- Type of Memorial
- Hall / Institute
- WMR Reference Number
- 2794
- Description
- Building contains two art gallery spaces and a memorial hall on ground floor with further gallery space upstairs.
Entrance to memorial hall is off main building foyer and supported by two greek marble columns with bronze capitals. Walls of Botticino marble while skirting and frieze is in green Tinos marble. Floor of Hauteville and Belgian black marble.
Name tablets of white marble are mounted on the walls of the memorial hall and the semi-circular apse at the rear of hall. Sculptured group in centre of apse.
Sculptured group of two figures, Britannia and a man, both life-sized, raised on a pedestal. Britannia stands at the back draped with a flag, holding a sword of honour in her right hand and laurel wreath of the victor in her left. Before her is a kneeling figure symbolic of the men who fell in the war. Victory is expressed by a serpent crushed beneath the shield at the man's feet and the great sacrifice is signified by a broken sword
- Inscription
- On outside steps: 1914-1918 1939-1945
On pediment: IN REMEMBRANCE
Foundation stone: IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF STOCKPORT WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR (1914-1918). THE FOUNDATION STONE WAS LAID ON SATURDAY, THE 15TH SEPTEMBER, 1923, BY CHARLES ROYLE, J.P., ALDERMAN, IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF HIS MAYORALTY. ON THIS SITE PREVIOUSLY STOOD THE STOCKPORT GRAMMAR SCHOOL, WHICH BUILDING WAS OPENED APRIL 30TH, 1832. THE SCHOOL HAD BEEN CARRIED ON UP TO THAT TIME IN THE PREMISES IN CHESTERGATE: IT HAVING BEEN ORIGINATED IN AN ENDOWMENT BY SIR EDMOND SHAA, IN 1487. THE BUILDING ON THIS SITE WAS VACATED ON THE ERECTION OF THE SCHOOL AT MILE END. THE SITE AND SCHOOL BUILDING WERE ACQUIRED BY SAMUEL KAY, ESQ., J.P., FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TOWN OF STOCKPORT
Stone at right of entrance: THIS MEMORIAL WAS OPENED BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE HENRY, K.G., G.C.V.O., ON OCTOBER 15TH, 1925, HENRY PATTEN, MAYOR
Hall above WW1 tablets (left): THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE
Hall above WW1 tablets (behind apse): LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER SEE THAT THEIR NAME BE NOT FORGOTTEN
Hall above WW1 tablets (right) THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR
Staircase to upper gallery: THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY VOLUNTARY SUBSCRIPTION TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THE MEN OF STOCKPORT WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918
[WW1 names on tablets in a semicircle]
ROYAL NAVY & MARINES/[names]/ROYAL AIR SERVICES/[names]/CHESHIRE REGIMENT/[names]/MANCHESTER REGIMENT/[names]/THE GUARDS/[names]/LANCASHIRE REGIMENTS/[names]/SCOTTISH REGIMENTS/[names]/WELSH REGIMENTS/[names]/IRISH REGIMENTS/[names]/ROYAL ENGINEERS/[names]/ROYAL ARTILLERY/[names]/MACHINE GUN CORPS/[names]/RASC/[names]/OVERSEAS CONTINGENTS/[names]/OTHER REGIMENTS/[names]/ROYAL NAVY & MARINES/[extra names]/ROYAL AIR SERVICES/[names]/NAMES NOTIFIED AFTER MAY 1925/[names]
For WW2 there is a semi-circular wall with 3 names tablets with the names in 3 columns on each headed 1939 1945-
ARMY/[names; note that at the end of this list there are 4 stray RAF, 1 stray RN and 1 stray MN men]/ROYAL NAVY & ROYAL MARINES/[names]/ROYAL AIR FORCE/[names]/MERCHANT NAVY/[names]/CIVIL DEFENCE & CIVILIANS/[names]
There is also a tablet to the left of the left most WW2 tablet for post WW2 casualties, which is in no order and gives only year of death, not the conflict they were engaged in-
LOCAL SERVICEMEN KILLED IN/THE SERVICE OF THE CROWN/SINCE 1945/[names]