The War Memorial in Coverham
The Memorial Plaque in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Coverham, is inscribed as follows;- 1914 - 1918. In Grateful Remembrance of These Men Who Took Part in the Great War J A Barker G V Hammel T Suttil M Bell C Johnson D Suttil R Bell H Lofthouse W Tidyman J Beswick W Marriner W J Walls H Beswick J Mawer A Walls Jas Beswick G E Osborne W Walls T Binks R S Osborne G Walls H Binks P B Osborne J Walls J Binks C H Osborne R Walls G Binks H Read A Watson W E Brown A Reeves T Watson W Chapman H Render M Watson J Chapman J W Simpson W Watson T Chapman J E Simpson W J Watson H Chapman G Spence G Wilson A Connor J Spence C O Utley R Connor M Stanley P Utley C C Connor H Stanley J Utley J Dawson W T Stanley Jms Utley F T Dawson A Swann E Utley W Hammel S W Storey By their sacrifice …. A Thankful Village, was a phrase first used by Arthur Mee in his King's England series to describe a village which lost no men in the Great War because all those who left to serve came home again. The Parish of Coverham has been suggested as a possible Thankful Village but in St. Botolph’s Church at Horsehouse, there is a Prie-dieu with the inscription: AMDG In grateful and loving memory of Private G W CLARKE 9th Yorks and Lancs Regiment Killed in Action at Granezza, Italy June 15 1918. Aged 24 “He that is faithful in that which is least Is faithful also in much” CLARKE, George William Soldiers who Died identifies him as Private George William Clarke 235458 who died in Italy on that date. It says he was born in Horsehouse, lived in Middleham, and that he enlisted at Leyburn. His aunt was his next of Kin "Margaret E. Clarke of South View, Horsehouse, Middleham” according to The Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In the Census returns for 1901 and 1911, there is no reference to his parents, just his widowed Grandmother and his single Aunt |