Tenterden, Kent

Memorial to those who gave their lives

The organ in this church was erected to the Glory of God and in her grateful memory of those whose names are recorded below who valiantly gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918

Albert E Bishop

George Bishop

John E Burgess

Harold Goodman

H Allen Goodsell

Sydney J Goodsell

Horace B Link

Percy W Parsons

Arthur F Taunt

Herbert J Taunt

Frank Wiles

Greater love hath no man than this



Award winning refurbishment of the organ –

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  • FATAL RESULT OF BICYCLE ACCIDENT
    An inquest was held at the Library, Parkhurst Barracks, on Tuesday, by the Deputy Coroner (F. A. Joyce, Esq.), on the body of Lance-Corporal H.R. Burgess, D.C.L.I., aged 24, who died at the Military Hospital there as the result of internal injuries received in a bicycle accident at Arreton on Saturday afternoon. —Mr. W. D. Peachey was foreman of the Jury.
    C.Q.M.S. Joseph Willmott. of the D.C.L.I., Golden Hill. Freshwater. identified the body as that of Lance-Corp. Horace Richard Burgess, D.C.L.I., His home WW1 at Pick-Hill, Tenterden, Kent, and he was a watch-maker’s assistant.
    John Henry Bignell, of 7 Town-lane, Newport, stableman and cartman in the employ of Messrs. James Thomas and Co., Ltd.. said that on Saturday afternoon he was driving a pair of horses attached to a miller’s van from Sandown to Newport. Between 2 and 2.30 he was going up the Arreton-shute, and when near the top, about 11 yards from the corner, with the horses going at a walking pace. he saw deceased coming round the corner. He came straight into the pole of the van. When witness saw him coming he pulled the horses up short and put the brake on. The effect of that would be that the pole would be pulled up and go down again. Deceased’s body struck heavily against the pole. His bicycle struck the horse’s front leg almost simultaneously. Witness got down, and deceased got up and walked across the road. Witness freed the bicycle from the horses. and went to deceased to ask where he had hurt himself. He said below the stomach, and seemed in great pain. Deceased asked witness to lay him down, and he got the loin-cloth out of the van and did so. He undid his clothes, but could not see any injury. Witness called a boy and asked him to go to the White Lion and tell someone to come. He asked the man who came what to do, and he told him to take him to the first doctor he came to. Witness took him to Dr. Thompson, who advised his removal to Parkhurst, where witness took him. The pole was iron clamped, it had a piece of iron at the end of it. His van was on the left-hand side of the road, close to the gutter, when the accident happened, two or three feet from the left-hand side. The van was 6ft. wide, all but 2in. Deceased had about 12ft, in which to pass. When witness first saw deceased he was about 2ft, from the hedge on his right-hand side. He did not ring his bell. He was on his wrong side. He was 11 or 12 yards from the corner when witness first saw him. He seemed travelling fast. The road was wide there, and there was no other vehicle about. Deceased must have assumed that the road was all right.
    By the Foreman: Deceased was coming down hill. He had sufficient room to pass.
    The Coroner said the deceased appeared to have taken the corner as if there was no obstacle. but found one there. If the witness’s statement were correct there was no reason for anything like blame attaching to him.
    George Cross, a lad belonging to the Boys’ home, Arreton. said that on Saturday he was at Aretton-cross sitting on a gate at the top of the hill, giving a view of the road down to Arreton. He saw the horses and van, driven by the last witness, coming up the shute. They were close to the hedge on the left side. Later on the boy gave a rather contradictory account of the position of the van. and the Corner expressed the opinion that his evidence did not help the Jury.
    Gr. John Edward Urry, R.G.A., landlord of the White Lion, Arreton, said he went to the scene of the accident because the boy came for him. They had had heavy rain, and he could trace the track of the van up the hill quite plainly. He found the track 10 or 18 yards from the corner, on the left-hand side of the road. The wheel was about 8ft. from the gutter. You could see where the bicycle came round the corner. Practically speaking. the van followed the same track all up the road. Another van could have passed it. The width of the road there was about 20ft.
    Insp. Sibbock said the road was 21ft. wide where the accident occurred. The Coroner said he thought Gunner Urry’s evidence very helpful. It had cleared up the position, as far as the driver of the van was concerned. As far as he could judge, the deceased took the risk on himself.
    Gunner Urry: He was on the right side of the road.
    The Coroner: He must have taken the corner flying.
    Capt. Richard William Ely Rae, R.A.M.C., stationed at Parkhurst, said he saw deceased on his arrival there. He was suffering from shock. There was only a slight abrasion of the skin on the lower part of the abdomen; you could hardly call it an abrasion. He had had a blow across the abdomen. He said he was on a bicycle and ran into the van. He died the next evening. He was in great pain until he became unconscious.
    The Coroner said he thought the evidence, which was quite clear, exonerated the driver of the van from any blame. It was obvious, as he was going up a rather steep ascent, that he was not likely to have gone up it at a very fast rate. The deceased took the corner in a way he should not have done. He thought the verdict of the Jury would be to the effect that he died from injuries sustained through an accidental collision with the van, and that the driver was entirely free from any blame whatever.
    The Jury returned a Verdict to this effect.
    Isle of Wight County Press 25 Aug 1917

    By Tony Bevis (16/01/2020)
  • The correct wording on the Memorial Plaque reads:

    THIS ORGAN IS ERECTED TO THE GLORY OF GOD, AND IN EVER GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED BELOW, WHO VALIANTLY GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918

    Bishop, Albert E
    Bishop, George
    Burgess, Horace R
    Burgess, John E
    Goodman, Harold
    Goodsell, H Allen
    Goodsell, Sydney J
    Link, Horace B
    Parsons, Percy W
    Taunt, Arthur F
    Taunt, Herbert J
    Wiles, Frank

    GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS.

    By David Smith (18/07/2019)
  • (1) Lance Corporal ALBERT EDWARD BISHOP served with 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales Own) and died aged 18 on 6 July 1916, having married earlier that year. He is buried at Corbie Communal Cemetery France and had lived in High Street Tenterden.

    (2) Sergeant GEORGE BISHOP served with 1st Battalion Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and died aged 32 on 2 October 1917, having married the previous year. He is buried at Loos British Cemetery France and had lived at Six Fields, Tenterden.

    (3) Private JOHN ERNEST BURGESS served with 1st/5th Buffs (Royal West Kent Regiment). He was younger brother of Horace and died unmarried aged 20 at Gallipoli on 21 August 1915. His name is recorded on the Helles Memorial. He had lived at Pickhill Smallhythe Road Tenterden.

    (4) Lance Corporal HORACE RICHARD BURGESS, elder brother of John, served with 1st Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and died aged 24 on 19 August 1917 in the Isle of Wight having married earlier that year and shortly after the birth of a daughter. He is buried in St. Mary The Virgin Churchyard at Brading in the Isle of Wight but had been resident in Tenterden.

    (5) Lance Sergeant HAROLD JAMES GOODMAN served with 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and died aged 26 on 10 April 1917, having married in Norwich 3 years earlier. He is buried in Cojeul British Cemetery, St. Martin-sur-Cojeul in France. He had a 17 months old daughter and his parents had lived in Gas Lane Tenterden.

    (6) Private HENRY ALLAN GOODSELL served with the Machine Gun Corps and died unmarried aged 20 on 9 November 1918 two days before the Armistice. He is buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery in France. He lived in Fosten Green Biddenden and is named also on the War Memorial there. His brother Sidney John had also been killed during the Great War.

    (7) Lance Corporal SIDNEY JOHN GOODSELL, brother of Henry Allan, served with the Machine Gun Corps and died unmarried aged 20 on 7 June 1917. He has no known grave but is commemorated also on both the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium and the Biddenden War Memorial, having lived at Fosten Green Biddenden.

    (8) Private HORACE BURT LINK served with 6th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and died aged 32 on 4 October 1917, a month before his 33rd birthday. He had a boy and a girl born in 1907 and 1909. He is buried in Tyne Cott Cemetery Zonnebeke in Belgium. He was born in Bethersden but lived at Silver Hill Tenterden.

    (9) Private PERCY WILLIAM PARSONS served with 14th Battalion Australian Imperial Force and was wounded in action by shrapnel in France on 28 August 1916 resulting in amputation of the right leg. He was discharged to Australia where he died of pneumonia aged 28 on 15 November 1918 in Melbourne. He had lived in Rolvenden but his mother lived with her sister at High Street Tenterden

    (10) Private ARTHUR FRANK TAUNT, brother of Herbert James Taunt, served with 14th King’s Hussars and died unmarried aged 27 on 26 October 1914. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial Ypres, having lived at Station Road Tenterden.

    (11) Private HERBERT JAMES TAUNT served with the Queen’s Own West Kent Yeomanry and died unmarried aged 20 on 31 August 1916. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France having lived at Station Road Tenterden.

    (12) Sapper FRANK WILES served with the Canadian 1st Army Troops Company and died unmarried aged 34 on 19 March 1919 and is buried at Seaford Cemetery. His name is recorded on the Virtual War Memorial Index Canada and the Book of Remembrance in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower Ottawa. He was born in Tenterden and lived in Butchers Lane.

    Horace R Burgess should be added as one of the fallen named on the Plaque.

    Details of the twelve who gave their lives have now been traced noted above.

    I have arranged for a Rededication Service at 3pm on Wednesday 13th November 2019 along the lines of the Original Dedication with the organist of Canterbury Cathedral to play.

    By David Smith (18/07/2019)

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