Crossthwaite, WW1

A large congregation assembled at Crosthwaite Church on Sunday evening, when the oaken cross given by Colonel Weston, M.P., was dedicated in the churchyard. The service in church, which was conducted by the Rev. T. Heelis, was characterised by special prayers and hymns appropriate to the occasion, and the lessons were read by Col. Weston and Mr. T. A. Argles. The vicar gave an address, taking the thoughts of his hearers back over the course of the war as it had forced itself upon their notice and influenced them as a community, and pointing out the cross as a fitting emblem of that self-sacrifice which they had already been called on to make, and which they must continue to welcome loyally and cheerfully if the great purposes of the war were to be carried out to their true fulfilment. The congregation then passed out of the church and ranged themselves round the cross, which was draped with the Union Jack. At the request of the vicar, Col. Weston removed the flag, disclosing the names of the eleven men from the parish who had fallen, and at the foot of the cross a beautiful laurel wreath from Miss M. Thornborrow, aunt of two of the men whose names were inscribed above. The buglers of the Starnthwaite Boy Scouts sounded the grand salute, after which Col. Weston formally presented the cross to the parishioners through the vicar as their representative, expressing the honour that he felt in being allowed to give the cross as a memorial of those who had given their all for their country. Speaking most feelingly and impressively, in words that went straight to the hearts of his hearers, he told them something of the extreme peril with which they had been faced at the beginning of the war, and how that crisis had only been successfully passed owing to the ready response of gallant men to their country's call. Alluding to the King's proclamation, he enjoined on all the duty of self-sacrifice and self-denial, which was as nothing in comparison with what those brave fellows had given up, but which was necessary if all those men were not to have died in vain. Sympathising with the many relations of those who had fallen gathered round him, he made special mention of Charles Abraham as having been personally known to him and as having occupied a public position as master of Crosthwaite school for many years. Though past the age for military service and engaged in most useful and important work he had felt that he must relinquish that work and point out the path of duty to others, not only by precept but also by example, and now his name was inscribed on the cross among those of his old pupils. The vicar, after thanking Col. Weston for his generous gift and kindly presence, solemnly dedicated the cross, reading out the inscriptions thereon, which are as follows: -
John D. Thornborrow, Rifleman, Queen's Royal Westminster Regiment. France - 23rd March, 1915.
Harry Lishman, Private, 2nd Border Regiment. France - 25th September, 1915.
George Stewardson, Corporal, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. France - 19th October, 1915.
William Fell, Lance-Corpl. 11th Border Regiment. France - 11th February, 1916.
Joseph Willan, Private, 7th Border Regiment. France - July, 1916.
John Willan, Private, 8th Border Regiment. France - July, 1916.
Isaac Coward, Private, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. France - 22nd July, 1916.
Christopher C. Middlebrough, Private, 10th Border Regiment. France - 7th August, 1916.
John Middlebrough, Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. France - 14th November, 1916.
James J. Hutchinson, Sergeant, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Mesopotamia - 25th January, 1917.
Charles R. Abraham, Sergeant, Royal Army Medical Corps. France - 20th April, 1917.

(Westmorland Gazette, 12 May 1917)
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51490 Gunner John Thomas Middlebrough, 23rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. Killed in action in France on 14th November 1916, aged 22. Son of Mr. T. W. and Mrs. E. Middlebrough, of Crosthwaite.

KILLED IN ACTION
MIDDLEBROUGH, Gunner J.T., R.F.A., third son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Middlebrough, Yew Tree Farm, Crosthwaite, has been reported killed in action in France. He enlisted shortly after the outbreak of war, and before enlisting was employed at home on the farm. He was in the early twenties. His younger brother, Pte. Christopher Middlebrough, Border Regiment, died of wounds on August 7th of this year, as reported in the "Gazette" on August 26th.

(Westmorland Gazette, 25 November 1916)
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IN MEMORIAM

12297 Serjeant James Jackson Hutchinson, 9th Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Killed in action in Mesopotamia on 25th January 1917, aged 33. Son of John and Elizabeth Hutchinson, of The Green, Crosthwaite.