PEGSWOOD CEMETERY.

 

 

   With the growth of Pegswood, one element was certainly needed: a cemetery. The local cemetery for Pegswood had always been the Parish Church and its Churchyard at Bothal. A cemetery for Pegswood was proposed and built 1912/13. First burial in the cemetery was a stillborn child of a family in Pegswood Colliery. Originally there was a small chapel for the use of burials. However, with the years, this fell into   neglect and was demolished c 1980s. The cemetery is odd in the fact that it now lies in the Wansbeck Council area with the maintenance of the cemetery being carried out by Castle Morpeth Borough Council.

 

   A cemetery is a place favoured by ‘family hunters’ and generation of Pegswoods’ families can be found here. Another favourite within cemeteries are the war graves. However, at Pegswood there are not many of those, some four in all.

 

   The first that can be seen on entry to the cemetery is not a grave at all but a large monument within a family plot. On one side is carved the name Thomas Hanking Millar. Thomas Hanking Millar 27889 was a private in the Northumberland Fusiliers 25^th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. He was the son of Peter and Margaret Ann Millar of 229 Titchfield Terrace, Pegswood Colliery. Thomas Millar was killed, April 29 1917. He is buried in Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun in the Pas de Calais are of France.

 

   As most of the war dead in this cemetery is from the casualty stations around the battle area of Arras, it is presumed that he was killed there. Thomas Hanking Millar was originally in the Durham Light Infantry but was later to join the Northumberland fusiliers signing on at Morpeth.

 

   George William Brydon 198597 Private second class RAF. Judging by his rank and the fact that he was based at the RAF Recruit Depot may have been killed in an accident. His rank is an Army one yet his headstone carries the badge of the RAF. The RAF was, in fact born from the RFC only a month before, in May 1918.George William Brydon was 20 years old at the time of his death and his family lived at 320 Welbeck Terrace. There was no mention of his death in the local press of the day and no death notice either. He is buried in section ‘A’ grave no 140.

 

   James C. Mackender 96420 was a private in the Durham Light Infantry. When he died. July 7 1918, he was 31 years old. He is buried in a family plot with a large headstone of memorial proportions, the son of John and Jemima Mackender and, husband of Alice Amelia Mackender. While his name and rank appears on the stone there is no other sign that he served in the forces or had been killed due to any action in the war. James C. Mackender lived at 6 Millers Court, Morpeth but he had been born in Pegswood. The family of eight children originating in Norfolk, only three were born in Pegswood. James, like his father, worked at the colliery as a driver. James C. Mackender is buried in the next grave to George Brydon; section ‘A’ grave no 141.

 

   William John Eke 7516908 Private Royal Army Medical Corps died November 17 1942. He was the son of William John and Catherine A. Eke of Pegswood. He is buried in Pegswood Cemetery, section ‘B’ grave no 829.

 

   William Hogg PO/X 114775. Died September 30 1942 and is buried in Pegswood Cemetery, section ‘C’ grave no 1048.

 

   In Pegswood Cemetery, only the grave of George William Brydon carries a Commonwealth War Grave Commission headstone. The rest are in private plots. The exception being Thomas Hanking Millar, buried in a designated war grave in France and naturally carries a CWGC headstone. As these headstones have to be applied for, it is presumed that the families, for one reason or another, failed to apply. However, the same cannot be applied to the local war memorial. Only a Roll of Honour survives in Pegswood’s British Legion Club, the ExServicemens Club next door has none at all. However, this does not carry the names of the dead of World War One. They are, therefore, not represented in Pegswood at all. The local Cenotaph stands on the west side of Bothal Church. It does not carry the names of the Pegswood war dead either.

 

 

 

THE SOLDIER.

 

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there is some far corner of a foreign field

That is forever England. Then shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once more, her flowers to love, her ways to roam.

A body of England’s, breathing English air,

 Washed by rivers, blest by suns of home.

 

And think this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts of England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

 

 

Rupert Brooke.

 

 

RETURN.