(Work in progress – This page is awaiting pictures to be uploaded)
The original village hall was erected following the World War of 1914 – 1918 in memory of those men from the villages of Borwick and Priest Hutton who were killed in that conflict.
The names of all of those that served in the Great War (1914-18) are listed on the Roll of Honour which currently hangs on the staircase wall of the current memorial hall.
The names of the fallen are shown next to them “For King and Country”
A more recent addition is our War Memorial which was erected in 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the armistice and which also includes the name of Percy Joseph Hurst our only listed fatality of the 2nd World War.
Percy served in 49th Squadron RAF flying reconnaissance missions over northern Germany. He was shot down over Kiel in April 1940 and is buried at the CWG cemetery Hamburg. Although a native of Portsmouth he was married to Dorothy Irene Hurst. Dorothy had returned home to Priest Hutton in order to escape the bombing in Portsmouth. Thus, his service record shows him as being a Priest Hutton resident at the time of his death. Sadly, we do not have a photograph of either Percy or Dorothy.
Those commemorated from the Great War are;
Thomas Barton Canby
Rifleman 3687. London Regiment. (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) 9th Battalion.
Died 26th June 1915 aged 21 This was probably at the 2cd Battle of Ypres.
Son of James and Alice Canby late of Brown Edge, Arkholme.
Buried at Dickebusch New Military Cemetery Ypres Belgium ref. F27.
Educated at Bentham Grammar School, Lancaster Royal Grammar School and Battersea College. He was employed as a schoolmaster in Hornsey.
He is also remembered on the memorial plaque at Lancaster Royal Grammar School.
In the 1911 census he was living at Mansergh House Borwick with his widowed mother Alice aged 50 and three other siblings, Francis William 15, Annie Grace 14, and Richard Irving 11. His father had farmed at Brown Edge Farm and his mother was born in Borwick. All the children were born in Arkholme.
His brother Frank W Canby also served in the army and was reported missing on the 9th of July 1915 shortly after Thomas was killed. Frank’s name does not appear on the Commonwealth War Graves list and it is assumed that he survived the war.
William Edward Hutchinson
Private 15841 8th Battalion Border Regiment.
Died 5th July 1916 Battle of the Somme aged 31.
Born in Priest Hutton, son of Thomas and Jane Hutchinson.
Remembered at Thiepval Cemetery France.
Prior to enlisting William had worked as a gardener for Mr Briggs of Linden Hall, having previously worked at Upphall Farm. In the 1911 census he was still living in Priest Hutton with his parents, Thomas aged 67 from Burton in Kendal and Jane aged 69 from Milnthorpe.
He is remembered at the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy, France and has no known grave. It was common at the time for those killed in action not to be identified and he may have a grave with a headstone bearing the label “ A soldier of the Great War -known unto God”
Between the 2nd and 5th of July his regiment, the 8th Border Regiment lost 146 men killed of which only 31 have known graves.
The 8th Battalion of the Border regiment fought at this time just south of Thiepval attempting to capture the Leipzig Redoubt.
The 8th Battalion was also known as the “Kendal Pals” and were recruited in Kendal, Windermere, and Keswick.
Harry Warwick
Private 14684 8th Battalion Border Regiment.
Died 1st Aug 1916 aged 21 years Battle of the Somme.
Remembered at Thiepval Cemetery France.
Born in Chester son of Pearson and Isabella Warwick of East Lodge Capernwray,
Harry had been employed as motor driver to Miss Townson of Borwick. His father, Pearson, was 44 at the time of his death and worked as a gardener. He came originally from Langwathby. Isabella, his mother was 43 and came from Chester. In 1911 Harry was the eldest of five children: Sydney 14, Elsie Gertrude11, Ethel Isabel 8, and William Pearson 6.
When he was killed the Battalion was in the Beaumont Hammel area of the Somme battlefield.
Richard Moss
Unfortunately, we have no picture.
Private 201219 1st/4th Battalion King’s Own Lancaster Regiment.
Died 13 Sept 1917 aged 32.
Born in Priest Hutton and son of William Moss aged 73, and Mary aged 71 of West View, Priest Hutton.
He had worked at Borwick Lodge farm and for the coal merchant at Silverdale. He had six older brothers and sisters James 47, Ellen 46, Christopher 40, Annie38, Thomas 36, and Ada 34.
His grave is at Longuenesse St Omer Souvenir Cemetery.
At the time of his death Richard’s unit was involved in the 3rd Battle of Ypres also known as the battle of Passchendaele.
George Myles Wilson
Private 32650 1st/5th Battalion King’s Own Lancaster Regiment. This unit was also known as the “Gallant two hundred”.
We have no picture of George but the “Gallant two hundred” are pictured here assembled after recruitment marching from Lancaster Priory to training.
He died 20th Sept 1917. His grave is at Mendinghem Cemetery West Vlaaderen Belgium.
George was born in Borwick son of Joseph and Annie Wilson of Linden Cottages Borwick. The cottages were situated on Snails Lane (now unmarked on maps but it runs off Borwick Lane past Hungry Hill).
According to the census of 1901Joseph worked as a domestic gardener.
Besides George Myles, there was also Margaret 26, Thomas Edward 22, and Masie 18 in the family. At the time of his death his unit was involved in the 3rd Battle of Ypres, also known as Paschendaele.
Thomas Moss
Private 49253 18th Battalion Kings Liverpool Regiment
Died 7th Dec 1917 aged 34.
Unfortunately, we have no picture of Thomas Moss.
He was born in Borwick but in the 1911 census was working for his father, William Moss 63, at Brown Edge Farm Arkholme. At the farm were also his mother Ann 65, and Joseph 44, William 35, Fred 32, Margaret 28 and Lucy 20.
He is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial and therefore has no known grave.
At the time of his death his unit was involved in the 3rd Battle of Ypres also known as Paschendaele.
Joseph Nelson Stott
Private 14672 8th Battalion Border Regiment
Died 23rd March 1918 aged 22
Unfortunately, we have no picture of Joseph.
He was born in Lancaster son of Robert and Elizabeth Stott. Also in the family were Eleanor 39, Sarah Agnes 37, Mary 35, Isabella 33, Robert Hodgson31, Jenny 29, Frank 25, John Richard 20, Emily Elizabeth 16.
Before enlisting, Joseph was employed on farm work by Mr Joseph Dugdale, Up Hall farm, Priest Hutton.
He is remembered at the Arras Memorial.
At the time of his death his unit was overrun in the German Spring Offensive.
The Great war casualties listed on the Roll of Honour are not the only soldiers with connections to the villages of Borwick and Priest Hutton that were killed in the First World War.
Harry Warwick’s brother, Sydney Warwick, Private 16338 11th Battalion Border Regiment was killed 1st July 1916 aged 19. That was the first day of the Battle of the Somme, and his death was exactly one month before that of his brother.
Sydney’s grave is at the Lonsdale Cemetery Authuile.
Alfred Edward Gunn
Private 27807 1st Battalion King’s Own Lancaster Regiment
Died 8th June 1918 aged 25 when his unit was in the battle of Bethune
He was the son of Alfred 54 and Jane Gunn aged 56 of The Green Priest Hutton and was brother of William 31, Margaret 30, Amelia 27, Annabella 23, Mary 21, and Sarah19.
Before the war he had worked on a farm in the Bentham area. Alfred is remembered at the Tatham Fells and Botton Roll of Honour, and this may explain the reason that his name was not included on the village Roll of Honour.
His grave is at the Gonnehem British Cemetery near Bethune.
Over the course of the First World War British losses were 880,000. That was 6% of the adult male population and 12.5% or 1 in 8 of those who served.
British deaths in the second World War were 383,000 military deaths and a further 67,000 civilian casualties.
Dave Roberts Gibson House, Priest Hutton 2014