rel 13 St. Thomas, Penkhull list and date of all Burials.

An Act to authorize a Sale to the respective Land Owners of all Tithes and Rectorial Dues belonging to the Rectory of
Stoke-upon-Trent in the County of Stafford; for endowing Two new Churches; and for other Purposes. [21st June 1827.]

An incredable document of thirty opages which includes a large amount of descriptions of Glebe Land belonging to the Rector, which inclome was being designed to help to build a number of new Anglican Churches in its ancient parish. This Act on 1827 in an historians dream come true.

Following the end of the First World War every village, town and city in the land discussed a memorial to those who had given their life in the Great War. Some created civic memorials in front of town halls some were erected in Parks and Churchyards and others took other forms of remembrance. At Penkhull it was agreed that this should be in the form of a Rood Screen.

It waas this national movement to remenber those who died that prompted Penkhull Church to consider which was an appropriate  memorial and worthy of the sacrifice of so many lives and the desire to express thankfulness to Almighty God for allowing Britain to achieve victory.

Plans were drawn of the proposed designed and distributed to every household within the parish. The scheme costing £950 well over £275,000 in today’s money. A Mural Tablet, it was said would be situated near to the Rood listing the names of those who had made the ultimate sacrifice. The plan also included new choir stalls. It was thought that if every household promised to contribute just one guinea that the scheme would become a reality. The project was ‘to the Glory of God, in memory of the brave fallen and as a thank-offering’. As a result volunteers would visit each home to collect their weekly donation of just 3d a week for twenty weeks, such was the poverty in the 1920s.

I must have spent hours in researching this material of all those who are listed on the church WW 1 memorial, plus others from Penkhull for whatever reason were not listed.

The list of seventeen pages long  is compiled in alphabetical order and under each name is given the age, under which body ther served under with full military details of their record and well as family details where possable and home address.

For those searching family histories this is a welcome addition to assist in your research.