Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Church Lane, Hambleton. FY6 9EF
There has been a place of worship on this site since before 1500. The original chapel was rebuilt in 1749, more extensive alterations were carried out in 1877, and more recently in 1973 when the church was enlarged.
There is a marble baptismal font in the church, which has a memorial plaque attached to the base.
This commemorates those men from the parish who died in WW1.
John Robert Preston
Private 241853. 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
John was born in 1893 in Garstang, the son of John and Alice Ann Preston.
He was killed in action on 13th April 1918. He was 25.
John is buried at Pernes British Cemetery, at Pernes en Artois, France.
Harry Curwen
Private 19596. 1st/6th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Henry (Harry) Curwen was born in 1890 in Out Rawcliffe, the son of Henry and Jane Curwen.
He was killed in action on 19th September 1918. He was 28.
Harry is buried at Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.
John Robert Hull
Private 25893. 1st/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
John was born in 1884 in Hambleton, the son of Robert and Alice Hull.
He was killed in action on 8th November 1918. He was 34.
John is buried at Pont-sur-Sambre Communal Cemetery, France.
Albert Edward Davies
Private 49406. 2nd/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Albert was born in 1899 in Hambleton, the son of Hall and Agnes Davies.
He was killed in action on 4th October 1918. He was 19.
Albert is buried at Proville British Cemetery, near Cambrai, France.
Thomas Riley (Reverend)
Captain. C Battery, 158th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.
Thomas was born in 1883, the son of Richard and Hannah Riley.
He was killed in action on 5th August 1916. He was 33.
Thomas is buried at Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension, Corbie, France.
William Stirzaker
Private 36281. 11th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
William was born on 30th March 1889 at Poulton-le-Fylde, the son of Richard and Mary Stirzaker.
He married Elizabeth Preston at Garstang in early 1917.
William was killed in action on 22nd November 1917. He was 28.
He is one of the many men with no known grave, and is remembered on the Loos Memorial, Loos, France.
Also in the church is a Roll of Honour of those local men who served in WW1.
A plaque on the organ remembers John Robert Preston who was a member of the church choir, and who was killed in WW1.
