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Summary

Memorial cross in the west corner of the churchyard, commemorating the fallen of both world wars, and conflict in Malaya.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1428352: Kingston War Memorial

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WAR MEMORIAL (World War I to XX - 1918 AD to 1956 AD (Between))

Full description

Walls, S., 2010, The Materiality of Remembrance: Twentieth Century War Memorials in Devon, 152, 155-6, 181; Figures 5.34, 5.54; KIG01 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV355902.

The memorial cross at Kingston is located at the highest point in the churchyard, although this can perhaps be viewed as a secondary choice as the war memorial could not be positioned in association with the main entrance to the churchyard as a restored (1902) ancient cross was already positioned there. This resulted in the memorial not being encountered and seen by the same levels of people seeing and visiting memorials positioned by the main entrance to a church or churchyard elsewhere.

Brine, M. E., 2013, War Memorials (Website). SDV351333.

The War memorial stands in a quiet corner of the churchyard at the highest point.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

'War Meml' shown.

Unknown, 2014, With the British Army in Flanders (Website). SDV356126.

Photographs show a plain stone cross with tapered shaft, two tier plinth and octagonal two-stepped base. Inscription on the higher plinth 'TO OUR GLORIOUS DEAD'. On the lower plinth are inscribed the nine names of those who died. Under this, on the top step, is the inscription 'KINGSTON'S MEMORIAL/TO HER SONS WHO FELL IN THE/GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918/GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN/THAN THIS_
On another side is the inscription 'SECOND WORLD WAR/1939 - 1945' followed by seven names, '1956 MALAYA' followed by one name.

Historic England, 2015, Kingston War Memorial, The Churchyard of the Church of St James the Less, Kingston, Devon
Less, Kingston, Devon (Correspondence). SDV359015.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has decided to add Kingston War Memorial to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest for the following principal reasons:
Historic Interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
Group Value: with the Grade II*-listed Church of St James the Less.

Historic England, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV358087.

Kingston War Memorial. First World War memorial, 1921, with additions for later conflicts.
Reasons for Designation
Kingston War Memorial, situated in the churchyard of the church of St James the Less, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20; * Group value: with the Grade II*-listed church of St James the Less.
History
Kingston War Memorial, commemorating the nine men from the village who died out of the 59 that served during the First World War, was unveiled on 20 November 1921 by Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly. The names of the villagers who died serving during the Second World War, and of one man who served in the Malaya Campaign, were added in 1995, when the memorial was re-dedicated. The lettering was restored in 2014, funded by War Memorials Trust.
Details
The memorial stands in the churchyard of the church of St James the Less (Grade II*), near the back gate. Approximately 5m tall and built of granite, it comprises a plain Latin cross on a tapering square shaft. The shaft rises from a small pedestal which stands on a tapering plinth. The plinth stands on a two-stepped, octagonal, base.
The front face of the pedestal is inscribed TO OUR / GLORIOUS DEAD / +/ with the names, regiment or ship and date of death of those who fell in the First World War listed on the plinth below. On the uppermost step of the base an inscription reads KINGSTON’S MEMORIAL/ TO HER SONS WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918./ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN/ THAN THIS. On the rear of the plinth an inscription reads SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ (7 NAMES)/ 1956 MALAYA/ (1 NAME). All inscriptions are in applied metal lettering, painted black.
The memorial is surrounded by a small, square, stone kerbed enclosure that is surfaced with gravel.

Historic England, 25/06/2015, Kingston War Memorial, The Churchyard of the Church of St James the Less, Kingston (Correspondence). SDV358688.

Notifcation that Historic England is considering adding the war memorial to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest and have completed an initial assessment.
Kingston War Memorial, commemorating the nine men from the village who died out of the 59 that served during the First World War, was unveiled on 20 November 1921 by Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly. The names of the villagers who died serving during the Second World War, and of one man who served in the Malaya Campaign, were added in 1995, when the memorial was re-dedicated. The lettering was restored in 2014, funded by War Memorials Trust.
The memorial stands in the churchyard of the church of St James the Less (Grade II*), near the back gate. Approximately 5m tall and built of granite, it comprises a plain Latin cross on a tapering square shaft. The shaft rises from a small pedestal which stands on a tapering plinth. The plinth stands on a two-stepped, octagonal, base.
The front face of the pedestal is inscribed TO OUR / GLORIOUS DEAD / +/ with the names, regiment or ship and date of death of those who fell in the First World War listed on the plinth below. On the uppermost step of the base an inscription reads KINGSTON’S MEMORIAL/ TO HER SONS WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918./ GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN/ THAN THIS. On the rear of the plinth an inscription reads SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945/ (7 NAMES)/ 1956 MALAYA/ (1 NAME). All inscriptions are in applied metal lettering, painted black.
The memorial is surrounded by a small, square, stone kerbed enclosure that is surfaced with gravel.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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