Oldfield Park Junior School (Bath) WW1 Memorial Project
Lyncombe Parish (Bath) WW1 Memorial
The church fell out of use in the 1970s and was deconsecrated. It is now a pre-school. The memorials etc. from within the church have been dispersed and a list in the porch of the pre-school denotes the current location of each. The WW1 memorial is now to be found in St Mary Magdalen (or 'The Magdalen Chapel') on Holloway. Check the chapel website for details of its opening times.
Thanks to the chaplain, David Prothero, for a warm welcome to the church when I took the above photograph. Having now appraised the difficult lighting conditions, I will try to get a better photograph in due course!
From Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette, 10th May 1919:
ST. MARK'S ROLL OF HONOUR
In honour
of and to perpetuate the memory of the fine young fellows who resided
in Lyncombe Parish and have given their lives for their King and
Country, it was suggested at a church officers' meeting to place in our
Parish Church a solid oak Roll of Honour on which will be inscribed the
names of all those who have made the great sacrifice for us. We are
desirous of obtaining one which will be worthy of the parish and the
men (says the Vicar of St Mark''s, the Rev. A. N. Rae).
From Bath Chronicle & Weekly Gazette, 24th July 1920:
LYNCOMBE PARISH WAR MEMORIAL
Dedicated by the Vicar
Sermon by Rev. L. R. Hancock
Dedicated by the Vicar
Sermon by Rev. L. R. Hancock
The oak panelling, inscribed with the names in gold letters of the sixty-six members of the congregation and dwellers in the parish who perished in the war was dedicated on Wednesday evening in St Mark's Lyncombe, by the Vicar (the Rev. A. N. Rae). This memorial has been erected at the west end of the church. The dedicatory sermon was preached by the Rev. L. R. Hancock, vicar of Holy Trinity Richmond, Archdeacon-designate of Rio de Janeiro, and a former vicar of Lyncombe. Other clergy present were the Rev. S. F. L. Green M.C. and the Rev. J. O. Evans (curate). The opening hymn was "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and the Psalm was the 130th - the "De Profundis". The lesson, the familiar passage from the Book of Wisdom associated with All Saints' Day was read by the Rev. J. O. Evans. The anthem was Stainer's "What are these that are arranged in white robes?". During the singing of the Nunc Dimmittis the choir and clergy proceeded to the east end of the church where the vicar dedicated the memorial. The churchwardens (Messrs. S. J. G. Stone and A. G. Hayward) walked in the processsion.
THE DEDICATORY SERMON
The Rev. L. R. Hancock took for his text the word's in David's lamentation over Saul and Jonathan "How are the mighty fallen!" He remarked that at any rate when we came to war , the doctrine of the scientists that the fittest were destined to survive did not apply. The bravest men, the most courageous, those who were most ready at the call of duty to serve their King and country, were those fated to perish. He did not wish in any way to detract from the heroism of those brave men who had been through the war, and had survived the days of battle. We could not do too much for such men; and they were worthy and more than worthy of every decoration they had won . But at that service they thought more particularly of the fallen, whose memory they had met to honour - those men who had given their lives for us. They wished to do more than honour their memory. They wished to perpetuate it; and he was glad to think that those names would remain inscribed in that church as a reminder to other generations who would come after us. Only last Sunday, in his own church in London which he was just leaving, a memorial was dedicated which contained 220 names. He understood that some 66 names were commemorated on their Lyncombe memorial. He felt that the parishioners had done their very best at that service by seeking to honour and perpetuate their memory.
The collection was devoted to the expenses of the memorial.
The list of names is without mention of rank and is as follows