Stapleford Tawney: First World War Fallen

The High Country History Group is preparing a book to commemorate the beginning of the First World War with a comprehensive record of those who died and are remembered from the four parishes of Greensted, Stanford Rivers, Stapleford Tawney and Theydon Mount.

Martyn Lockwood, its author, would be interested to hear from relatives, especially if photographs survive, of those listed below.

The memorial is on the south wall of the nave of St Mary’s church.  It was unveiled on Sunday 7^th November, 1920, by Sir Drummond Cunliffe Smith.

In addition there is a board giving the names of the former pupils of Stapleford Tawney school who served between 1914-1918. 

Those named on the War Memorial are:

-         Arthur Godsafe

-         Henry Hartgrove

-         Robert Mepsted

-         Albert Starling

-         Arthur William Starling

-         Walter Stubbings

-         Malcolm Sworder

-         Norman Sworder

There is also an entry for George Herbert Fish who died in the Second World War.

In the tower at St Mary’s, is a board showing the names of those men from Stapleford Tawney who fought in the Great War.  Interestingly there are no names beginning A – F.  It shows the names of those who survived the conflict as well as those who were killed. 

However the names of the two Sworder brothers are missing.

The Roll of Honour contains the following names:

Stapleford Tawney

Roll of Honour

TO COMMEMORATE

THE NAMES OF THE MEN OF

THIS PARISH WHO FOUGHT FOR

ENGLAND AND LIBERTY

IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918

GODSAFE A.	STAINES R.
GOULD S.	STARLING A.
GREEN W.	STARLING A.W.
HAMMOND W.	STARLING J.
HARTGROVE H.	STUBBINGS J.
HILLS F.	STUBBINGS T.
MEPSTED R.	STUBBINGS W.
MEPSTED H.	SURRIDGE F.J.
MOORE H. (M.C.)	SURRIDGE T.F.
PERRY J.	SURRIDGE T.
PURNELL A.	TUCKER J.
PURNELL W.	TUCKER W.
SARLING H.	TURNER H.
SARLING J.	WEST T.W.
SNOW F.H.	WHITBREAD W.