Heckfield

  • The memorial hall - Taken by Jennifer Pitt 29 Jan 2013

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  • The memorial hall notice board - Taken by Jennifer Pitt 29 Jan 2013

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  • Plaque Inside Heckfield War Memorial Hall - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Heckfield War Memorial Hall Left Hand side - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Heckfield War Memorial Hall Right Hand side - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Heckfield War Memorial Hall both sides - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Heckfield War memorial hall entrance & Sign - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Heckfield War Memorial Hall Extension built on Millennium - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Inside Heckfield War Memorial Hall with the WW1 plaque at end - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Millennium Project Plaque on War Memorial Extension End Wall - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Hall with extension & caretakers House - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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  • Memorial Hall Sign over Front Door - Taken by John Readman 23 Nov 2019

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Reference WMO/75504

Address:

Heckfield Memorial Hall

Church Lane

Heckfield

RG27 0LG

England

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Status: On original site
Type: Non freestanding
Location: Internal
Setting: Attached to a building/structure
Description: Board/Plaque/ Tablet
Materials:
  • Timber Oak
Lettering: Painted
Conflicts:
  • First World War (1914-1918)
About the memorial: Hants and Berks Gazette Saturday 14 February 1920 Heckfield, War Memorial A well-attended and representative meeting was held in the Parish Room on Friday evening, the 6th inst to discuss the proposed war memorial. Major Scott Murray, of Heckfield Place, presided. Various propositions were forthcoming but the general feeling was in favour of a suitable memorial to be erected in the Parish Church and the building of a Parish Hall. Towards the latter Mrs Scott Murray made a very generous offer which was received with acclamation. As nothing can be done until it is known what assistance financially is forthcoming, a committee was appointed to go into details and canvas for contributions, reporting later to a general meeting. It has been commented on for some time that the present room was totally inadequate for present day requirements. The late Captain Fleetwood Thorne left a sum of money for a new building and with this and Mrs Scott Murray's offer of ground etc, there seems a possibility of a suitable hall being built. The site is ideal, but the greatly increased cost of labour and materials are serious handicaps in a matter of this description. The memorial in church will done in any rate. The hall rests with the parishioners, and failing their support it will be main in abeyance, but this is surely unlikely. So the newspaper carried news about putting memorials in the Parish Church, known as St Michael’s, and also building a Parish Hall. See the below article from the newspaper dated 14 February, 1920. I did find other newspaper articles that mentioned the building & blessing of 3 other rolls of honour in the parish church, but still no more news about the memorial hall. I had managed to gain entry to the Memorial hall and was shown the wooden roll of Honour on the wall of the hall. One of the names there was a Captain Thomas Fleetwood Thorne, whom I discovered reading other newspaper articles was a member of the Grenadier Guards & was killed whilst rescuing a drummer on Hill 70. An article stated “Born in April, 1888, he was educated at Mulgrave, Eton, and Christ Church, Oxford. He joined the Grenadier Guards in May, 1910, was appointed adjutant to the Guards’ Depot, Caterham, in 1914, and went to the front as adjutant of the 4th Grenadier Guards last August. He was killed while trying to bring in a wounded drummer. Captain Fleetwood Thorne was the second son of the late Augustus Thorne, 22, Cumberland Place, W., (London) and of Mrs. Thorne, Highfield Park, Heckfield.” I also discovered that there was at the Grenadier Guards Chapel in Caterham a stained- glass window in the memory of Captain Thomas Fleetwood Thorne. Then I discovered that his mother, Mrs. Mary Frances Thorne, who lived in Highfield Park, was on the war memorial committee in Heckfield. I found an article in the Hants & Berks Gazette dated May 10 1924, that reported on her funeral. It also stated this: She took a prominent part (as a member of the War Memorial Committee) in putting on the work for the unveiling of the Church Memorial on Armistice Day, and in considering the designs for the conversion of the almshouses into cottages and Parish Hall. Another newspaper article dated 15 November 1924, stated that by that date, there were 3 rolls of honour in the parish church. I then used the microfilm reader in the library & scanned through the microfilms from 1924, to 1928, and then to my surprise and relief on 31st March, 1928 there was this short article which I copied “ Hants & Berks Gazette Saturday March 31 1928 HECKFIELD THE MEMORIAL HALL will be opened on Tuesday, April 3rd at 3p.m. So, I looked at the reader for after April 3, 1928, and found that the war memorial was opened on that day, as this article stated: Hants & Berks Gazette, Saturday April 14, 1928 HECKFIELD OPENING OF THE NEW MEMORIAL HALL On Tuesday in last week, despite the inclement weather, a good number of local residents attended the opening of the new Village Hall. The Rev. Crosbie Oates commenced the proceedings with prayer after which Mrs. Howard Smith, who had been asked to open the hall, said she was pleased to be given the honour although she had taken the place of her brother, as it was desired that one of her family should undertake it. She considered that many thanks were due to Mr. W. R. BROWN and the Committee for the large amount of work they had done in connection with the scheme, not forgetting the kind gift of the site by Mrs. Scott Murray. The keys were then handed by Mr. S. Bartlett to Mrs. Howard Smith, who declared the hall open. A short service was then conducted by the Rev. Crosbie Oates, which concluded with the National Anthem. The village of Heckfield is to be congratulated upon having such a commodious hall. For a long period, this has been a long felt want. The architect was Mr. O. Goddard and the builder Mr. Yeo. On that same day, after its opening the hall was used for a Fancy Dress Carnival, and on 21st December a Christmas Whist Drive was held in the hall. It was the first time such an event could be held in Heckfield, because the new hall was much bigger for the use of this sort of event. A committee was appointed to run the Memorial Hall as this article stated: Hants & Berks Gazette: Saturday May 12, 1928: HECKFIELD THE MEMORIAL HALL-On Friday in last week a meeting of subscribers was held in the new Memorial Hall. Miss Martineau was elected to take the chair. Mr. W. R. Brown, who acted as secretary, read the terms of conveyance. After discussion the following were elected to serve on the Committee :-Miss Martineau, Mrs. Cabot. Mrs Foster, Mrs. Snook, Mrs. Kyle, Miss G. Brown, Mr. W. R. Brown, Mr. Snook, Mr. Davey, Mr. Euston, and Mr. J. Kyle. President-Major Scott Murray. The Treasurer-Miss C. Cabot. A vote of thanks to Miss Martineau for presiding was unanimously passed, on the motion of Mr. Snook. So now with this new Memorial Hall opened and a committee running it, the new hall was used for all sorts of events. I have yet to discover when the roll of honour was put on the hall wall, but I think it was removed from the Parish Church as there were three rolls of honour there by November 1924. John Readman Sherfield Park, 02 December, 2019.
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1914-1918 FOR GOD AND KING AND COUNTRY THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

EDWARD BENHAM PERCY EDWARDS SYDNEY EDWARDS GEORGE GRAHAM PERCY HIGGS EVAN JAMES ERNEST MESSERVY GERALD MESSERVY ALAN REDMOND CHARLES STRONG GEORGE STRONG JAMES STRONG SYDNEY STRONG FLEETWOOD THORNE ALBERT WOOLFORD

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