By Jo Faulkner, Record Assistant
As in many other North Yorkshire Towns and villages, the people of Masham raised funds for a war memorial by public subscription. A handwritten list of subscribers in the parish records held at the North Yorkshire County Record Office lists 113 subscribers who contributed. The chief subscribers were Lady Masham, the Honourable A. Cunliffe-Lister, Mrs Newton and Family, Mrs M.E. Edmundson, Mr R.Theakston and Mr C.L.N. Maister. Seven of the contributors remained anonymous.
This list of subscribers does not reveal the reasons for and stories behind their donations. Those with positions of wealth and influence within communities often seemed to lead subscriptions. The Cunliffe-Lister family of Swinton generously supported community efforts to commemorate the fallen of Masham. In addition to their contribution to the churchyard memorial fund, the family also funded a roll of honour, which is displayed in the town hall. The 3rd Baron Masham, John Cunliffe-Lister, also transferred an area of land to Trustees, as a war memorial recreation ground. As we may expect, members of the parish councils and committees who organised the collections are often also included in lists of subscribers.
PR/MAS 23/4 The unveiling of Masham war memorial
In some instances, further research can reveal that many members of the community who made donations, had very close personal links to the fallen. The 1911 census shows Mrs Mary Eleanor Edmundson, who appears in the list of war memorial subscribers, living in Nutwith House, Masham with her husband, daughter and son Charles R.E. Edmundson. An article in the Ripon Observer of 27 July 1916 reported that her son had been wounded. A later article dated 24th August would confirm that he had been killed, leaving a widow and child. Records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission show that Captain Charles Robert Ewbank Edmundson MC was killed in action on 1st July 1916, aged 24. He was not repatriated from France and his name appears on the Masham war memorial.
Parish records show that Mrs Mary Eleanor Edmundson, had been widowed early in 1920. Three years later the record of her burial appears in the Masham burial register (PR/MAS 1/15). The only surviving member of this family appears to be her daughter Emma. The index of British Red Cross Society volunteers shows that Emma Edmundson, was a volunteer at the Red Cross Hospitals at Bedale and Masham during most of the First World War. Some of those whose names appear on lists of subscribers were veterans who had survived the war. Robert Theakston, of the Theakston’s brewery in Masham, had been a Captain in the 2/4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. He was an amputee, after receiving wounds to his leg in Arras in 1917. Theakston was a very active member of the community, being secretary of the Parochial Church Council, choirmaster and Chair of the local branch of the Royal British Legion.
PR/MAS 10/13/1 design for Masham war memorial (left) and PR/MAS 10/13/2 recepited bill For Masham war memorial from H Hems & Sons, May 1921 (right)
While many North Yorkshire towns and villages chose local craftsmen to design and build their memorials, the Masham memorial was created by the company founded by master stone sculptor Harry Hems, who established a highly successful business in Exeter after building the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. Hems and Sons was a prestigious company, specialising in restoring medieval buildings both in the UK and across the world. At its peak, the firm employed over 100 skilled artisans. The receipted bill for the work in May 1921 shows that the total cost of the memorial was £450–43-0.
Further names were added to the memorial following the Second World War. These include civilians who lost their lives as an air raid in 1941.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission webpage for Masham (St. Mary) Churchyard
Index of Red Cross Society Volunteers available via the Find My Past website
Further images of the memorial can be seen on the War Memorials Online website.
North Yorkshire Archives Blog 