main content St Mary`s Church War Memorial

High Street, St. Mary Cray, Kent, BR5

In the churchyard there is a First World War Memorial, in the form of a tall slender column with a small Celtic cross. This is the Parish Memorial of St. Mary`s Church, St. Mary Cray.

It was unveiled by Mrs R.B. Berens of Kevington on Saturday 29th December 1991 and it was dedicated by the Archdeacon of Rochester, the Venerable D. Tait. The Vicar of St. Mary`s, the Rev. A.H. Stevenson lead the prayers.

The Cross made from Portland stone had been erected at a cost of about £85 by Messrs Watts and Co. of Baker Street, London. There was an inscription (reproduced below) but now unreadable because of weathering. A metal plaque was fixed to the base by the Council, in whose care this memorial now is invested, in 1996. The names of the fallen were not recorded on this memorial as they were already on the wooden `shrine` which had stood in the churchyard for two or more years. This memorial replaced the `shrine` which was then taken into the church where it still is.

The original inscription.

"THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918TO THE GREAT AND IMPERISHABLE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE LASTING WELFARE OF THEIR COUNTRY. Lift up your hearts: We lift them up unto the Lord."

The recently fixed plaque wording:

"THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF OFFICERS AND MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 (THEIR NAMES ARE COMMEMORATED IN FULL INSIDE THE CHURCH)"