Usefulness of
memorials?
. To inspire unity “protest against village divide”
. Sense of harmony in the modern age
. Can give interpretation to social history and military
history e.g. memorial in rural Norfolk shows
disbandment of county battalion to other forces (such as Sussex ) which highlights the scattered approach
to war from Britain
. Some memorials from parish churches were used to make
those who hadn’t fought feel inadequate, shows the countries thinking
What kind of
memorials were built?
. Private memorials built in churches, paid for by the
officers could be found from 18th C onwards
. The church wanted Parish memorials claiming that this
would best reflect the nature of the fallen and that the church was the centre
of the community, they also angered non-conformist with the use of the cross on
memorials and some erected their own wooden memorials placed in public places
in defiance
Who built them and
how were they funded?
. Rarely did one major benefactor pay for them, a lack of
paternalism from the gentry perhaps influenced by the breaking up of large
estates
. Door to door collection and public conscription
. Door to door collection and public conscription
. Subcribers
.“Entertainments” funding was common and lucrative e.g.
putting on shows or dance
What decisions
were made about war memorials?
. Ideas of commemoration of soldiers being attributed to counties as early as 1782 but not taken seriously by British army til late Victorian era
. Ideas of commemoration of soldiers being attributed to counties as early as 1782 but not taken seriously by British army til late Victorian era
. Plans for public commemoration in place by 1917 in some
parts of the country
. Argued that a public memorial would be an expense and a
tarnishment of those who lost their lives to be “exposed to rowdiness”
