 17th April 2007, 26th October 2012.
War Memorial Ref. No. 42312.

Western Cemetery

View of the Cross of Sacrifice at the Western Cemetery on Cemetery Road in Darwen.

View of a grave in the Western Cemetery on Cemetery Road in Darwen, this is a headstone for Private A. G. Hargreaves.

View of a Memorial in the Western Cemetery on Cemetery Road in Darwen, this is for Lieutenant Edward Deakin Ashton.

Belthorn

A war memorial erected by public subscription to the honoured memory of Belthorn men who fell in the Great War of 1914-1919.
© Raymond Smith - terms and conditions

Queen's Square, Hoddlesden

This monument is a memorial to those who fell in the First, Second and Falklands Wars. An inscription reads: 'To the Glory of God and in memory of the men of Hoddlesden, Waterside, Pickup Bank and Blacksnape who made the supreme sacrifice. For Freedom and Honour. The Great War 1914-1918. May they Rest in Peace who died to give us Peace. November 11th 1918 - 1917 - 1916 - 1915 - August 4th 1914. Sons of this place, let this of you be said, that you who live are worthy of your dead. These gave their lives that you may live may reap a richer harvest ere you fall asleep'. There are 44 names on the memorial and the inscription for those who fell in World War Two reads: 'In Grateful Remembrance of the men of this place who died for freedom. 1939-1945. More brave for this that had much to love'.

Darwen Church War Memorials Project

Darwen has over twenty Christian churches giving witness and places to which the people from town could join in worship over the last 400 years. Everyone has a War Memorial to church members who died in war.

The Imperial War Museum discovered that many hundreds of church memorials existed in the United Kingdom but it did not in fact have a record of photographs. The museum asked local communities to record them and send them as a permanent record of the variety and types of commemoration.

In Darwen a small group undertook the task with the generous help and support from Darwen Camera Club, Blackburn with Darwen Library and Information Services and the Lloyd Trust to record all the Memorials and donate a set of framed photographs to the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen. Copies of the information on CD ROM would be sent to the Imperial War Museums in both London and Manchester.

The photographs record the many men and woman who died in the two major conflicts and stand as a permanent reminder of the vast sacrifice they gave. Many of listed worked and lived in the town it is hoped that the resource will help relatives and researchers in discovering the wealth of information recorded in the churches.

The project will evolve and eventually will provide more detail on each memorial and the individuals listed on them.

To contact the administrator of the project: John East, click here johneastdtc477@yahoo.co.uk