Great War memorial plaque unveiled at St Maurice’s Covert
A plaque honouring soldiers who died in World War One has been unveiled during a wreath-laying at St Maurice’s Covert in Winchester.
The plaque replaces an oak memorial board which records indicate was present in St Maurice’s Church before it was demolished in the 1950s. St Maurice’s existing medieval tower and covert can be seen today from Winchester high street.
The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith and historian Geraldine Buchanan gave speeches to those in attendance on Sunday 28 July, including armed forces, council representatives, and others involved in the plaque’s reinstatement.
A prayer and reading of Laurence Binyon’s For the Fallen were offered by Padre Graham Topping and wreaths were laid by the Mayor and MP for Winchester Danny Chambers, before the ceremony closed with the playing of the Last Post.
The list of names to be included on the memorial was compiled by researcher Steve Jarvis, who looked at sources including the St Maurice Burial Register and the Winchester War Services Register. He recovered a list of 51 men from St Maurice’s Church parish who died fighting in the Great War and who are not honoured on other memorials around the city.
The installation of the plaque is the final part of recent improvements to the covert by Winchester City Council, which have included a refurbished ceiling and paving, new seating and lighting, and a new mural.
Historian Geraldine Buchanan said: “Steve Jarvis and I have felt it has been an honour working, in liaison with Winchester City Council, on the recreation of the St Maurice's Great War memorial so that the many men, living mainly in the terraced streets of central Winchester and whose names are on no other Winchester memorial, now have their - and their families’ - sacrifice remembered."
The Mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith said: “It is a great privilege that we can restore this piece of history and properly honour the men of St Maurice’s Parish who lost their lives during the Great War.
“My particular thanks go to Steve and Geraldine for their tireless research into compiling the expansive list of names recognised on the plaque, and to the council officers who have taken the steps necessary to install this memorial.”
The Leader of Winchester City Council Cllr Martin Tod added: “We are proud of our city and its heritage and the service that so many people of Winchester have given to our country over many centuries. It’s been a big priority for the City Council to improve St Maurice’s Covert and I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to do so in a way that pays respect to those men of the former St Maurice’s parish who died for our country in the first World War.
“When you see how many men died from just a few streets at the bottom of our town – 25 men are listed from Colebrook Street, Colebrook Place and Lower Brook Street alone - it brings to life what a devastating impact the war had on the local community and local families at the time.”