Memorial Title

Spr W Smith

Summary

Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of a WW1 war memorial to Spr William Smith added to a family gravestone in St John the Baptist's Churchyard at Winster, Derbyshire.

Images

Locations

Last known location:
St John the Baptist's
Churchyard
Elton Rd (B5057)
Winster
Derbyshire

Nearest postcode:
DE4 2DH

NGR:
SK 23910 60535 ±5m

Location details:
Grave A1 near the southwest corner of the churchyard.

Type

Overall type: Addition to gravestone.

Overall condition: Poor. The inscription was legible but the grave was becoming overgrown.

Description:

An addition to the inscription on a family gravestone. The tall headstone has a pointed arch top, rounded edges and a border of foliage in relief. The inscription is inlaid in mainly upright capital block lettering. The headstone surmounts an oblong stone base with chamfered top and an adjacent recument tablet in the form of a scroll is completely obliterated by moss and lichen. A kerb is no longer visible.

Components:

Component	Material	Height	Width	Depth	Condition
Headstone	Stone	1340	700	80	Fair
Base	Stone	c150	c900	c250	Fair
Tablet	Stone	480	715	80	Poor
Kerbs	Stone	-	c900	c2000	Unknown
Dimensions in millimetres ±5mm unless stated otherwise.

Inscription

Headstone:

Conflicts and people named:
Conflict	First World War (1914-1919)
Number died	1
Number served and returned	0
Total names	1

In
Loving memory
of
MARY, THE BELOVED WIFE OF
THOMAS SMITH,
WHO DIED MARCH 31ST, 1912,
AGED 65 YEARS.
“THY WILL BE DONE.”
ALSO
SAPPER WILLIAM SMITH,
No 490351 OF THE N.M.
ROYAL ENGINEERS B.E.F.
BELOVED SON OF THE ABOVE,
DIED OF WOUNDS RECEIVED
IN ACTION OCTOBER 7TH 1917,
AGED 34 YEARS
LIES SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE
“UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS.”
ALSO THOMAS SMITH,
DIED AUG 12TH. 1920,
AGED 72 YEARS.
HIS END WAS PEACE.

CARSON

Tablet:

[RAOB
TO THE MEMORY OF
THOMAS SMITH CP
ERECTED BY THE PROVINCIAL GRAND
LODGE OF BIRCHOVER
... ...ENDERED AS
CHIEF OFFICER OF THE PROVENCE
AND SECRETARY OF THE NORMAN
LODGE WINSTER FOR 14 YEARS
RESPECTFULLY OUR FAITHFUL BROTHER.]

Tablet completely illegible and wording derived from a previous transcription by Dawn Scotting.]

Administration

Custodian: Presumed to be the Smith family.

Local authorities:
From WW1: Winster Parish Council; Bakewell Rural District Council; Derbyshire County Council.
From 1974: Winster Parish Council; Derbyshire Dales District Council; Derbyshire County Council.

History

Unknown date: The memorial was provided by S Carson, monumental mason.

17th April, 1951: The memorial lies in the Peak District National Park designated on that date.

Unknown date: The memorial lies within the Winster Conservation Area.

Unknown date: Inscription transcribed by Dawn Scotting.

4th December 2009: The memorial was surveyed by Roy Branson and Alan Willmot. It was in poor condition: The grave was overgrown and the tablet hidden under foliage.

References

Dawn Scotting; pers comm; October 2009: exchange of emails regarding the inscription.

Comments

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