Memorial details

Memorial type
Cross
District
Southend On Sea
Town
Leigh On Sea
County
Essex
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Maker
ART AND BOOK COMPANY (Designer)
Ceremony
  • Dedicated
    Date: 24th August 1921
    Attended by: Local Clergy/Dignitaries
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
22518

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Current location

Junction of Broadway
Church Hill and Elms Road
St Clement's Church
The Broadway
Leigh On Sea
Southend On Sea
Essex
SS9 2DE
England

OS Grid Ref: TQ 84158 85839
Denomination: Church of England

View location on Google Maps
Description
Stone plinth surmounted by Hooded Calvary. Figure of Christ is painted.
Inscription
REMEMBER/ THIS CALVARY IS PLACED/ HERE IN MEMORY OF THE/ MEN OF LEIGH WHO FELL/ IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 18/ THEIR NAMES ARE/ RECORDED ON THE SCREEN/ OF THE CHAPEL OF THE/ RESURRECTION/ WITHIN THE CHURCH
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Cross
    Measurements: depth 140MM, height 4600MM, width 190MM
    Materials: Wood
  • Tablet
    Measurements: depth 115MM, height 610MM, width 605MM
    Materials: Stone
Listing information
Condition
History
2010, March: figure and plaque removed for conservation. It is likely that the lettering will be recut as it is now almost illegible. The lettering has been painted red and black in the past, possibly original. The figure will be consolidated and repainted after paint analysis. The work is part funded by English Heritage 1999, September: the left arm and toes were removed by vandals but these are due to be replaced under the terms of the Church Insurance. 2017. Lettering has not been recut and is becoming more difficult to read.
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Reference
  • Local Publication/Booklet 1978 Leigh Parish Church of St Clement, John Bundock
  • www.leigh-on-sea.com/blog/detail/leighs-war-memorial.html-Leigh's War Memorial In these years of remembrance of those who died in the Great War people do sometimes ask 'where is our war memorial'. It is true we don't have the conventional war memorial in Leigh but we do have a memorial which is just as poignant, for if you walk through St Clement's churchyard you will find the Calvary which is dedicated to our war dead. Before the war and the need for such memorials there was a group of people in the country called the Kensits. John Kensit was the founder of the Protestant Truth Society in the late 1800s and their connection to Leigh relates to their position of being against what they referred to as ritualism in the Church of England. John Kensit had died in 1902 but the work was carried on by his wife and son who came to speak in Leigh in February 1904. Mr Kensit junior said they didn't mind 'being called 'cranks' because a crank was not the least important part of an engine. His father had not interfered with divine worship but he had stepped in and stopped idolatry. God's truth in His own good time would prevail. From the ashes of John Kensit ten thousand John Kensits would arise. The tide must turn.' At the end of the Great War Leigh's decision to erect a life sized crucifix in the churchyard to honour the Town’s fallen attracted the ‘Kensits’ to Leigh once again and on Sunday, 6 April 1919 several hundred people attended a meeting in the churchyard to hear them speak. The press report does not say there was any trouble but on the advice of the police the meeting was closed.
  • This Calvary Cross is used by Leigh-on-Sea as the main memorial to remember those who died in WW!.

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-22518

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