The Old Mulgravians’ War Memorial, a stained-glass window in Lady Chapel of St Oswald’s Church, Lythe near Whitby, was unveiled on 28 Mar 1920. Noel Downing was among the former pupils of the Mulgrave Castle School who together with the headmaster Lord Normanby contributed in honouring their fallen friends. The surviving correspondence below includes 2 letters – a letter of appeal and a detailed description of the Memorial on its completion. The list would indicate that about 20 per cent of all the school pupils were killed.
Appeal Letter
Dear Sir,
We feel sure you will be interested to know, if you have not heard already, that Lord Normanby has fitted up the Lady Chapel in Lythe Parish Church as A Memorial to Old Mulgravians who gave their lives in the War.
It is felt that Old Boys will welcome an opportunity of associating themselves with this Memorial, and the suggestion has been made to Lord Normanby that we might place a stained-glass window in this Chapel.
The following Old Mulgravians sacrificed their lives in the War: –
Bell, J.D.
Clegg, R.
Cheape, H.A.
Gjers, L.
Hodson, G.G.
Lord Desmond FitzGerald.
Messervy, G.
Messervy, E.D.Napier, R.
Rice, J.A.T.
Shack-Sommer, G.
Thorne, T.F.J.N.
Trench, H.R.
Turner, C.R.
Welby, R.W.G.Had the School still been in existence, a War Memorial would, no doubt, have been erected as a matter of course, and we feel sure that it will be contrary to the opinion of the mass of Old Boys that, because the School has ceased to exist, the commemoration of those who fell in the War should rest solely upon Lord Normanby himself.
It is that the cost of placing stained glass in one of the windows of the Lady Chapel will be about £160, and we feel sure we can appeal with confidence to the seventy odd surviving Old Mulgravians to contribute this amount. A form for the purpose is attached to this letter.
The undersigned are acting in consultation with Lord Normanby with regard of the erection of the window, and those who send donations will have an illustration of the proposed design sent to them in due course, together with a statement of accounts and particulars as to the date of unveiling, etc.
Yours sincerely,
W.D.S. Brownrigg
Arnold W. Hodson
W. Hulme Lever
Andrew Thorne
Proposed Design
The Window for Lythe Parish Church in memory of Old Mulgravians who fell in the War, design by J.C.N. Bewsey
Completion
We are writing to inform you, as one who kindly subscribed to the Window for Lythe Parish Church, in memory of Old Mulgravians who fell in the war, that the Window is now finished.
The total cost of the work is £140, and the contributions received from Old Boys just cover the amount.
The Window has been designed and executed by Mr J.C.N. Bewsey, who has been responsible for several other fine windows in Lythe Church since its reconstruction.
In accordance with promise accompanying the appeal we enclose an illustration of the design. The inscription in the Window reads as follows:-
“Remember, O Lord, thy servants, sometime pupils at Mulgrave Castle School, who gave their lives in the Great War, MCMXIV- MCMXVIII, to whose memory this Window is here placed by their school-fellows.”
The window will be unveiled and dedicated by Lord Normanby at a special service to be held on Sunday, 28th March, at 3 p.m. We hope that as many Old Mulgravians as possible will make an effort to be present. Lord and Lady Normanby will be glad to entertain all who are able to come from Saturday, 27th, to Monday, 29th.
Lord Normanby will be glad if names may be sent to him not later than 15th March.
W.D.S. Brownrigg
Arnold W. Hodson
Leverhulme
Andrew Thorne