Memorial Details What type of memorial is it? Window How would you describe the memorial and its ornamentation? Four-light stained glass window, with accompanying tablet. The window depicts the Saints and Fathers of the Church, within highly decorated Gothic niches, and angels playing musical instruments in a tetrafoil in the tracery above. The 1st light depicts Saint Gregory and Saint Ambrose, Doctor of the Church; the 2nd light depicts the church's patron saint (St James the Great), above Saint Cecilia; the 3rd light depicts Saint Laurence the Martyr, above Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr; the 4th light depicts Saint Hieronymus above Saint Augustine of Hippo. A text is written in a scroll along the bottom of the window. Adjacent to the window is the accompanying rectangular tablet, which is of dark-grey granite, inscribed in incised gilded lettering, within a decoratively-carved sandstone frame. [N.B. Press reports indicate that this window was one of four that Mrs Ursula Mary Atkinson gifted to the Church, all of which were unveiled 26th June 1923. Three were in memory of her late husband (the Reverend Canon Arthur Atkinson, former Vicar of the Parish); the fourth window was in memory of their son, Henry Noel Atkinson, and of the Regimental comrades alongside whom he served and died. 2nd Lieutenant H N Atkinson is also commemorated on a tablet of matching design, which is fixed to the wall on the other side of the Church doorway, details of which are in our separate record WMR 101798. He is also commemorated on his father's grave in the churchyard (our ref WMR 101800), and on Audlem Parish's memorials (our refs WMR 57115 and 87759)]. Reason for status change (if applicable/optional) Data/refs added re unveiling and Grade I Listing etc. JK 23/2026 Location Has this memorial been lost? No Location Location Is this the memorial's current location? Yes Building Name St James the Great Church Street Stafford Street Town Audlem District Crewe And Nantwich County Cheshire Country England Postcode CW3 0AA OS map ref SJ 65985 43637 Other Details To the left of the South door of the church 2nd Lieutenant H N Atkinson (window) Location Commemoration What words are inscribed on the memorial? IN HONOUR OF THE/ GLORIOUS RESURRECTION OF/ OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST &/ IN THANKFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF ARTHUR ATKINSON- PRIEST/ FOR THIRTY YEARS - VICAR OF/ AUDLEM (1865 - 1895) WHO FELL/ ASLEEP OCTOBER 24TH 1915/ AGED EIGHTY ONE. ALSO OF/ HENRY NOEL ATKINSON D.S.O./ 2ND LIEUT. CHESHIRE REGIMENT/ WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION/ AT VIOLANES FRANCE OCT./ 22ND 1914 AGED TWENTY FIVE/ THESE FOUR WINDOWS ARE/ DEDICATED BY URSULA MARY/ ATKINSON - WIFE AND MOTHER./ I BELIEVE IN THE COMMUNION OF/ SAINTS, THE RESURRECTION OF/ THE BODY & THE LIFE EVERLASTING War How many names are listed in total? 1 Which war or group does the memorial commemorate? First World War (1914-1918) Is the total an exact count? Yes Of the names listed, how many served and returned? 0 Of the names listed, how many died? 1 What information is listed for those commemorated? Forenames, surname, decoration, rank, unit, manner/ place/ date of death, age, relationships. Condition Is the writing on the memorial difficult to read? No Which organisation is the custodian of the memorial? Church of England What is the memorial's maintenance history? 12th January 1967: The Church was Grade I Listed (List Entry Number:1136872). Components Component Component Details Which memorial component are you recording? Window What condition is this component in? Good What materials has this component been constructed from? Stained Glass Listing Information Does it have listed status? Yes If yes, which organisation listed it? Historic England What grade is it listed at? I What is the listing reference? 1136872 Component Component Details Which memorial component are you recording? Tablet What condition is this component in? Good What materials has this component been constructed from? Granite Listing Information Does it have listed status? Yes If yes, which organisation listed it? Historic England What grade is it listed at? I What is the listing reference? 1136872 Component Component Details Which memorial component are you recording? Frame What condition is this component in? Good What materials has this component been constructed from? Stone - Sandstone Listing Information Does it have listed status? Yes If yes, which organisation listed it? Historic England What grade is it listed at? I What is the listing reference? 1136872 War Memorials Online Reference number 258421 History Sponsorship Was the memorial sponsored by any organisations or individuals? private If yes, what are the sponsor's details? Funded by 2nd Lieutenant H N Atkinson's mother. Ceremony Ceremony Ceremony What was the purpose of the ceremony? Unveiled When did it take place? 26 June 1923 Who was present? Lieutenant-Colonel Kellie (former Commander of the 1st Cheshire Regiment) performed the unveiling. References References PDF copy of Parish booklet giving details on those commemorated in the village: https://anyflip.com/zyyo/pwnq/basic Chester Chronicle, Saturday 30th June 1923 (page 8) reported: 'Four memorial windows to Canon Atkinson, for thirty years Vicar of Audlem, and Rural Dean of South Cheshire, and to his son, Lieut. Henry Noel Atkinson, D.S.O., and fellow officers and men of the Cheshire Regiment, who fell in the war, were on Tuesday unveiled in Audlem Church by Atkinson’s widow, and Lieut -Colonel Kellie, Cheshire Regiment. Sir Edward Donner, Mr Henry Tollemache, and many Crewe and South Cheshire clergy were among the congregation'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000342/19230630/008/0008 Wellington Journal - Saturday 30 June 1923 (page 4) reported: 'CHESHIRE. In Memoriam.—On Tuesday four beautiful stained glass windows were unveiled and dedicated at Audlem Parish Church in memory of Canon Atkinson and of Sec-Lt, Henry Noel Atkinson, DSO, The windows are the gift of Mrs Atkinson, who unveiled three windows, while Lt.-Col. H, F. Kellie, formerly commanding the 1st Cheshire Regiment, unveiled the fourth window, which latter associates with the memory of Lt. Atkinson the remembrance of all those officers and men of the Cheshire Regiment whose names are inscribed on the roll of honour now kept within the Regimental Chapel in the Cathedral Church of Chester. Canon Atkinson's association with Audlem, of which parish he was vicar and rural dean of Nantwich, extended over thirty years. It was during his time, in the year 1885, that the fine old church was restored. Mrs. Atkinson's gift to the church is deeply appreciated. Their son. who held a commission in the gallant 1st Cheshires of Mons fame, gained the D.S.O. in the war, and he was killed in action in October, 1914'. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000405/19230630/034/0004 https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1136872?section=official-list-entry Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty Register: Second Lieutenant HENRY NOEL ATKINSON, Mentioned in Despatches, Distinguished Service Order; (3rd Battalion, attached to 1st Battalion) Cheshire Regiment. Died 22 October 1914, aged 25. Now buried in grave XIII. E. 12. at CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ, France (where he was interred in 1923, following the exhumation and identification of his remains). 'Additional Info: Son of Ursula Mary Atkinson, of Audlem Lodge, Broadstone, Dorset, and the late Rev. Canon Arthur Atkinson'. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/584797/henry-noel-atkinson/ Western Front Association; Biography of Henry Noel Atkinson, which includes mention that (having been mobilised on 4th August 1914, and left for France on 14th): 'He served and survived the fighting at Mons, Le Cateau and The Aisne until 22 October 1914, near La Bassée, at Voilaines, where he won his D.S.O. After the battle he was reported officially ‘missing’ and was believed to have been captured. He was thought to have been wounded. Unofficially, he was reported to have been taken to a French hospital at Douai, which was eventually taken by the Germans. After the War, as no grave could be found Henry Atkinson's father had a tombstone laid where it was believed his son had fallen. In 1923 the body was identified by his disc about 400 yards from where his father had had a stone placed in his memory. He was reinterred in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery. The Cheshire Regiment had the redundant stone moved to Violaines Communal Cemetery. In 1995, after some lobbying by the Lancs and Cheshire Branch of the Western Front Association, the Cheshire Regiment restored the stone and repainted the weathered inscription'. https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/remembered-on-this-day/october/22-october-1914-2lt-henry-noel-atkinson-dso/ Image(s) Memorial Image Media ID 140404 Image Priority 0 What is the image's caption? The window Copyright Statement Copyright David Long Who is it credited to? David Long Date Taken 22/05/2022 Who took or provided this image? David Long What is its licence type? Standard WMA terms Reference 155574 Is this image evidence of inscribed names? ✖ Media Filename audlem_atkinson_window.jpeg Media Image Height 1280 Media Image Width 1040 Media ID 140405 Image Priority 1 What is the image's caption? The tablet Copyright Statement Copyright David Long Who is it credited to? David Long Date Taken 22/05/2022 Who took or provided this image? David Long What is its licence type? Standard WMA terms Reference 155575 Is this image evidence of inscribed names? ✔ Media Filename audlem_atkinson_tablet.jpeg Media Image Height 1280 Media Image Width 854 Media ID 140406 Image Priority 2 What is the image's caption? The window with tablet to the left of the doorway Copyright Statement Copyright David Long Who is it credited to? David Long Date Taken 22/05/2022 Who took or provided this image? David Long What is its licence type? Standard WMA terms Reference 155576 Is this image evidence of inscribed names? ✖ Media Filename audlem_tablets.jpeg Media Image Height 854 Media Image Width 1280
Media ID 140404 Image Priority 0 What is the image's caption? The window Copyright Statement Copyright David Long Who is it credited to? David Long Date Taken 22/05/2022 Who took or provided this image? David Long What is its licence type? Standard WMA terms Reference 155574 Is this image evidence of inscribed names? ✖ Media Filename audlem_atkinson_window.jpeg Media Image Height 1280 Media Image Width 1040
Media ID 140405 Image Priority 1 What is the image's caption? The tablet Copyright Statement Copyright David Long Who is it credited to? David Long Date Taken 22/05/2022 Who took or provided this image? David Long What is its licence type? Standard WMA terms Reference 155575 Is this image evidence of inscribed names? ✔ Media Filename audlem_atkinson_tablet.jpeg Media Image Height 1280 Media Image Width 854
Media ID 140406 Image Priority 2 What is the image's caption? The window with tablet to the left of the doorway Copyright Statement Copyright David Long Who is it credited to? David Long Date Taken 22/05/2022 Who took or provided this image? David Long What is its licence type? Standard WMA terms Reference 155576 Is this image evidence of inscribed names? ✖ Media Filename audlem_tablets.jpeg Media Image Height 854 Media Image Width 1280