War memorials

You can research war memorials from various angles. As military, social, and family history, and as artistic objects. Before the 20th century, memorials were generally to individuals apart from a handful of Crimean war memorials.

Communal war memorials arrived after the Boer War. But it was with the First World War that they became more common. A decision was made early in the war not to repatriate the bodies of the fallen. So the communal memorials provided a focus for grief and remembrance.

Hampshire Archives and Local Studies is happy to support activity around this theme. This can be:

  • facilitation
  • advice on sources
  • links with local military museums
  • military ancestors
  • local history workshops, etc.

But, we don't have expertise on conservation or preservation of war memorials.

If you would like to investigate the history of a war memorial or the names on it, Hampshire Archives and Local Studies may hold useful sources.

Finding memorials

War memorials in Hampshire can be found by searching a variety of places, including:

  • the HALS catalogue
  • newspapers
  • parish council minutes
  • war memorial committee minutes
  • Parochial Church Council minutes
  • faculties
  • parish/deanery magazines
  • parish records
  • civil cemeteries
  • local chapel
  • schools
  • village halls (inside or hall itself)
  • local employers’ premises and archives
  • local clubs or organisations’ premises
  • friendly societies
  • local museums
  • civic buildings
  • public facilities (almshouses, benches, fountains, gates, parks)
  • trees (plaques at base)
  • county rolls of honour

Look elsewhere in churches for:

  • a paper roll of honour
  • memorials to individuals
  • plaques

Tracing the names

Tracing their military careers

You can trace people back through their military careers, using sources like:

Tracing their family and local background

You can trace people's family and local background using sources like:

  • newspapers
  • accounts of funerals
  • parish/deanery magazines
  • other war memorials which might give more information
  • rolls of honour
  • school magazines and other records
  • parish and chapel registers
  • 1891/1901/1911 census
  • electoral registers
  • directories
  • records of local employers, societies, organisations
  • gravestones of widows, parents

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