St Cyprian's Church Hay Mills Birmingham War memorial

Tucked away alongside the River Cole in Hay Mills Birmingham is the beautiful St Cyprian's church. This Church of England building holds many monumental inscriptions and a very large war memorial plaque dedicated to the men who died in WW1 and also many plaques for WW2. This church is very dear to me. It was the one I attended when I was young and lived in the then small industrial surrounded suburb. When I was young the church was found along a small lane by the river's bridge separating Hay Mills from Small Heath. On the right were a row of old cottages and on the left the Horsefall factory. The factory is still there but the cottages and bridge have now gone, making way for the busy road byepass, Asda and large traffic island.

There is the large wooden war memorial plaque on the right as you enter the church. There is also a hand written roll call of the men of the parish which includes both wars. As well as numerous small individual dedicated plaques around the church. We went along on their open day last summer (2014) and had a brilliant afternoon talking to the vicar and members of the church.

The World war One wooden war memorial has the following names:

T Aston
J Adams
W Babbington
J Bagnall
T Baldwin
A J Balston
S Banner
R Batsford
J Bentley
E Billingham
A P Billings
P Birch
F J Bird
T Bird
A Bliss
W H Bowden
G N Bradbury
A J Brealey
N B Brealey
O Busby
H Butler
I Butler
E G Carr
H Caldicott
F W Collett
E A Cooper
W T Dale
J Darby
W Darby
C N day
F G Day
J Dorrell
R Dorrell
W E J Davis
A Deakin
E E Delve
C Downard

J J Dumbleton
A F Eccles
A Edwards
W Evans
W Flagg
B Fletcher
C Fletcher
C Gibson
W Goode
C Green
F Green
J A Grice
J H Griffiths
A H Harley
C Hawkesford ORD
H Hazeldine
J Hilley
G Hill
H Hodgetts
J W Holton
L E Hood
J Hughes
T G Ireland
L C Johnson
W Ledbrook
J W Leech
O Lines
S Longbottom
G Malin
H Malin
J A Mallard
E Mansell
M C McKey
V J McKey
R J Moore
W G Mountain

 


E Nabbs
W Pedler
A Perry
E Plows
E Potts
S Price
A Richards
J Roberts
G Rollins
S R Rooke
F C Sannter
T Seymour
J D Sharp
S Simpson
A H Sims
B G Smith
H H Smith
L Smith
P Smith
W Smith
G Stride
F Thorpe
R Tydeman
H A Walker
Lawrence Waters
Leslie Waters
B Watts
D Watts
H C Wiley
C V Wilkins
E Wilkins
A Wilkins
E W Willis
W H Willis
L T Wilson
W Woolley
H J Young

This long list is from World War One. I will write another blog shortly for WW2, as the list is long and combined with the parishioners of Hay Mills as well as a few single dedicated memorial plaques. There are many other plaques that are not war related that I will cover at some point also.

Just a random small choice of these brave men researched a little more shows George and Harry Malin of 155 Speedwell road, hay Mills. Both wire workers in the mill. George died aged in his late 20s to early 30s and his brother was 3 years younger. I picked this family out as they have links within my husband's Lightfoot family tree.
Corporeal Mathew Charles McKey was in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire regiment. Born in Small Heath and died of wounds aged 30 on the 11th October 1917 in France. He was a French Polisher by trade.
Victor James McKey was born on the 12th December 1892 in Birmingham and lived at 225 Coventry Rd. He served in the Royal Navy and was killed on the 6th August 1914. His body was never found. The ship he was on was the HMS Amphion, which was destroyed by a mine. Tragically he was only 21 years of age.
There is another plaque within St Cyprian's that is dedicated to two other men. It says the following:

To the glory of God and in loving memory of

Capt Arthur Joseph Brearley.

1st/7th Devon Regt

Attached Special Brigade R E

Killed in action in Belgium

June 20th 1917

aged 27 years

Also

Lieut Norman Blackburn Brearley

12th Royal Warwickshire Regt

Killed in action in Mesopotamia

April 17th 1916

Aged 22 years

They gave their lives that we might live in freedom

This tablet is erected by their parents.