Memorial Lumley 6th Pit Institute - WW1
The names and pictures of twenty five local servicemen appear on the World War 2 Memorial for Lumley 6th Pit Institute. Each one has been researched and a summary of the results can be found in the table below (coming soon!). Many more facts are available for each of the names listed. If you would like further information on any of the people listed, or indeed have information to add, then please contact the Webmaster via the email address on the Home page of this website.
Lumley Sixth Pit Colliery Institute
To the
Memory of our Comrades
Who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War
1914 - 1918
Lest
We forget
That Right will always
Conquer Might
That freedom might flourish
On the earth
That peace & goodwill shall
Prevail amongst all people
That military despotism
& tyranny shall perish
For these things,
In the glory & joy of young manhood,
These comrades of ours
Died.
D. Lawson
Jos. Hutchinson
Hugh Carr
George Ernest Harker
Ed. Pimlett
Thomas Hutchinson
George L. Nelson
Ralph Minto
Jos. Pimlett
William Lowerson
Thomas Tulip
Edward Welsh
J.T. Appleby
John Trotter
Newrick Curry
Mark Lowerson
William Meek Willis
Thomas Hall
Jos. Blenkiron
Thomas Oliver
Henry Lowerson
John Lowerson
John Carr
Robin Blenkiron
Fred Stevenson
Below are local newspaper articles related to this memorial:
Chester-le-Street Chronicle, 21 February 1919
Proposed Lumley War Memorial.
A meeting was held in the Lumley 6th Pit Institute on Monday night to consider the raising of some kind memorial to the sailors and soldiers of Great and Little Lumley townships who have fallen during the war. The meeting was called by Mr J.W. Renwick, colliery manager and was fairly representative. The district being a large one, the bad weather militated against a large attendance. Mr Renwick opened the meeting, explaining why he had sent out the notices calling them together and stating that several gentlemen were unable to attend that night, but would attend some future meeting. He had called together what he thought would be a representative meeting of the various societies and denominations in the district. He thought that instead of each society or denomination getting up a memorial of its own, it would be much better to join together and work as one body and so concentrate their efforts to raise a memorial that would be in some degree worthy of the fallen. Mr Renwick then asked that the gentlemen present should proceed to business by appointing officials to carry out their wishes. Mr Renwick was unanimously elected as chairman with Mr Gamble to take notes for that night. Suggestions as to what form the memorial should take were asked for and after much discussion it was agreed that the representatives present should take back to their societies, etc., the following suggestions: (1) A cottage hospital; (2) a monument; (3) cottage homes for the widows of the fallen; (4) scholarships for the sons and daughters of soldiers and sailors. The last was suggested as an addition to any of the others. Numbers 1 and 4 seemed most in favour. The following is a list of the gentlemen who were present: Messrs R. Brown and P. Cairns (3rd Pit Lodge); Mills and Snowdon (Lumley Institute); Purves, Willis and Ward of Great Lumley; J. Willis (Lumley Wesleyan Chapel), R. Ramshaw, T. Spooner and L. Brown (Lumley Primitive Chapel); J. Elliott (Lumley New Connection Chapel); T. Lowerson (Brecon Hill Wesleyan Chapel); T. Anderson (Lumley Thicks P.M. Chapel); M. Johnson (Lumley Branch National Federation of D. and D.S. and S.); J.W. Bell (New Lambton Free Methodist Chapel); D. Hamilton, E. Lawson and Jos. Minto (N.F. of D. and D.S. and S.); N. Lynn (Mechanics Union); W. Bell and A. Lee (Little Lumley P.C.); J.H. Mason and M. Dawson (officials, 6th Pit); W. Scarr (official, 3rd Pit); A. Short (Lumley 6th Pit Institute).
Chester-le-Street Chronicle, January 23, 1920
Lumley Sixth Pit Institute.
At the annual meeting of the Lumley Sixth Pit Institute, there was a good attendance. In the absence of Mr Renwick, Mr E. Lee presided. The balance sheet presented, showing a balance of £154, was adopted. Mr G. Lowerson was elected secretary and Mr A. Short, treasurer, together with a committee of six. It was decided to place on record the Institute’s appreciation of the services of the late secretary, Mr R. Wrighton, who, through taking up more important duties, had to resign. The Chairman proposed that the Institute promote a memorial to the members of the Institute who had paid the supreme sacrifice in the war. It was stated that 23 members had been killed or died of wounds, disease, etc. It was decided to collect the photographs of the men from relatives and have a special photograph taken from these and all grouped in one large frame, with the rank, number, regiment and date of each man’s death. It was decided to have an unveiling ceremony when the work is completed. Mr Renwick, who came in whilst the meeting was in progress, announced that a course of five lectures on “Poultry keeping” would commence early in February and urged the members to take advantage of them.
Chester-le-Street Chronicle and District Advertiser 13 August 1920
Memorial Unveiled at Lumley Sixth Pit.
There was a large gathering at the Institute, Lumley Sixth Pit. on Thursday evening of Last week, when a handsome memorial of members of the Institute who lost their lives in the Great War was unveiled. Mr A. Lee presided and was supported by the Rev W.H. Stewart (vicar of Lumley), Mr J.W. Renwick, Mr Peter Sergeant C.C. Mr J. Dawson and Mr J. Whitfield. The Chairman in the course of an interesting address on the war and the events which led up to it and marked its course for six years, said a pleasing feature of the memorial was the hearty co-operation of the members of the Institute in procuring a handsome one. While he (the Chairman) was glad to see a large gathering, he did not wish the occasion to be a mournful on; but while not forgetting its solemnity he would like the gathering to be in a frame of mind not unmarked by an expression of happiness mingled with thankfulness. They had 300 members of the Institute in 1914 of whom 165 joined up and 25 had made the supreme sacrifice. On the memorial were the photographs of the brave lads who had died and those who were present would come sometimes and see the memorial and to commune between themselves and the features of those of those who had gone out from their homes, healthy in mind and body and paid the supreme sacrifice and while 25 had thus died, there were 125 who were willing to do the same and some of whom, alas, were maimed for life or stricken bodily and mentally and were living and sad memorials of a sacrifice that had to be met and had to be paid. Let them hope that the sacrifice of those lads who were cut down in the promising days of their manhood would not be in vain and that great good would come out of it and that while in these restless days when they were out for enjoyment and pleasure they would not absolutely forget what they all passed through during those terrible five years of war. He hoped that the memorial would be accepted as a sincere expression of sympathy and of good will towards those who went out to the war and to those who were left behind to carry the burden of the sorrows which the war brought upon them to their graves. The Rev H.W. Stewart said that why these or any young men should have been cut down in their youth passed all understanding and only shewed them day by day what a beastly and terrible thing war at all times must be. No counties had played a more magnificent part in the war than had Durham and Northumberland and that memorial was not a thing to perpetuate a memory of the past but a thing that pointed to the future and as they keenly felt the loss of those who were dear to them and who had gone before, they were asked what use had the war been to them. Well, these men whose memory they were perpetuating, had shown them how to live and how to die; they went down in an unselfish way and laid down their lives and died for their country. That was a memorial of unselfishness. If the war was to drive home any lesson for them, it was this: That they had to reply more upon one another now than every before and if they did not realise how much they were dependent one upon the other the lives of those men had been laid down in vain. Mr J.W. Renwick then unveiled the memorial. Mr Renwick, who had recently visited Belgium, briefly described the aspect of the country after the war and said it was a wonder that any human being could have come out alive from the devastation which could still be gazed upon. Houses were gone and large cities had been wiped off, not even the stones being left of some of them. To him it had been a satisfaction to see the country in which the great and heroic deeds had been done for this country and for mankind. He had visited Dixmunde and Ypres – names which were familiar to many sad hearts in the hall, but of those lads who died there, it was satisfaction to feel that they had given their lives not in degradation but in honour. In 1914, upwards of 800 men were employed at this colliery and he thought it a credit that 273 of them fought for their country. Of these, 33 made the supreme sacrifice. Of the 33 who gave their lives, 25 were members of the Institute. Mr Peter Sergeant also gave an address and spoke of the many pressing problems – religious and social – which, after the war, still remained for solution. On the motion of Mr G. Dawson, seconded by Mr J. Whitfield, a vote of thanks to the speakers was carried by acclamation.
The memorial takes the form of a frame enclosing photographs of the deceased members. The frame, which is of massive proportions, is beautifully ebonised and measures five feet by three feet six inches. In the centre is an illuminated inscription, reading as follows: “Lumley Sixth Pit Colliery Institute. To the memory of our comrades who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War. Lest We Forget. That Right will always conquer might. That freedom might flourish on the earth. That peace and good will shall prevail amongst all people. That military despotism and tyranny shall perish. For these things in the glory and joy of young manhood these comrades of ours died.” The address is surrounded by large photographs of the following:
Lieut J.E. Harker, R.F.A.; 2nd-Lieut H. Carr, 172 W.R.A.; Gun W. Lawson, R.F.A.; Bmdr J.R. Nelson, R.F.A.; Pte J. Hutchinson, N.F.; Pte R. Minto, Scottish Border; Drvr J. Pimlett, R.F.A.; Pte E. Pimlett, D.L.I.; Pte J.T. Appleby, D.L.I.; Lce-Cpl J. Trotter, D.L.I., Pte J. Blenkiron, D.L.I.; Cpl T. Oliver, D.L.I.; Lte H. Lowerson, R.E.; Pte J. Lowerson, D.L.I.; Gnr J. Carr, R.F.A.; Pte F. Stevenson, D.L.I.; Trooper T. Hutchinson, Dragoon Guards; Pte W. Lawson, D.L.I.; Drvr M. Lawson, R.F.A.; Bandsman T. Tulip, D.L.I; Pte E. Welsh, E. Yorks.; Pte T. Hall, D.L.I.; Sergt W. Meek Willis, D.L.I.