Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Blackburn
Town
Blackburn
County
Lancashire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 29 March 1920
    Attended by: The Mayor (Lawrence Cotton) performed the unveiling
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
3297

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Current location

Near Reception
Blackburn Police Station
Whitebirk Drive
Blackburn
Blackburn
Lancashire
BB1 3HP
England

OS Grid Ref: SD 70397 28993
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Previous locations
  • Originally in the Sessions House
    over the fireplace of the Police Reading Room
    Former Central Police Station (behind the Courthouse)
    Northgate Street
    Blackburn
    Blackburn
    Lancashire
    BB2 1AA
    England

    OS Grid Ref: SD 68040 28272
    Denomination: Undefined
Description
Wooden board with an open pediment that contains a carving of the Blackburn Borough crest. The central panel bearing the incised inscription is surrounded by egg-and-dart moulding, with a small inset panel on each side containing laurel leaves. The centre column of the inscription includes the dedication and the names of the former officers who died. The first and third columns list the names of officers who served and survived.
Inscription
BLACKBURN COUNTY BOROUGH POLICE/ ROLL OF HONOUR (Column 1)/ (Names) (Column 2)/ KILLED/ IN/ ACTION/ (Names)/ DIED/ OF/ WOUNDS/ (Name)/ 1914 1918 (Column 3)/ (Names)
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Ball, H
Barton, H
Bennett, F
Bradshaw, T
Bridge, T
Cayton, W
Collis, W A
Colter, S J
Crabtree, J A
Darbyshire, J
See details for all 70 names
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 70
    Served and returned: 59
    Died: 11
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Police rank, surname, initials of forenames, manner of death where appropriate
    Order of information: Alphabetically by surname in two groups: survivors (columns 1 & 3) and deceased (column 2)
Components
  • Board
    Measurements: depth c75mm, height c1200mm, width c1500mm
    Materials: Wood - Oak
Listing information
Condition
History
Blackburn County Borough Police remained an independent Force until it was amalgamated into Lancashire Police on 1/4/1969. Lancashire Police are therefore now custodians of the WW1 memorial. (Blackburn Library have a photograph of 28 Blackburn Borough Police officers who had been called up as Reservists by December 1939. As at least one of those officers is known to have died during the War, the likelihood is that Blackburn Borough Police commemorated them. However, it has been ascertained that there is no such WW2 memorial for that Force at the current Blackburn Police Station).
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Responsibility
Lancashire Police
Reference
  • Blackburn Weekly Telegraph 27 April 1919
  • Lancashire Evening Post 15/3/1919 (page 2) reported that14 Constables who had been called up as Reservists at the outbreak of the War had been sworn in before the Mayor, Lawrence Cotton, having now been demobilised and rejoined the Borough Police Force. Mention was made that, of the 22 Reservists who had been originally called up, 6 had been killed in action, 14 had now returned, and 2 had not yet been demobilised. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000711/19190315/095/0002
  • cottontown.org/Wars/War Memorials-All Wars/Pages/Blackburn/Work-places.aspx#02
  • Blackburn Weekly Telegraph 29 October 1921- On Thursday 27th October 1921, at the Police Courts about 300 presentations were made to members of the Women Police Aid Detachment and the Special Constabulary who volunteered for special service and assisted the police during the Great War. Each member of the W.P.A.D and the Specials was presented with an illuminated certificate and a baton. The certificate had the following inscription: This is to certify that —— served as a special constable of the County Borough of Blackburn and performed duty as such during the period of the Great War, 1914–19. Lawrence Cotton, Mayor and Chairman of the Watch Committee, Christopher Hodson, Chief Constable The batons are surmounted by a crown in colours with the letters “G.R." underneath. Then follow the borough coat of arms, also in colours and the words: Special Constable, 1914–19. There are 42 names on the roll of the W.P.A.D. they are: Brown, M.J.; Baron, A.; M'Carthy, A.; Callis, F.; Cooper, L.; Cotton, I.; Crucifix, M.E.; Davis, E.; Farquhar, I; Graham, A.; Haslam, E; Johnson, J.; Jones, M; Jennings, M.; Lomax, A.; Leaver, M.J.; Livesey, I.; Leeming, E.; Lemming, M.; Marshall, C.; Mitchell, A.E.; Morley, M.; Morris, E.; Mercer, E.; Mason, A.G.; Nuttall, S. (hon commandant); Ollett, M.; O'Shea, M.; Pickering, M.; Ramsay, M. (commandant); Richards, N.; Richards, L.; Rigby, E. M.; Rigby, J.; Sharples, S.E.; Standing, B.; Tennant, D.; Tenant, H.; Tennant, M.; Tipping, M.; Watson, A.; Wilkinson, H.; Isabella Cotton died in late 1918 aged 27. There are 246 Special Constables on the Roll they are: Hon. chief Alderman Thompson, W.; hon deputy chief, Higginson, J.; drill instructor inspector Mackereth; Airey, F.; Airey, R.; Aitkin, W.J.H.; Astley, J.; Ashworth, W.; Atkinson, R; Atkinson, T. Boddy, W.H.; Brown, A.E.; Bolton, P.; Briscoe, C.T.; Briggs, E.; Blackshaw, H.:Blackshaw, J.R.; Burton, T.; Burke, Richard; Bond, W.; Baines, G.; Baldwin, W.; Boothman, F.; Balme, W.E.; Booth, F.; Bowker, T.; Brothers, Malam; Butterworth, F. Cam, M; Campbell, J.; Campbell, T.; Carmichael, J.W.; Caton, A.; Charnley, J.T.; Clough, W.H.; Cowell, J.; Croasdale, J.M.; Culshaw, R.; Cunliffe, E.; Cunliffe, F.; Carmichael, F.R; Carmichael, W.; Catterall J.; Charnock, J.E.; Chadwick, J.; Chadwick. J.; Carr, W.; Catlow, R.; Coward, W.; Cumpstey, B.W.; Cotton, J.; Culshaw, W.; Cook, R.; Chadwick, W.E.; Carruthers, J. Duckworth. F.; Davis, R.; Duxbury, L.; Dixon, C.; Duckworth, J.W.; Draper, J.E.; Dawson, W.; Dewhurst, T. Entwistle, R.; Ellison, J.T.; Eatough, J.T.; Eastwood, F.; Eastwood, H.; Edmundson, Joseph; Emundson, Joseph; Eastwood, R.; Ferguson, W.J.; Fair, E.; Fletcher, R.; Forrest, B.; Ferguson, J.; Fielding, R.R.; Farnworth, J. Greenwood, S.; Green, J.B.; Geldart, William; Gilmore, H.; Garstang, W.J.; Grills, C.H.; Ginger, W.H.; Guest, W.; Gillibrand, R.A.; Goodwin, A.W.; Gidbart, R.; Garland; A.H.; Greene, R.; Gibson, T.F.; Gill. J.; Hammond, W.; Holden, Y.; Heyworth, L.; Hayes, J.; Hartley, A.; Hargreaves, J.; Haydock, J.; Hacking, J.; Highton,E.; Haworth, R.; Haworth, J.; Heys, R.; Harrison, T.; Hoyle, A.; Hodgkinson, J.E.; Haydock, G.B.; Harwood, G.; Horrocks, H.; Harrison, W.; Haworth, J.R., Howard, W.; Holden, T.; Hindle, F.; Hoghton, J.B.; Horsfall, F.S.;Hartley, J. Isherwood, J.; Ingham, T.; Ingham, A.E.; Ingham, J.; Ianson, J.W. Jackson, W.S.; Jepson, J.; Jenkinson, J.; Jones, F.; Jones, E.. Knowles, G.; Knowles, W.; Kirk, W.; Kraut, A; Kay, W.T.; Keeling, G.W.; Lewis, J.; Levers, W.H.; Lomax, J.P.; Leigh, H.; Law, W.; Longton, E.; Longworth, J.; Livesey, W.; Leaver, J.; Leaver, T.A. Morris, J.; Markland, J.H.; Mayers,, J.; Margerison, J.; Matthews, J.H.S.; Morris M.; Metcalf, R.; Maden, E.; Mawley, W.; Moxen, E.; Morris, W.; Moss, W.E.; Martin, J. Needham, T.; North, J.W. Norwood, C.B. Oates, A.; Ormerod, J.; Ormerod, R.; Oddie, R.M.; Oldham, W.; Ollett, F.; Parkinson, G.W.; Pickering, W.; Parker, A.E.; pomfret, E.; Parkinson, H.; Pickles, A.; Pickup, H.S.; Parkinson, C.M.; Petherill, C.R.; Pickup, R.T.; Pickering, E.; Richards, H.; Richardson, H.E.; Roberts, T.S.; Riley, W.; Robinson, J.H.; Rudd, E.; Riley, J.; Ryden, H.; Sharples, T.; Street, E.S.; Smalley, G.; Sweeting, J.; Shaw, J.; Sharples, J.; Speight, R.; Smith, W.R.; Stonehouse, W.H.; Schofield, W.S.; Steward, J.H.; Snape, J.; Shorrock, C.; Shorrock, B.; Smith, J.; Seed, W.E.; Sutton, W.; Shaw, J.L.; Smalley, R.H.; Slater, F.; Sharples, F.W. Thompson, T.R.; Topping, W.; Thompson, W.; Thompson, H.G.; Talbot, A.; Thompson, W.E.; Trickett, W.; Townley, R.H.; Turner, G.W.; Turner, G.E.; Tattersall, W.; Taylor, G.H.; Taylor, J.; Tinning, W.J.; Taylor, J. Walmsley, J.; Wilkinson, W.W.; Wigglesworth, J.; Wilson, W.; Wade, H.T.; Watson, H.A.; Wilson, A.; Whittaker, J.; White, H.; Wilkinson, S.S.; Wood, G.; Worswick, F.J.; Wallwork, T.; Wheelwright, P.P.; Wolley, W.; White, J.; Westwell, J.; Wild, L.; Walmsley, W.T.; Walker, R.B.; Warrington, L.; Ward, J.; Wilkinson, R,; Wood, T. Four of the special constables on the list died before the presentation, They were: Richard Burke, died 1920, aged 57. William Coward, died 1920, aged 43. Thomas Albert Leaver, died 1920, aged 56. Charles Burton Norwood, died 1921, aged 63.
  • Blackburn Times 3 April 1920

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