A PROJECT to keep the memory alive of a village’s war heroes will help mark the 100th anniversary of Appleton Thorn’s war memorial later this year.
For several years local resident Liz McAloon has been working on the project about the men from the Appleton Thorn area who enlisted in WW1 and WW2 – including 52 who enlisted during WW1 when Appleton Thorn had less than 100 inhabitants!
As well as details Liz has also been busy building up a picture library of the servicemen thanks to newspaper archives and appeals on social media, although some details are scant so she is appealing for help from relatives of the servicemen to fill in the missing details.
Pictures collected include John Edgerton-Warburton, (top left) taken with permission from family member Charles Foster and the Arley Hall Archives.
Another photograph is a family photo of John (usually called Jack) Bostock, who is shown with his mother, Mary, and his wife, Dorothy.
Explaining how she started the project Liz said: ” Every year when I have attended the Remembrance Service at Appleton Thorn War Memorial I’ve listened to the sad list of names being readout.
“Although recognising a few names of local families, I thought as the years passed, the men were becoming forgotten as living people. Therefore a few years ago, as a very personal project, I started to research into the people named on the War Memorial.
“I also looked at the “For King and Country Roll of Honour” certificate which is displayed on the wall to the left of the font in St. Cross Church. This lists the 52 men from Appleton Thorn and the surrounding area who joined the Armed Forces in 1914 – 1918. At this time there were less than 100 inhabitants in Appleton Thorn mostly from a small number of outlying farms. The subsequent absence of these men must have made family and working life in our agricultural area very difficult.
“Therefore I embarked on this project to find out more and record this further information about these men and their families, hoping this would add poignancy to their stories. However, as yet information about people who died after 1918 is difficult to find as many records haven’t so far been released.”
Liz added: “Regarding the overall project, whilst I’ve unearthed much information to date, I am also hoping to find further meaningful information and photographic records of people from the Appleton vicinity including any stories that their relatives might remember. Virus lockdown has interfered with gaining access to other communal sources of information eg library archives, and therefore I would welcome any help from local folk into investigating and sharing their family war connections in the run-up to the important centenary anniversary of the Appleton Thorn War Memorial.”
The 100th anniversary of the village war memorial is set to be marked at St. Cross Church on Remembrance Sunday, later this year.
Liz said the project had been a “Godsend” for her and her husband Kevin, helping keep them busy during lockdown.
Anyone with information to help with the project can contact Liz via [email protected]
Names recorded on Appleton Thorn War Memorial – WW1 Personnel
Bostock. John
Brocklehurst. Harry
Lyon. Francis Charles
Mills. Samuel Roughsedge
Percival. Henry
Silcock. Percy Bryan
Turner. Henry
Warburton. John Edgerton
Names in Roll of Honour* in St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn.
* Roll of Honour records the names and regiments of men who joined the Armed Forces during 1914-1918 and who had connections to the Parish of Appleton Thorn.
A list of the following Forces personnel is placed on the wall to the left of the church font.
? No information found so far
Domicile Area recorded from Census of 1911
Acton. Albert Edward Acton – Reed Gate Farm, Crowley
Acton. Cecil Acton – Reed Gate Farm, Crowley
Acton. John Percival Acton Reed Gate Farm, Crowley
Barnish Frederick Jardine Appleton Cross, Appleton Thorn
Bate. John Pepper St, Appleton Thorn
Bate. Matthew. Pepper St Appleton Thorn
Bettles. William. Brookside, Appleton
Boulton. Harold ?
Brocklehurst. Edmund (Edward).Wrights Green
Brocklehurst. Harry. Wrights Green Farm, Wrights Green
Brownhill. Harry. ?
Claydon. Walter. Northwich Road, Stretton
Clayton. Walter Thomas. Pepper St, Appleton Thorn and Wrights Green
Fisher. Arthur ?
Garner. Herry. Nook Farm, Appleton Thorn
Garner. John. Nook Farm, Appleton
Gleave. Arthur. Pepper St Appleton Thorn
Gleave Frank. Pepper St, Appleton Thorn
Green Arnold ?
Hewitt. Peter. Spring Side Farm, Appleton
Jones. Alfred E. Appleton Cross, Appleton Thorn
Jones. Fred. Appleton Cross, Appleton Thorn
Jones. Harry. Birchdale, Appleton
Lawless. William H. ?
Massey. James. ?
Masterton. Archibald McPhail near Stud Farm, Appleton
Miller. Fredrick. Pepper St. Appleton Thorn
Taylor. Herbert. Pepper St, Appleton Thorn
Tompklinson. W. ?
Turner. Harry (Henry). Wrights Green House
Thomas. Leigh. Pepper St, Appleton Thorn
Masterton. David. Near Stud Farm
Mousedale. Arthur. Spring Side, Barley Castle Lane
Miller. Joseph Victor Pepper St, Appleton Thorn
Leigh. James. Appleton Thorn
Leigh. John (Jack) Appleton Thorn
Masterton. James. Near Stud Farm, Appleton
Mills. Herbert Cann Lane Cottage, Appleton Thorn
Mills. John Arthur. Wrights Green
Mills. Peter. Chapel House, Antrobus
Mills. Samuel. Chapel Lane, Appleton Thorn and Woodside Farm, Appleton.
Nichols. George. Stud Cottages near Stud Farm
Percival. Henry. School Farm, Appleton Thorn and Barley Castle Farm
Renshaw Samual. Croften Farm Appleton Thorn
Sewell. Stanley Henderson Pepper Street, Appleton Thorn
Shakeshift. Frank. Caldwell Gate Farm, Crowley
Simpson Harry. ?
Taylor Alfred. Pepper St, Appleton Thorn
Taylor. Laurence. Pepper St. Appleton Thorn
Whitney. George. ?
Wilkinson. Williams. Stud Cottage near Stud Farm, Appleton
Williams. R S H Cross Road Cottage. Appleton Thorn
Forces Personel buried at St Cross.
Blaine. Arthur James. ? Reed Side, Crowley died 08.03.1919
Blaine. Mary Maud (Sister) ? died 15.03.1919
Albert Thomason. Antrobus
Jones. Thomas. Stockton Heath
War Memorial – WW2 Personnel
Broome. Stewart Red Lane, Hill Cliffe
Green. Walter Appleton
Smith. Ernest Appleton
