THE PROJECT
In 2012, a group of members of the Midhurst U3A started researching the family backgrounds, military service and deaths of the people who appear on local war memorials. We started with the parishes of Bepton, Cocking, Lodsworth, Midhurst, Petworth, Rogate and West Lavington, and later added Elsted & Treyford, Graffham & East Lavington, Heyshott, Iping & Chithurst, Selham, Stedham and Trotton. The first phase of the project was completed in time for the centenary of the start of WW1, but our work continues!
We plan shortly to add the memorials at Linch, All Hallows church, Woolbeding, and St Peter’s church, Terwick.
Since 2014, the site has been hosted elsewhere, but the hosting company closed their platform in November 2022, so the biographies were transferred on to this site.
See here for The Stories of the Men and Women on WW1 War Memorials in the Rother Valley.
There is an index for the casualties commemorated on the Rother valley war memorials
COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS
See here for stories about the use to which our researches were put in 2014.
MIDHURST U3A
Midhurst U3A is one of over 900 U3As across the UK, each affiliated to the Third Age Trust. Our U3A exists for the benefit of those, no longer in full time employment, who wish to learn and keep active. Members share their knowledge and experience, and participate in a wide range of educational, creative and leisure activities.
YOUR HISTORICAL RECORDS
Do you have historical material that might be of interest to our project? If so, please contact us so that we can discuss whether to add it to our archives and/or this website.
COPYRIGHT & PRIVACY
There is a possibility that some of the photographs or other material in this community website are subject to copyright or are considered private. If this is so, please let us know and we will amend or remove the material.
OUR TEAM
Our team comprised:
Bepton, Elsted & Treyford and Trotton – David Earley
Cocking and Heyshott – David Earley & Andrea Fox
Graffham & East Lavington – Penny Holland
Iping & Chithurst – Alison Goodenough
Lodsworth and Selham – Ian Buckingham
Midhurst – Pat Bryant, Roy Bryant, Penny Holland, Brian Morgan & Sarah White
Petworth – Kate & Nigel Flynn
Rogate – Malcolm Hutchings
Stedham – Pat Bryant (initial research by Juliet Page & Sarah White)
West Lavington – David Earley & Alison Goodenough
In addition, Pat Bryant was responsible for publicity.
OUR SOURCES
See here for a list of some of the sources that we have used in our research.