Lt. Col. The EARL OF FEVERSHAM.
Location address: St John the Baptist Church, Pockley, Helmsley, YORK, YO62 7TQ,North Yorkshire.
Details on cross (Text content of cross):
IN
MEMORY
OF
Lt. Col. The EARL
OF
FEVERSHAM.
21st KINGS ROYAL RIFLES.
KILLED WHEN LEADING HIS REGIMENT SEPT 15th 1916.
Text type (e.g. hand-written, GRU tags, carved): Appears to be carved in relief and then possibly painted black. Certainly the letters feel raised.
There is a GRU tag but this only appears to show a single number “1”. It is difficult to read as it well above head height on the wall.
Cross dimensions (millimetres please)
Shaft Height: 1245mm
Cross beam width: 610mm
Width of wood: 130 mm
Thickness or depth: 55 mm
Circle plate (if celtic type) – N/a
Square plate (if supported) – N/a
Other information
Mounting to wall: Single hidden attachment at the top.
Detailing: the edges of the 2 pieces of wood have been chamfered
Evidence of use in field (earth marking, cracking, staining, shrinkage): none
Surface insertion depth (into ground if apparent): the base has been cleanly cut across in a straight cut
Finish (varnish, paint, oiled, unfinished etc): stained a dark colour, either creosote or a dark oak stain
Condition (cracked, paint peeling, woodwork, damage etc): Nothing to report
Notes and observations: (optional)
There is a book in the church, published by the Ryedale Family History Group, which provides much detail about the circumstances that led to the death of the Earl. This includes the fact that the Earl’s body was not found until a month after his death. It goes on to state that the body was recovered by one of the men from his estate who managed to bury the Earl and get together some wood to make a cross and to write his name on the cross. It then suggests that this must be that cross and the other Battlefield cross associated with the Earl at Rievaulx was a later cross.
I believe that the writing on this cross is too well done to be the earlier cross created under battlefield conditions. The Rievaulx Cross is much more rustic and has more of the feel of a hastily created piece.
Survey courtesy of John Scurr
Date of survey: 30 September 2017