Honouring the men of Stilton and surrounding villages who gave their lives during both World Wars
Stilton had long commemorated its war dead in the form of Stilton Memorial Hall, which featured engraved plaques on the wall over the entrance.
With the development of the new Pavilion, the Memorial Hall was sold in 2018 to become a new village pharmacy. The memorial plaques were carefully removed to safe keeping, awaiting a decision about their reinstatement.
In 2019, thanks to the efforts of many, a new War Memorial was created in its current location at the entrance to St Mary Magdalene churchyard.
In the course of this work, two dedicated villagers - Tony Edwards and Barry Gilden - took it on themselves to research more information about the individuals commemorated. A lengthy and often difficult task; records are not always complete and some are known to have been lost.
But the results more than justified the effort. Not only has this 'brought alive' villagers hitherto known only by name, rank and number, it also identifed others who, for reasons unclear, had been commemorated neither on the Memorial itself nor on the tablets in St Mary's church.
This page is dedicated to their memory.
They went with songs to the battle
They were young, straight of limb, true of eye
Steady and aglow
World War 1
Born: Denton, 1885
Killed in action: on or after 17th Sept 1914, aged 29
Husband of Margaret; son of John and Sarah Atkins, Main Street, Denton.
Remembered: Le Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, France. Stone 20.
Born: Halifax, Yorkshire, 14th March 1890
Killed in action: 16th February 1915, aged 24
Son of the Revd George and Beatrice Butts Archer of Stilton Rectory
Remembered: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, Belgium, Panels 12 and 14.
Born: Glatton. 1881
Died: 16th May 1915, aged 34
Son of Thomas and Fanny Atkins; brother of Walter, Fen Street, Stilton
Buried: Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, Pas de Calais, France. Grave (marked ‘believed to be’) XXIII. AA.6.
Born: Glatton, 1878
Died: 21st February 1917, aged 38
Son of Thomas and Fanny Atkins; brother of James, of Fen Street, Stilton; husband of Susan Atkins, Rutland Cottages, Back Lane, Farcet.
Buried: Mont Huon Military Cemetery,Le Treport, France. Grave 3.C.1
Born: Stilton, 1879
Died: 25th July 1917, aged 38
Son of George and Alice Busby, of Stilton; brother of James Busby.
Remembered: Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, France.
(*Shown on War Memorial as Private)
Born: Stilton, 1876
Died of wounds: 1st Sept 1917, aged 41
Son of George Busby, of Stilton; husband of Annie Busby, Fletton
Buried: Wimereux Communal Cemetery, France. Plot IV.A. 8A.
Born: Glatton, 1879
Died: 16th April 1918, aged 37
Son of John and Harriet Clark of Glatton then Caldecote
Remembered: Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Somme, Picardie, France.
Died: 14th July 1916, aged 24
Son of Josiah and Alice Darkin,Church Street, Stilton
Buried in Bernafay Wood British Cemetery, Somme Picardie, FranceGrave C.4.
Born: Folksworth, 27th April 1888
Killed in action: on or after 23rd April 1917, aged 28
Son of Arthur and Annie Freeman of The Fox, Folksworth
Remembered: Arras Memorial, Arras, France. Bay 2, F4.
Born: Washingley, April 1894
Died of wounds: 4th March 1917, aged 23
Son of Harry and Ellen Jane Gee, Washingley
Buried: Bray Military Cemetery. Somme, France. Grave II D 57.
Born: Steeple Gidding, Huntingdonshire 1st September 1894
Killed in action: 26th April 1915, aged 20
Son of Thomas and Martha Herbert; brother of Charles and Reginald, Denton Lodge, Stilton
Buried: Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, France. Grave I. C.31.
Born: Little Gidding, Huntingdonshire 24th March 1887
Killed in action: 9th October 1917 aged 30
Son of Thomas and Martha Herbert; brother of Albert and Reginald, of Denton Lodge, Stilton
Buried: Aeroplane Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium. Grave VII. B. 38.
Born: Little Gidding, Huntingdonshire 26th December 1888
Killed in action: 9th October 1917, aged 29
Son of Thomas and Martha Herbert; brother of Charles and Albert, of Denton Lodge, Stilton
Commemorated: Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium. Panels 54 to 60. Stone 57.
Born: Farcet, Huntingdonshire, 24th August 1883 (twin of brother Shadwell)
Killed in action: Monday, 23rd April 1917, aged 33
Son of Shadwell and the late Sarah Ann Hobbs, lived Farcet and Caldecote.
Remembered: Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 5, G4.
Born: Stilton, 1887
Died of wounds: 26th February 1917
Son of David and Caroline Houghton, The Boot & Shoe Inn, Fen Street, Stilton
Remembered: Basra Memorial, Iraq,Panel 2.
Born: Stilton, 1893
Died of sickness: 1st July 1918, aged 25
Son of Caroline and the late David Houghton, Fen St., Stilton
Buried: Bordighera British Cemetery, Italy. Grave II. B.5.
Born: Stilton, 1880
Died in Hitchin, England: Tuesday 10th April 1917, aged 37
Resident Sheringham, Norfolk
Son of Alfred and Eliza Houghton, George & Dragon Inn, Stilton; husband of Ethel M. Houghton, Birkenhead.
Buried: All Saints Churchyard, Upper Sheringham, Norfolk.
Born: Stilton 1886
Killed in action: 14th March 1915, aged 29
Husband of Sarah; Son of John and Martha Hunt, Fen Passage, Stilton
Remembered: Le Touret Memorial,Pas de Calais, France. Panel 29B.
Born: Stilton, 1897
Died: Loughborough, 4th October 1918, aged 21
Brother of Hubert; son of Herbert and Elizabeth Islip of Talbot Cottage, North Street, Stilton
Grave location unknown
Born: Stilton, 1899
Died: On or after 23rd April 1917, aged 18
Brother of Charles; son of Herbert and Elizabeth Islip of Talbot Cottage, North Street, Stilton
Remembered: Arras Memorial, France. Bay 5. Course F. Stone Z.
Born: Stilton, 1897
Died: Stilton, 28th August 1915, aged 18
Son of Thomas and Jane Jackson of North Street, Stilton
Buried: Stilton Cemetery.
Born: Morborne, 1888
Died: On or after 20th August 1916
Son of James and Mary Jinks; husband of Isabel Jinks
Buried: Delville Wood Cemetery, Somme, France, Plot 28. H.4.
Born: Stilton, 1877
Died: 3rd May 1917, aged 39
Son of Timothy and Rebecca Pettifor, Church Street, Stilton, later Washingley
Remembered: Arras Memorial, France. Bay 7.
Born: Stilton, 14th April 1892
Died: Sunk by U-boat UC-38, Palestine coast. 11th November 1917, aged 25
Son of Paul and Annie Prior of Folksworth, later Morborne
Remembered: Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 26
Born: Wistow, Hunts. 1893
Died: 21st September 1917, aged 24
Son of Charles and Betsy Richardson, Folksworth
Buried: Canada Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium Grave III.C.22
Born: Bingham, Notts. 1892
Died of wounds (gas): 13th February 1917, aged 23
Nephew/foster son of Charles and Maria Ruff of Stilton; husband of Lilian Scott
Buried: Doullens Communal Cemetery Ext. No.1, Somme, France. Grave III.G.7.
Born: King’s Cliffe, 1883
Died of wounds: 2nd November 1914, German Field Hospital, Bousbecque. France, aged 31
Son of Herbert and Emma Sharpe, North Street, Stilton
Buried: Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium. Plot VI. A.48.
Born: King’s Cliffe, 1883
Died of syncope: Bethune, France 18th March 1915, aged 30
Son of Herbert and Emma Sharpe, North Street, Stilton
Buried: Bethune Town Cemetery, France. Plot IV.A.82.
No further information known
Born: Stilton, 1889
Died of wounds: 4th December 1914, aged 25
Son of Mary Ann Abbott, of Polebrook, Oundle, Northants
Buried: Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. Plot III. B.55.
Born: Battersea, 15th April 1882
Died of wounds: 23rd April 1917, aged 35
Lived Church Street, Stilton, (1891) with grandparents.
Son of Walter (born Stilton) and Harriet Wells of London.
Buried: Ste Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France. Plot 3. P.12.
Killed in action: 26th September 1916, aged 25
Son of Mr and Mrs T. Wright, Stilton Fen; husband of Mary M. Wright, of Church Street, Stilton
Remembered: Thiepval Memorial,Somme, France. Pier 11A and 11D.
Named in St Mary's church but not on the War Memorial
Born: Peterborough, 1875
Presumed Dead: 3rd May 1917, aged 41
Son of William (born Stilton) and Ellen Bates; husband of Daisy Bates
Remembered: Arras Memorial, France. Bay 2.
Named neither in St Mary's church nor on the War Memorial
Born: Stilton, 1898
Died: 22nd October 1917, aged 18
Son of Henry and Sarah Allen, Middlesex
Remembered: Tyne Cot Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. Panels 54 to 60.
Born: Stilton, 1898
Died: 28th March 1918, aged 19
Son of James and Martha Briggs.
Remembered: Brie British Cemetery, The Somme, France. Special memorial 4.
Born: Sawtry, 1882
Died: 26th January 1921, aged 39
Son of George and Mary Cullip.
Buried: Stilton Cemetery
Born: Folksworth, 26th April 1894
Died: H.M.S. Black Prince, Battle of Jutland, 31st May 1916, aged 22
Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Eyles, Addlestone, Surrey.
Remembered: Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 22
Born: Washingley, 1898
Killed in action: 26th September 1917, aged 18
Son of Joseph and Elizabeth Eyles, Addlestone, Surrey.
Buried: Hooge Crater Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, VII.K.10
Born: Stilton, 1898
Assumed dead: 24th April 1918, aged 18
Son of George and Jane Willis, Ramsey
Remembered: Pozieres Memorial,Somme, France. Panels 19 to 21.
World War 2
Born: Haddon, Hunts, 21st August 1923
Died: 26th September 1942, sunk by U-boat U-404 south of Iceland, aged 19.
Remembered: Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent. Panel 57.2.
Born: Cardiff, 24th January 1902
Died: 21st February 1945, aged 43
Son of Anthony Arthur and Margaret Ann Evans; husband of Joyce Mary Evans-Evans, of Peterborough
Buried: Mierlo War Cemetery, Netherlands. Plot VIII. D.5.
Killed in action: 2nd October 1944, aged 30
Son of Anthony Arthur and Margaret Ann Evans-Evans; husband of Hilda Evans-Evans, of Stilton, Huntingdonshire
Buried: Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Limburg, Belgium. Plot VI.D.16.
Died: 25th January 1942, aged 23
Son of the Revd Thomas Frederic Fisher, B.A. and Edith Marion Fisher of Llangrove, Herefordshire
Buried: Stilton Cemetery, Grave 87.
Killed in action: 8th February 1944
Remembered: Chatham Memorial, Panel 85.
Buried: Stilton Cemetery
Died: between 11th and 14th February 1942, aged 28
Remembered: Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore, Plot 31.A.8
Grave marked ‘buried near here’.
Died: 5th April 1945, aged 22
Son of Arthur and Maud Ray of Morborne, Huntingdonshire
Remembered: Morborne Cemetery.
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery,Plot 12. K.21
Born: Denton, 8th November 1896
Died: 17th June 1940 RMS Lancastria, aged 43
Son of Walter and Sarah Lizzie Scotney; husband of Winifred Scotney of Stilton
Remembered: Dunkirk Memorial, Dunkirk, France. Column 154.
Died: 4th March 1942, aged 21
Son of Harry and Kathleen Shaw of Caldecote
Remembered: Heliopolis War Cemetery, Cairo, Egypt. Plot 1.F.27.
Died: 30th March 1944, aged 30
Son of Charles and Maria Spriggs, Stilton, husband of Joan Spriggs, of Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire.
Remembered: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey. Panel 8, Column 1.