Leatherhead War Memorials - Planning for the Town Memorial

In 1919 a few months after the Peace Celebrations in the Town shown below, we see the formal beginnings of thinking about creating a lasting War Memorial for Leatherhead. It must have been difficult for those whose loved one was "Missing" to come to terms with their name going on a memorial.

Revd T. F/ Hobson The Vicarage LEATHERHEAD, SURREY

Leatherhead War Memorial Sub Committee Randall's Park Farm Leatherhead 25th OCTOBER 1919

Dear Sir,

Below I send you the names of the Persons elected on the Small Sub/Committee
Mrs Chapman
Mrs Smith,
Mr Le Blanc Smith
Mr A.W. Tribe
Mr S. Mould
Mr W. Collis

The above persons were elected at a meeting held on the 22nd of April last.

Yours Faithfully,
(signed Edward T Wade)
[Wade resigned from the Large Committee Oct 3 1920 as probably leaving Letherhead]

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Vale Lodge
LEATHERHEAD.
Oct. 25th 1919.

Dear Mr. Hobson,
In my letter of the 27th March I indicated my willingness to develop the vacant land by the Clock Tower under certain specified conditions, so that a Memorial in the shape of a Monument might be erected thereon by the parishioners.
The only suggestion I have received as to the form the Memorial should take is the erection of a Cross and that being so I have accordingly had a plan drawn up for laying out the site in a suitable manner for the erection of a Cross.
I have already suggested that the Committee should visit the Exhibition of Memorials opened this week at the Royal Academy before deciding on the Memorial. they will recommend.
I may as well repeat that if the Memorial the Committee wish to erect should meet with my approval, and that they will guarantee to defray the cost of the Memorial and also the inscription of the names of those that have fallen in the War, I am prepared at once to proceed with the development of the site on the lines of the plan I can shew the Committee.
I shall be pleased to see the Committee here at 4 p.m. on Saturday next so they may see the plans and model -
Please let me know if they wish to come.
Yours faithfully
C. F. Leach

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War Memorial Sub-Committee
1919

The Vicar - Chairman
Mrs Chapman, Mrs Smith, Mr W Collis
Mr S Mould, Mr S Le Blanc Smith, Mr AW Tribe
Co-opted Oct 29 1919
Miss O Finké, Miss A Brown

Oct 29 1919

The Sub-Committee as originally appointed with the exception of Mr Mould met at the Vicarage on Oct 29th 1919 & unanimously co-opted Miss O Finké & Miss A Brown to assist them.

The Chairman briefly stated the substance of one or two interviews with and letters received from Mr Leach, the result of which appeared in the letter attached [see above Oct 25th 1919]. Three members of the Committee have visited the June exhibition of memorials at Victoria & Albert Museum & the October exhibition at Burlington House. All expressed their hope of being able to meet Mr Leach on Nov 1st.

TFH
Jan 5 1920

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Jan 5 1920

The Sub-Committee, most of whom had seen the design which had been submitted to Mr Leach, met at the Vicarage at 8.30pm on Jan 5th 1920:

Present
The Vicar - in the Chair

Mrs Chapman, Mr W Collis
Miss A Brown, Mr Le Blanc Smith
Miss O Finké, Mr Tribe
Mrs Smith

and drew up the following recommendations:

1. That the very generous offer made by Mr Leach of the site in North St, laid out according to the design shewn to him by the Sub-Committee on Nov 1st, be gratefully accepted.
2. That the Parish undertake to defray the cost of placing tablets of Portland Stone, under the arcade of the above mentioned design, & of inscribing thereon the names of the Letherhead men fallen in the War.
3. That the Memorial Cross to be erected by the Parish for which a suitable spot is indicated on the design, be grey Cornish granite* the "Bloomfield Cross", which is the one chosen for erection in the graveyards of our men who are buried abroad & of which a model was exhibited last autumn in the courtyard of Burlington House.
4. That the architect be Mr Noel Sheffield M.S.A. who designed the laying out of the site for Mr Leach. The cost of the Cross, Tablets & Inscriptions is estimated at about £1000*

Taken as read
Aug 27th 1920
TF Hobson

*note on back of page: Bloomfield Cross is in Portland Stone as Cornish Granite wd be much more expensive
(arcading) panelling £900 } erection by Mr Leach & tablets
stones £350
photographs of cross taken
2 seats

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August 27th 1920

The Sub-Committee met in the Church Room at 9pm on Aug 27th 1920

Present
The Vicar - in the Chair

Mrs Chapman, Mr Le Blanc Smith, Mr Tribe also the Secy of the War Memorial Committee, Mr Wade & Mr J Cowan at the Chairman's request; certain essential ???? correspondence with the Architects on behalf of this sub committee having been carried out by Mr Wade, immense labour having been expended by Mr Cowan on the Chairman's behalf in replying, setting out the detailed information as to the men whose names are to be inscribed on the Tablets of the War Memorial.

1. The Committee came to the conclusion that the following names which are on the War Shrine might not be included on the War Memorial:-
Prescott, Feltham, Trodd & Hagell (men who were for a very brief time in Leatherhead & about whom no details are obtainable)
PE Taylor who never served abroad
H Wise whose name is on Stoke D'Abernon Memorial
2. That F Arnold's name ought to be included if possible*: it was necessary to obtain the consent of his family, which Mrs Arnold had so far refused.
That Cecil Jeeves, J Miller (latter crossed out) whose names are not on the Shrine should be included as old inhabitants of Letherhead.
Mr Tribe was asked owing to his intimate knowledge of these three cases to obtain the necessary information.
That Herbert Tribe & Healy should be included owing to their former connection with Letherhead & the present residence of their near relatives in the place if space allows.
That Alexander & Wright ???? whose deaths after demobilisation resulted directly from the effects of war-service should be included if space allows

*Notes on back
This was secured through Mr Tribe Aug 31 1920
J Miller unknown mixed up with Musk who was not in Army, died at Epsom
per AR Tribe JFH
Note: Alexander, Healy, Jeeves, Tribe, Wright added to list Sept 3rd TFH

source: Leatherhead & District Local History Society file LX800

last updated 16 Sep 2004: 9 Feb 2014