Whittingham Memorial Institute 1914-1918
Imperial War Museums reference 34044; North East War Memorials Project reference W48.05 [1, 2]
Whittingham Memorial Institute sits near to the church of St. Bartholomew in Whittingham village. A newspaper cutting from 1919 reports the early proposals to erect a memorial.
The hall comprises a stone building with slate roof, and was commissioned by the WMI committee as a memorial to those of the parish who fell in the 1914-1918 war. The architect was Mr. A. Hunter and the builder was Mr. George Johnson. Lord Ravensworth (Gerald Wellesley Liddell, 6th Baron Ravensworth), of nearby Eslington Park, provided the land free of charge. It cost a total of £1615 12 shillings, the build almost entirely funded by public subscriptions raised by the local community. A Field Day brought the total to £880, which Lord Ravensworth topped up to £1000. The inscription stone was laid by Lord Ravensworth on 11th June 1924, and the hall was formally opened by the same on 13th April 1925, with a bazaar held in the building immediately afterwards.
The ceremony at which the inscription stone was placed by Lord Ravensworth, was "of a Masonic character, and was carried out by officers of the craft, with a dispensation from the Grand Master of Northumberland (Col. C. W. Napier Clavering)". Lord Ravensworth, of Eslington Hall, was the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of Durham. In a cavity in the inscription stone, a phial was laid, containing six silver coins and a parchment scroll with the inscription, "This hall is erected in grateful memory of the loyalty and devotion of those who served their country in the Great War, 1914-1918, and the memorial stone was laid by Gerald Wellesley Liddell, 6th Baron Ravensworth, on St. Barnabas Day, 11th June, 1924".
“His Lordship then struck the stone with the trowel, at each of the four corners, after which, symbols of the craft – plumb-line, rule, level and square – were applied by officers of the Order”. “Consecrating elements of corn, wine, oil and salt were sprinkled on the stone by Lord Ravensworth.” Lord Ravensworth was presented with the silver trowel as a memento of the occasion. [2]
The stone bears the inscription Whittingham Memorial Institute MCMXXIV. A wooden memorial to the fallen of both World Wars is found inside the main hall.
On 14th October 1963, the Institute was officially registered with the Charity Commission to protect it as a community hub for social, sporting, and educational use.
The hall underwent a large restoration project in 2009.
In 2025 the hall was fitted with solar panels, battery storage and LED lighting. A centenary ceilidh and supper was held in the village hall in April 2025.
References:
1. https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/34044
2. https://www.newmp.org.uk/memorial/memorial-institute-1914-18-w48-05/