Memorial details

Memorial type
Window
District
Peterborough
Town
Peterborough
County
Cambridgeshire
Country
England
Commemoration
Boer War; Second (1899-1902)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 29 September 1903
    Attended by: Field Marshall Lord Roberts VC KG KP GCB OM GCSI GCIE unveiled the memorial
  • Dedicated
    Date: 29 September 1903
    Attended by: The Bishop of Peterborough dedicated the memorial
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
8476

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Current location

It is the stained glass window on the west wall
directly above the main entrance to the Cathedral. The six associated brass plaques hang beneath it
three on either side of the main door.
Peterborough Cathedral
Minster Precincts
Peterborough
Peterborough
Cambridgeshire
PE1 1XS
England

OS Grid Ref: TL 19333 98644
Denomination: Church of England

View location on Google Maps
Description
The Second Boer War memorial on the west wall of Peterborough Cathedral (i.e. The Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew) comprises a stained glass window and associated plaques: 1) In the magnificent ten-light stained glass window: the five lower lights depict St George (holding a sword and spear); Joshua (wearing a blue robe); Archangel Michael (holding a sword and the scales of judgement, standing above the Coat of Arms of the Deanery); Gideon (holding a rod and fleece); St Alban (wearing a priest's cloak over his Roman breastplate and holding a spear). The five upper lights depict Peada (the first King of Mercia, and founder of Peterborough Abbey AD650); St Paul (one of the Patron Saints of the Cathedral, holding the sword of the Spirit); St Peter (chief Patron Saint of the Cathedral, holding the keys to the Kingdom, standing above the diocesan Coat of Arms); St Andrew (Patron Saint of the Cathedral, holding a saltire cross); Aethelwold (tenth century Bishop of Winchester, holding a crosier and a model of Peterborough's second Abbey, which he founded AD965). The perpendicular tracery has depictions of angels. 2) On the wall beneath the window are six associated brass plaques, above each of the which is the Coat of Arms of one of the principal towns of Northamptonshire. The first plaque records the dedication; plaques 2-6 record the names of the fallen.
Inscription
1st plaque: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN MEMORY OF / BRAVE MEN, INHABITANTS OF THIS COUNTY AND / OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PETERBOROUGH, WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR SOVEREIGN AND / COUNTRY DURING THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA 1899 TO / 1902, THE WESTERN WINDOW OF THIS CATHEDRAL / WAS FILLED WITH STAINED GLASS AD1903. / THEIR NAMES ARE RECORDED ON THESE TABLETS 2nd plaque: (Names) 3rd plaque: (Names) 4th plaque: (Names) 5th plaque: (Names) 6th plaque: (Names)
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Abel, F
Allen, E.g.
Andrew, E
Andrew, H
Andrews, J
Bailey, W
Barker, A.f.
Barringham, W
Barron, C
Battison, T
See details for all 195 names
Commemorations
  • Boer War; Second (1899-1902)
    Total names on memorial: 195
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 195
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Rank, initials, surname, regiment.
    Order of information: Alphabetically by surname within each regiment.
Components
  • Window
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stained Glass
  • Plaques
    Measurements: depth 4mm, height 530mm, width 730mm
    Materials: Brass
Listing information
Condition
History
The Cathedral was Grade I listed on 7/2/1952; Historic England's List Entry number 1331492 refers.
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
Church of England
Reference
  • Peterborough and Huntingdonshire Standard published 3/10/1903: report at length on the unveiling.
  • www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/262469/
  • Historic England's record of the Grade I listing of the Cathedral can be found at historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1331492
  • Northampton Mercury Friday 2/10/1903 printed a lengthy report of the unveiling, which began: 'NORTHAMPTONSHIRE SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL. UNVEILED BY LORD ROBERTS. The unveiling of the memorial window and tablets that have been placed in Peterborough Cathedral "to commemorate brave men," men of Northamptonshire who gave their lives for their Sovereign and country during the war that raged in South Africa from the autumn of 1899 to the summer of 1902, took place at noon on Tuesday. The greatest possible interest was shown in the ceremony, which was performed by Field Marshal Lord Roberts, K.G., V.C., the "Commander-in- Chief of the British Army. There was an exceedingly large congregation at the service, and the city itself was crowded with thousands of visitors from a wide radius. Lord Roberts travelled from London to Peterborough on Monday evening. He spent the night at Milton Hall, the residence of Major G. W. Fitzwilliam, who entertained a large house party for the occasion. At a quarter to eleven on Tuesday morning Lord Roberts left Milton Hall in a carriage and four, for Peterborough. He had an escort of the Northamptonshire Imperial Yeomanry, under Major Henry Wickham, and with his lordship there rode his Aide-de-Camp, Captain the Hon. Hugh Dawnay, Major-General Sir William Gatacre, and Earl Fitzwilliam. In a second carriage were Colonel Lord Euston, commanding the 1st Volunteer Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, Lord Kesteven, and Major McNeill, the last-named being aide-de-camp to Major- General Gatacre. Peterborough was reached at about twenty minutes past eleven. An exceedingly large crowd had gathered in the Market-place, and as Lord Roberts' carriage was driven to the Guildhall, the famous soldier smilingly acknowledged the repeated and hearty cheering of the onlookers. Outside the Guildhall, Lord Roberts was received by a guard of honour composed of two officers aud fifty rank and file of the G and H, ' the Peterborough, Companies of the Northamptonshire Volunteers. The officers in charge were Major Perowne and Lieut. Walker. Alighting from his carriage at the entrance to the Guildhall, Lord Roberts was received by the Mayor of Peterborough, Mr. G. Keeble, and the Marquis of Exeter, the Lord Paramount of the Soke of Peterborough, and was conducted to the Mayors Parlour, where he held informal reception of local dignitaries. After the reception a procession was formed and slowly wended its way through streets kept by lines troops, from the 'Guildhall to the Cathedral. The procession was headed by the Chief Constable of Peterborough, following whom were the bearer of the mace of the Borough of Stamford, the Mayor of Stamford (Alderman Knott, J.P.), the bearer of the mace of the Borough of Northampton (Mr. T. A. Stimpson), the Mayor of Northampton, Alderman T. Purser, the Recorder of Northampton, Mr. E. P. Monckton, the bearer of the mace of the City of Peterborough, the Mayor of Peterborough, with the town Clerk, Deputy Mayor, Aldermen, Councillors, and officials; Colonel Walker, J.P., Mr J H. Beeby, J.P., Mr. R. Bodley, R.A. (who designed the window), the Rev. W. Hopkinson (the hon. secretary of the Memorial Committee), the Right Hon. C.R. Spencer, M.P., Mr S.G. Stopford Sackville, M.P., Mr. R. Purvis, M.P., District Chief Surgeon Audland, of the St. John Ambulance Brigade; Major Deacon, Major Fitzwilliam, Colonel J. Hill, Colonel Lord Euston, Colonel T C. Orde Powlett, Major McNeill, Captain the Hon. Hugh Dawnay, Lord Kesteven, Lord Melville, Earl Fitzwilliam, Major-General Lord Chesham of the Imperial Yeomanry; Major-General Sir W. Gatacre, Lord Roberts, and the Marquis of Exeter. The Band of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, under Bandmaster J. Campbell, played a salute as the procession emerged from the Town Hall. The route to the Cathedral was kept by 100 non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Volunteer Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Mulliner, Captain and Adjutant Coldwell, Captain W. Hughes, Captain H. Jackson, Lieutenant A. H. Rice, and Lieutenant Everett...' www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000317/19031002/074/0006
  • For Remembrance and in Honour of Those Who Lost Their Lives in the South African War 1899-1902 by Gildea, James 160-161 Published: Eyre and Spottiswoode 1911 London

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.

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