Garstang United Reformed Church was built in 1777, and the separate Church Hall was added in 1903.
In the churchyard there is one WW1 Commonwealth War Grave.
Inside the church there are two memorial plaques, one for each of the two World Wars.
There is also a commemorative stained glass window dedicated to Radio Officer Benjamin Cartmell.
In the churchyard:
Grave of Frederick Gardner
Private 29563. 2nd/6th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
Frederick enlisted on 31st January 1917 at St. Helen’s, and was posted to the 8th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment.
On 14th July 1917 he was transferred to the 2nd/6th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
Frederick served in France from 28th June 1917 until 22nd January 1919.
He died on 5th February 1920 from illness related to his war service.
Frederick (Fred) was the youngest child of Robert and Elizabeth Gardner, who had a family boot and shoemakers business on Bridge Street, Garstang, which had been established in 1810.
When Fred left school he worked in the business, and was a staunch supporter of the church. He served as a Sunday School teacher, on the church management committee, the committee for the building of the new Sunday School, and for a short time in 1907 he was the church treasurer.
Fred joined the Band of Hope and Temperance Society, and in 1900 he took the pledge never to drink intoxicating liquor.
He married Ellen Thomas, the daughter of a local chemist Jonathan Jowett Thomas who was also a member of the church, and the couple went on to have three children.
Sometime before 1915 Fred and his family moved to St. Helens and he continued to trade as a boot and shoemaker, until he enlisted in December 1915.
After the war he continued his trade in St. Helens until his death in 1920.
Although he had been living in St. Helens at the time of his death, he was buried in the graveyard of the URC with his son Edward, who had died while the family were living in Garstang.
(Information kindly provided by Brenda M. Fox from her book ‘GARSTANG: The Independent Chapel/Congregational Church c1777 – 1900’, and reproduced here with her permission)
Also in the graveyard is a family grave, which remembers Thomas Patrick Longworth (information on the Garstang War Memorial page)
Inside the church
WW1 Plaque
Situated on the wall inside the church, the wooden plaque commemorates 3 men, who are also named on the Garstang War Memorial here
Thomas Patrick Longworth
Colin Pye
William Thomas
An addition to the plaque after WW2 was the name of Benjamin Cartmell, whose information can be found on the Garstang War Memorial page of the Poppy Trail.
Commemorative Window
This window also commemorates Benjamin Cartmell, and was gifted to the church by his family.
