Abinger Common War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Reasons for Designation

Abinger Common War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principle reasons:

* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the First World War; * Architect: designed by the nationally renowned architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens (1869-1944), who designed 58 extant memorials at home and abroad including the Cenotaph in Whitehall; * Design: a simple yet elegant War Cross, with the unusual feature of a sword on its cross shaft; * Group value: with the Grade II*-listed Church of St James.

History

The memorial was presented by Margaret Lewin, of Parkhurst, Abinger Common, in memory of her son Charles McLean Lewin of the 4th Hussars, who died in 1919. It cost £190 and was made by H T Jenkins and Sons of Torquay, who made a number of other memorials that had been designed by Lutyens. The memorial was destroyed by a flying bomb in 1944 and rebuilt in 1949 in memory of Mrs Lewin and her daughter.

Sir Edwin Lutyens OM RA (1869-1944) was the leading English architect of his generation. Before the First World War his reputation rested on his country houses and his work at New Delhi, but during and after the war he became the pre-eminent architect for war memorials in England, France and the British Empire. While the Cenotaph in Whitehall (London) had the most influence on other war memorials, the Thiepval Arch was the most influential on other forms of architecture. He designed the Stone of Remembrance which was placed in all Imperial War Graves Commission cemeteries and in some cemeteries in England, including some with which he was not otherwise associated.

Details

Abinger Common war memorial stands on the axis of the south porch of the church and forms part of a group of listed buildings around the church green. Of Portland stone, it is a standard Lutyens War Cross (small size) mounted on a plinth of three stepped rectangular blocks which in turn stand on a small, shallow, circular base. It has a stone sword on the western face, which is the only one of his War Crosses to have such a feature. It is not known whether this is original or was added when the memorial was rebuilt.

The three-stage plinth is inscribed:

West face: IN MEMORY/ OF THOSE/ WHO FELL/ 1914 – 1918 (NAMES)

South face: THE WORLD WAR/ MCMXIV/ MCMXIX

East face: THIS CROSS DESTROYED/ BY ENEMY ACTION IN 1944/ WAS RE-ERECTED IN 1949/ IN PROUD MEMORY OF/ MARGARET LEWIN/ OF PARKHURST ABINGER COMMON/ AND HER DEAR DAUGHTER/ MABEL ELIZABETH FARRER/ BY THEIR DESCENDANTS/ AND OF ALL WHO LIKE THE ABOVE/ BROUGHT PEACE & JOY THROUGH/ THEIR OWN RADIANT FAITH COURAGE/ AND FORGETFULNESS OF SELF/ UNDER ALL CONDITIONS/ I CEASE NOT TO GIVE THANKS FOR/ YOU MAKING MENTION OF YOU/ IN MY PRAYERS. EPH 1:16/ PRESENTED BY MARGARET LEWIN OF/ PARKHURST, ABINGER IN MEMORY OF HER/ SON CHARLES MCCLEAN LEWIN 4th HUSSARS/ CML/ B 1880 D 1919/ THEY ALSO SERVE/ WHO ONLY/ STAND AND WAIT ALSO/ THE ELDEST SON OF ABOVE/ B1912 D1947



This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 14/10/2015

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 5 December 2016.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

289971

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Skelton, T, Gliddon, G, Lutyens and the Great War, (2008), 83-4, 111, 154, 166
Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 05/12/2016 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/146277
War Memorials Register, accessed 05/12/2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/23341

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