St. Mary’s Stone Cross War Memorial
The notes below refer to the Stone Cross War Memorial (SCWM) situated outside the south door of St. Mary’s priory church, Tutbury, often thought by many to be the only War Memorial in Tutbury. Click on the picture (Ref: 20110806 1057) for a larger image or more detailed photographs of its state may be seen here.
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Ownership
- The SCWM was erected by public subscription[1]. The Parish War Memorial Committee first met on Monday 16th December 1918 in the Oddfellows Hall, chaired by Major H.L. Newton, DSO. At the time the number of Fallen was estimated at 42. There is no record of a Faculty (ecclesiastical planning permission) ever being applied for or obtained.
- The SCWM was dedicated[2] by the Bishop of Stafford[3] on Sunday 2nd May 1920; the newspaper report can be read here.. The War Memorial Tablet and the stained glass window inside the church were dedicated first, followed by the SCWM[4] outside. The SCWM was unveiled by Major H.L. Newton, DSO. The final inscription lists 47 WWI names.
- The final meeting of the Parish War Memorial Committee agreed to place the SCWM in the care of the Parochial Church Council[5]. The Parochial Church Council agreed that the care of the SCWM would be placed in the hands of the vicar to arrange.
- Winter 1982 – the cross fell off[6]. The repair was paid for (£794.60[7]) by the Parish Council[8]. No Faculty was applied for nor is there any record of a Faculty at the SRO.
- The area the SCWM stands in is the closed churchyard which is under the care of the Parish Council
It would seem from the above that both by original funding, the precedent of previous repair and the current custodianship that the SCWM is publicly owned. The 1982 repairs were done by the Parish Council at the request of the vicar, Revd Ganz – no consideration was given to ownership or Faculties by the Parish Council or the church at that time.
The Diocesan Advisory Council has said that a Faculty will be required for any work that is carried out in the future to conserve and/or repair the Memorial. Other discussions the ESBC planning officers regarding the conservation area and possible listed building curtilage would need to take place when the extent of the work needed is understood.
Condition
Visually it is apparent that the SCWM is not in a good state. A set of photographs was taken and submitted to the War Memorials Trust and their response can be read here.. An onsite inspection by one or more conservation specialists is required to accurately determine the condition of the SCWM and what actions would be appropriate.
Renovation/Conservation
The War Memorials Trust has a number of advisory leaflets on renovation and conservation of War Memorials – an index of these leaflets is provided here.
The Trust recommends considering companies and organisations from one of the registers or bodies listed on the Conservation Register or similar bodies although obviously they provide no individual company recommendation.
Funding
Possible sources of funding are as follows:
1. War Memorials Trust Small Grants Scheme –
2. War Memorials Trust Grants for War Memorials (funded by English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation) –
3. Heritage Lottery Fund –
4. Parish Council – under the 1923 War memorials act the Parish Council can spend public money on War Memorials. Alternatively, funds could be spent under Section 137 of the Local Government Act –
footnotes:
[1] Burton Chronicle, 19th Nov 1918
[2] Burton Chronicle, 6th May 1920
[3] Revd Lionel Payne Crawfurd (1864–1934) –
[4] Described as “A handsome stone cross beautifully carved in Hollington stone by Messrs. Bridgeman and Son, of Lichfield to the design of Mesrts. [sic] Bodley and Hare of London” – Burton Chronicle
[5] Staffordshire Records Office, Parochial Church Council for Tutbury Minutes, 7th March 1921.
[6] Parish Council Minutes (Staffordshire Records Office –
[7] £2,400 at 2012 values
[8] Revd T. J. Ganz