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First World War roll of Honour is available
HERE.
The Second World War roll of Honour is available
HERE.
A lamp post was given to Rishton to
assist people walking from the station to the town, before Station Road was
illuminated. The lamppost sat at the junction of Station Road with Blackburn
Road, next to the memorial. The lamppost is no longer in the town as far as I am aware, but the
donor was a Mr. Thomas Steed.
The memorial is now situated
half a mile up Blackburn Road, and is one of the first things you see when entering Rishton
from Blackburn.
The memorial itself was a
temporary construction, the permanent one is 22 feet high and constructed of
Creetown granite.
Dedicated on the 6th
October 1923 by Mrs Elizabeth Lewis, who herself lost three sons during the war.
The cost of the new war memorial was £2,800.00.
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500 feet directly below the
memorial is a pit shaft running from
Rishton Colliery, and at this point splits into 4 different routes.
On the 17th October 1935, the
Urban District Council of Rishton gave permission for the War Memorial to be
floodlit for 5 1/2 hours each evening. This was to cost the council £17.00 per
annum. This lasted for 3 years, as on the 10th February 1938, it was decided by
the council, that the floodlighting of the war memorial was to be discontinued.
In March 1936 Mr. Fred Bellas
had an estimate excepted by the council for looking after the War Memorial
and the Grass Verge on the Arterial Road. Mr Bellas was one of the first
residents to live on nearby Somerset Road.
On the 6th October 1938 it was
decided by the council that the war memorials grass slopes were to be converted
to rock gardens, and the 3 circular beds were to be planted with Primula Wanda,
and tulips, and the 6 oval beds with polyanthus.
The War memorial was redesigned
in February 1939, 6 tons of water worn Limestone rocks were bought from Messrs.
Settle Limes, at a price of 20 shillings per ton, to be used around the
base of the memorial. New flower beds were to be added, and the flowers grown
from seed by the council.
May
the 4th 1939, and the council surveyor was instructed to move 3 seats without
name plates from the War Memorial and Cutt wood park, and transfer them to
Harwood Road Recreation Ground.
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The members of the
councils parks sub-committee submitted their report on the 27th September 1945,
regarding the purchase of bulbs for the Esplanade, the War Memorial and Cutt
Wood and that 8,000 bulbs were recommended to be purchased, in addition to the
expending of the £25 given for Cutt Wood.
The Council Clerk was instructed to enquire if the British
Legion could furnish the names of the fallen in the 1939-45 War on
the 13th November 1947, and
to place an insertion in the "Rishton Advertiser." The matter to
receive consideration thereafter.
On the 2nd October 1949,
the War memorial was unveiled to commemorate the
Rishton dead during
World War 2 by one of the victims mothers,
Mrs Elizabeth Lewis, who can be seen beside the memorial in one of the pictures
above.
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The Council Clerk reported on an interview
with Captain Petre and his Agent on the 16th August 1951, regarding the terms on which the gift was made and which would be incorporated in the Deed, a draft of which would be submitted subsequently.
On the 10th December 1953, Councillor Banks referred to the case
of a young man who had lost his life during the Korean War,
and that it was suggested by the British Legion that the
Council should consider adding this name on the War
Memorial. It was Resolved—That further consideration be
given to this case together with a case of a name omitted in
respect of the 1939-45 War, when the 1954/5 Estimates are
prepared, as the question of renovating the Memorial would also
receive consideration at that time.
The Clerk submitted an
estimate of £12, on the 14th January 1953, for the replacement of missing and damaged
lettering, plus 3/0d. per letter for
additional names placed on the Memorial in respect of men who
have lost their lives in the Korean War. Resolved—That
the tender be accepted, and that the necessary amount be
included in the coming year's estimates. He also submitted the
draft Deed of Gift which had been received from the Solicitors
to the Dunkenhalgh Estate. He further stated that several
suggested clauses had been deleted or amended in the Councils
favour. Resolved—That the draft be
now approved.
The memorial now contains 185 names
from the 1st World War, 23 names from
the 2nd World War, and one name from
the Korean War1.
The memorial was relit once more on the 29th October 2008.
Officially opened by several councillors, and County Councillors,
the only stumbling block that night was that no-one was aware that
the lights took 15 minutes to warm up! Below are two pictures from
the night.
References
Rishton Urban District Council minutes for 1935, and 1953 - 54.
UK
National Inventory of War Memorials
Website1