The location of this memorial is within the Grimsby Town Hall, Town Hall Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. Enter the building by way of the front entrance, pass through the security office and go up the first flight of stairs, and turn left, and the memorial is affixed to the wall. It is also plainly visible from the next flight of stairs. A light illuminates the memorial; the switch is over the top of a door nearby.
Inscription
The First World War is commemorated on this memorial; the names are listed in alphabetical order, no years of death or ranks mentioned. The names, all 32 of them, all have one thing in common in that they attended the Corporation Grammar School, and fell in the Great War are listed as surnames and initials, with no mention of regiment, place died or decorations received
TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN MEMORY OF FORMER SCHOLARS WHO ATTENDED THIS SCHOOL & FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918
ERECTED BY FREEMEN & WIDOWS OF FREEMEN IN GRIMSBY
AISTHORPE M MEREDITH E
BARNES C MORGAN D
BLOW A A MUSGRAVE T
BODSWORTH C NEEDHAM J
CARLISLE H NEWBY T W
DRAKES F H NEEDHAM F
HUNT J NEWHAM G W
JENKINSON S OGLESBY E G
KENNINGTON H RACK A
KITCHING H R REYNOLDS W S
LEEMAN B (MM) ROBINSON G E
LEESON P SHARP R
LINCOLN R TRAFFORD A
MASHFORD J W WARD J W
MAW H S WHARTON W
WHITELAM L R
PRO AMORE 1914 – 18 PATRIAE
Type of memorial
This is a roll of honour, consisting of a metal plaque, which appears to be brass screwed onto a wooden board. There is a scroll over the roll of honour and a rather splendid wooden figure clad in the uniform of a soldier, waving his hat stands on top of the wooden screen.
The whole memorial measures 1000mmhigh x 870mm wide and the figure on top is some 860mm tall.
History of the Memorial
The Corporation Grammar School used to stand in Town Hall Street, next to the Grimsby Town Hall, and close to the junction with Doughty Road. It currently (2003), is the office of Registration of Births and Deaths, and Marriages are held at the Register Office. The school was for boys and girls, not mixed as nowadays, but two separate schools on the same site. It was mainly for children of the Freemen of the Borough, but was not a Freemen’s school as such. According to the Log book of the Boy’s school, which is in the North East Lincolnshire Archives Office, Ref. 1/123/1, a Harry Kennington was a monitor at the school, leaving it 20 December 1899, with a prize for Geometry and Advanced Shorthand. At the same prize giving was a Thomas Newby, who gained a prize for Elementary Shorthand. Both Newby and Kennington appear on the Roll of Honour.
According to the Log Book of the Girls’ school, Ref. 1/123/2, dated 6th September, 1922, the entry reads
“ School memorial to old boys unveiled in Boys’ School by the Mayor. Service for Freemen and relatives”
In the same log book on a day dated 11th September 1922, “ School re-opened today after summer vacation. In afternoon the children were addressed by the Mayor on the reason for the memorial. Mr Wilkinson also spoke”
The Mayor at the time was a Councillor J H Curry. I have checked the newspaper reports of the day namely “Grimsby News”, which appeared weekly, and the “Grimsby Telegraph”, which was a daily paper, but there are no reports there about the unveiling of the memorial.
The memorial was found in the old grammar school next door to the Town Hall, when it was being renovated and altered to become he Registry office.
Condition and any future plans
The memorial is in very good condition having been restored by an Ian Black on behalf of the North East Lincolnshire Council. He had to repair the figure on the top of the memorial as it was ain a poor condition The Trustees of the Grimsby Borough Council own the memorial, and it will be maintained by them, using funds allocated them by the North East Lincolnshire Council as requested by the Civics Manager.
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