Three crosses


Major B. Tower

Date of survey: 15th July 2016
Location: All Hallows By The Tower
Town/village: London
County: London
Details on Cross:

Major B. Tower, 5th R.FUS, 22-8-18

Text type: Stamped on metal strips (G.R.U.)

Cross dimensions
Shaft Height:
113cm
Beam width: 40cm
Width of wood: 7cm
Thickness: 2cm
Surface insertion depth: N/A
Circle plate: N/A
Outer diameter: N/A
Width of circle: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Square plate: N/A
Width of Square arms: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Mounting to wall: Hanging, unfixed.
Detailing: N/A
Evidence of use in field: Rotted at the bottom
Finish: unvarnished.
Condition: good condition, but feels light and fragile.

Other information: This cross (and two others) are downstairs in the crypt museum. Permission was obtained to photograph and measure all of the crosses. A laminated information sheet reads:

“These three wooden grave crosses are all from World War 1 Battlefields………..To the left is the battlefield marker for Bertie Christopher Butler Tower, a Major in the Royal Fusiliers, who is buried at Bellacourt Military Cemetery in the Pas de Calais. He as 30 years and was the son of Commander F.F. Tower, R.N.V.R and Laura Tower of South Kensington in London. Bertie Tower was awarded the MC and bar and was mentioned in dispatches three times. The Edinburgh Gazette of 18th September 1918 remarks that he was remembered [sic] for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Under heavy machine gun and artillery fire he made several reconnaissances [sic] and brought back valuable information to various commanding officers. He showed great energy and determination.”


 

GCS-Tennant2nd Lt. G.C.S Tennant

Date of survey: 15th July 2016
Location: All Hallows By The Tower
Town/village: London
County: London
Details on Cross:

2nd Lt. G.C.S Tennant, 1st Bn Welsh Guards,
Killed in Action 3-9-17.

Cross has a small metal plaque affixed to the shaft at a later date (see below) which reads,
This is the cross of Christopher Tennant known to many through Sir Oliver Lodge’s book “Christopher”.

Text type: Hand written and stamped on the plaque.
Cross dimensions
Shaft Height:
77cm
Beam width: 52cm
Width of wood: 11cm
Thickness: 5cm
Surface insertion depth: N/A
Circle plate: N/A
Outer diameter: N/A
Width of circle: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Square plate: N/A
Width of Square arms: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Mounting to wall: Hanging, unfixed.
Detailing: N/A
Evidence of use in field: Nothing obvious but the bottom of the shaft appears to have been sawn off.
Finish: unvarnished.
Condition: good condition.

Other information: This cross (and two others) are downstairs in the crypt museum. Permission was obtained to photograph and measure all of the crosses. A laminated information sheet reads:

“These three wooden grave crosses are all from World War 1 Battlefields. The central one remembers George Christopher Sercold Tennant, a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards, who was killed near Langermark in Belgium and is buried at Canada Farm Cemetery. He was 19 years old. He was the son of Charles and Winnifred Coombe Tennant of Neath, Wales and was born at Cadoxton Lodge. Tennant’s last letter home was found unposted on his body after his death. It reads:

Sept. 2nd 1917.

Dearest Mother,

All well I come out tonight. By the time you get this you will know I am through all right. I got your wire last night, also your three letters. Many thanks for that little book of poems. It is a great joy having it out here. There is nothing much to do all day except sleep now and then. It will soon be English leave, and that will be splendid! I got hit in the face by a small piece of shrapnel this morning, but it was a spent piece, and did not even cut me. One becomes a great fatalist out here.

God bless you, your loving Cruff.

He was killed later that night, at about 4.00am.

Almost ninety years later, in October 2004, workmen laying a carpet in the parish church at Elverdinghe near to Langermark had to move a pulpit. Underneath they found a small brass plaque commemorating Christopher, a gift of his mother. Tennant’s mother shared an interest in spiritualism with the then celebrated spiritualist Sir Oliver Lodge, and her son and his death became the subject of Lodge’s book Christopher: A Study In Human Personality, published in 1919.

More information here.

Image of Tennant © Winchester College. Fair use NFP.


 

all-hallows-tennant-a-mac-img_2507The crosses were visited on 21st September by Andrew Macdonald who noted a plate on Tennant’s cross which reads:

Christopher
God bless you
Mother

The engraving is barely discernible with tarnishing and age. But a rather lovely Obviously a personal addition from his family when the cross was returned and placed in the church.

Also interestingly the church contains a recumbent figure on the war memorial which is quite unusual.

Click on image to the right to view large.


Pte. N.C.W. PEPPER,

Date of survey: 15th July 2016
Location: All Hallows By The Tower
Town/village: London
County: London
Details on Cross:

G.R.U GR 26,
6841 Pte. N.C.W. PEPPER,
1/24 LON REGT, 1-1-17

Text type: Stamped on metal strips.
Cross dimensions
Shaft Height:
103cm
Beam width: 40cm
Width of wood: 6.8cm
Thickness: 2cm
Surface insertion depth: N/A
Circle plate: N/A
Outer diameter: N/A
Width of circle: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Square plate: N/A
Width of Square arms: N/A
Thickness: N/A
Mounting to wall: Hanging, unfixed.
Detailing: N/A
Evidence of use in field: Rotted at the bottom
Finish: unvarnished.
Condition: good condition, but feels light and fragile.

Other information: This cross (and two others) are downstairs in the crypt museum. Permission was obtained to photograph and measure all of the crosses. A laminated information sheet reads:

“These three wooden grave crosses are all from World War 1 Battlefields………..The third cross is to Wilfred Charles Vivian Pepper, a Private in the 1/24th London Regiment. Formerly the East Kent Buffs, who is buried in Railway Dugouts Burial Ground in West Flanders, Belgium. He was 20 years old, the son of Wilfred and Kate Pepper of Southgate, London.


Surveys and photographs: Andrew Holmes.