Memorial details

Memorial type
Roll of honour or book of remembrance
District
Amber Valley
Town
Matlock
County
Derbyshire
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
96672

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Current location

Held by the John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust
John Smedley Ltd
Lea Mills
Lea Road
Matlock
Amber Valley
Derbyshire
DE4 5AG
England

OS Grid Ref: SK 31849 56419
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Previous locations
  • Lea Chapel
    Lea Main Road
    Lea
    Dethick
    Amber Valley
    Derbyshire
    DE4 5GR
    England

    OS Grid Ref: SK 33004 57536
    Denomination: Nonconformist
Description
A glazed-framed printed Roll of Honour, recording those from the local area who served in the First World War. The rectangular Roll of Honour is illuminated, and incorporates several illustrations. At the top is a roundel containing an image of 'the Buck in the Park' (part of the former County's heraldic coat of arms), encircled by the words 'COUNTY BOROUGH OF DERBYSHIRE'; that is flanked by a ribbon, in which the words 'EUROPEAN WAR, 1914' are printed. Beneath is a display of the 14 Allied nations' flags, at the centre of which is a superimposed photo of a statue of Florence Nightingale (which includes the motto 'FIAT LUX'). Beneath that is the dedicatory inscription in coloured lettering, below which is a depiction of a scroll (flanked by coloured floral panels) on which the names of enlistees are recorded . Beneath that 'scroll' is an inset oval containing an allegorical depiction of 'Justice', surrounded by the words 'TAKE UP THE SWORD OF JUSTICE'. At the foot of the Roll of Honour is a key to the symbols used in the 'Names' panel (i.e. a red cross denoting those who died, and the abbreviation M.M. for those who received a Military Medal), and the names of the Church's Circuit Minister and Steward (Reverend R. Percival and Mr W.H. Lowe). The whole Roll of Honour has a border of two thin lines, one red and one blue; the printers' name and address is in the bottom-right margin. The lower edge of the frame has a small plaque affixed, bearing the name of the donor (Mr G.S. Marple). (N.B. The Roll of Honour bears the date 1914, but was clearly completed much later, as it includes annotations regarding fatalities during the War and the flags of the 14 Allied nations in WW1. The wording of the dedicatory inscription misleadingly implies that the Roll of Honour records enlistees from just Lea, but it in fact also incorporates enlistees from the hamlets of Holloway and Dethick. Three similar WW1 Rolls of Honour hang in buildings within Holloway: one at the Florence Nightingale Hall, another at Christ Church, and the other at Trinity Methodist Church. Whilst all four Rolls of Honour are of similar design, each has a slightly different inscription and inset designs. The enlistees' names also differ marginally on each of the four Rolls of Honour).
Inscription
(Roll of Honour): EUROPEAN WAR, 1914/ United Methodist Free Church, Lea/ Roll of Honour/ OF THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED HIS MAJESTY'S FORCES/ (names)/ Australians/ (names)/ Canadians/ (names) (Lower edge of frame): PRESENTED BY MR. G. S. MARPLE.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 137
    Served and returned: 127
    Died: 10
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Rank, initials, surname, decorations, abbreviation of military unit, whether died
    Order of information: Names listed in four columns, with separate sections beneath re those who served in the Australian and Canadian Forces; names are believed to be listed chronologically by date of enlistment.
Components
  • Roll of honour
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Paper
  • Frame
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Metal, Glass
  • Plaque
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Acrylic
Listing information
Condition
History
(The Chapel was Grade II Listed on 14/8/1985).
Costs

Comments: The Roll of Honour was compiled by Reverend Gerrard Wigram, J.B.Marsden-Smedley and Thomas Walker, and was presented by Mr G.S. Marple.

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Reference
  • An image of the Roll of Honour can be found at www.crichparish-ww1.co.uk/ww1webpages/leachapelroll.html
  • Our references for the three similar WW1 Rolls of Honour that hang in buildings within the nearby hamlet of Holloway are: 96693 re the one at the Florence Nightingale Hall; 96694 re the one at Christ Church; and 96689 re the one at Trinity Methodist Church.
  • "Memorials to 2nd Lt. George Futvoye Marsden-Smedley", ©John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust 2021, written by Dennis Brook and edited by Jane Middleton-Smith; page 6 states that, since 2020, the Roll of Honour has been in the collection of the John Smedley Archive Charitable Trust; pages 21 and 22 have further information re the Roll of Honour, including the names of its compiler i.e. Reverend Gerrard Wigram, J.B. Marsden-Smedley and Thomas Walker.
  • Details of the Chapel's history can be found at her.derbyshire.gov.uk/Monument/MDR9773 , including the following information regarding its denomination: 'The earliest indication of the date of erection of the chapel is a date-stone of 1671 on what is now the chapel-keeper's cottage. Below it is the rebuilding date of 1897 around which time the Sunday School room was added to the present chapel. The building was erected as a Protestant meeting house and was maintained by the Nightingale family as their 'private' chapel as they practised the Unitarian creed. In 1735 the chapel was bequeathed to a body of local trustees by the will of Thomas Nightingale. In 1845 it became part of the Matlock United Methodist Free Church circuit. However, in 1920 it was withdrawn from the Methodist movement and became an Evangelical independent chapel. In 1958 a covered entrance was built to replace the 'open yard' and the original outside steps to the Chapel gallery were replaced with an inside stairway'.
  • Details of Historic England's Grade II Listing of the Chapel can be found at historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1335321
  • An image of the Roll of Honour in situ within the church is viewable on the webpage churchdb.gukutils.org.uk/DBY702.php

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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© WMR-96672

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