Bewcastle Parish War Memorial, Cumbria
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| 1. Bewcastle Parish Church, War Memorial and cross |
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| 2. Bewcastle War Memorial and poppy wreath tribute |
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| 3. WW2 names on Bewcastle War Memorial |
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| 4. Interior of Bewcastle Church (St Cuthbert's) |
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| 5. Bewcastle Roll of Honour located inside the church [Commemorating the dead of the two World Wars] ____________________________________________ |
For additional information click on 'Comments' below.
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posted by ritsonvaljos at 11:26 pm
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Additional information
Bewcastle Parish and the War Memorial
Bewcastle is an ecclesiastical and civil parish in northern Cumbria (previously Cumberland). Bewcastle Parish Church is dedicated to St Cuthbert and is in the Brampton Deanery of the Diocese of Carlisle (Church of England). Records indicate there has been a church on this site since at least 1277, although it is believed there was a church on the site some centuries beforehand.
Bewcastle is close to Cumbria's border with Northumberland and Scotland. Throughout recorded history these borders have been hotly disputed by some and ignored by others. It is close to the former 'Debatable Lands' disputed by Scots, English and Cumbrians alike until the unification of the kingdoms under James VI of Scotland and I of England. Many of the families of Bewcastle are descended from the infamous clans who made up the infamous 'Border Reivers'. This is reflected by the surnames of some of those who are listed on Bewcastle's War Memorial - Armstrong and Beaty for example.
Some of the stone used to build the church was taken directly from the earlier Roman fort on this site. Within the church grounds is the Bewcastle Cross, a 7th Century Anglo-Saxon structure (c. 675 A.D.) and the Parish War Memorial. These can be seen in Photograph No. 1 (above). Visitors come from all over the world to see Bewcastle Cross and adjacent to the churchyard is a small but informative exhibition centre.
The War Memorial was first dedicated following the First World War. Originally, the memorial listed the names of 19 parishioners who lost their lives in the 1914 - 1918. Some of these can be seen in Photograph No. 2. Following the Second World War the wording on the memorial was altered and the names of 3 parishioners who died in the 1939 - 1945 were also added to the plinth. These names can be seen in Photograph No. 3 (above).
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The War Memorial inscription
Below is a transcription of the wording on Bewcastle Parish War Memorial:
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"In honour and in memory of SOLDIERS from this parish who died for their country in
THE GREAT WARS
1914 - 1918
1939 - 1945"
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Below this are the details of Bewcastle's WW2 casualties:
Trooper John Costigan, 1st R.T.R.
Pte. John G. Forrester, Black Watch
Sergt. Frederick K.M. Waugh, R.A.
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On the other three faces of the plinth are the details of 19 parishioners who died in the 1914 - 1918 war:
L.-Cpl. Christopher Armstrong, Grenadier Guards
Pte. John Forrester, London Scottish
Pte. Richard Armstrong, Australian Force
Pte. George Armstrong, Australian Force
Pte. William Little, New Zealand Force
Pte. Adam Waugh, Canadian Force
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Border Regiment:
Cpl. Thomas Beaty
Pte. William Beaty
Pte. John James Armstrong
Pte. Hugh Armstrong
Pte. John Gass
Pte. William Moscrop
Pte. William Murray
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Sergt. Septimus Waugh, Yorkshire Regiment
Pte. Robert Waugh, West Kent Yeomanry
Pte. David Jackson, Northumberland Fusiliers
Pte. Alfred Varley, Durham Light Infantry
Sapper Robert Easton, Royal Engineers
Sapper James Routledge, Royal Engineers
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The Bewcastle Roll of Honour (update February 2017)
Bewcastle churchyard has three 'official' casualties from the 1914 - 1918 war: Robert Easton, John Gass and Robert Waugh. However, some of the other casualties are remembered on the headstones of family graves in the churchyard, including three local casualties who are not listed one from the 1914 - 1918 war and two from the 1939 - 1945 war.
The interior of Bewcastle church (St Cuthbert's) was renovated between 2014 and 2016 and can be seen in photograph No. 4. A small but impressive free exhibition centre and museum about the history of the parish and district since Roman times has also been opened in a building found in the churchyard. Inside the church is an updated 'Roll of Honour' with the names of the local men who died in the World Wars [Photograph No. 5]. It has the 22 names listed on the war memorial outside the church plus the three who were missed off the original memorial:
Private Joseph Dodd, 27th Canadian Infantry, died 26 September 1916 (WW1);
Pilot Officer John Dodgson Dodd, 248 Squadron, RAFVR, died 13 December 1940;
Sapper Reuben Nicholson, Royal Engineers, died 16 December 1944.
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Dedication
This article is dedicated to the fallen of Bewcastle and district in the two World Wars.
"At rest"
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