St. Peter’s Church, Preston Road, Inskip. PR3 0UN
St. Peter’s church was built in 1848 by J.E. Gregan, with a chancel and tower added in 1925 by Austin and Paley. It is a Grade 2 listed building.
The original church is constructed of squared rock-faced limestone with sandstone dressings and slate roof, while the additions are mainly sandstone.
Inside the church is a memorial plaque on the organ which remembers 3 men who fell in WW1:
William Stuart
Information below on the War Memorial
Geoffrey Connell Lancaster
Information below on the War Memorial
William Porter
Information below on the War Memorial
There is also a memorial window which remembers Geoffrey Connell Lancaster.
Within the churchyard are four graves of men who fell in WW2:
Philip Royston Mallorie
Leading Airman FX578011. Royal Navy
Phikip was born in Leeds in 1926, the son of Charles Royston and Edith Helen Mallorie.
He was educated at Harrogate Grammar School and was working for the Midland Bank before enlisting into the Royal Navy
The family lived at 205 Wetherby Road, Harrogate at the time of Philip’s death.
Philip was part of a crew that were on board aircraft Avenger JZ390,which had taken off from RNAS Inskip (also known as HMS Nightjar).
The crew were carrying out a night navigation exercise over the Irish Sea, but due to the poor weather they became lost, and the aircraft flew inland over the west coast.
It then flew into the high ground which rises from the southern end of Wastwater, crashed and exploded.
All 3 crew, including Philip were killed. He was 18.
Leslie William Staccie Partridge
Air Mechanic (E) 1st Class FX592381. Royal Navy
Leslie was born in Wandsworth, London on 2nd February 1923, the son of Staccie Clifford and Gladys Blanche Partridge.
At the time of Leslie’s death the family were living at 21 Queens-road, Reading, Berkshire.
On 13th March 1945 three aircraft mechanics were taking part in salvage operations on a crashed aircraft at HMS Nightjar, Inskip, using a mobile crane.
The crane came in contact with electric cables, and the three mechanics who were holding the aircraft received electric shocks and were killed, including Leslie. He was 22.
Derek Arthur Grose Tomlinson
Sub Lieutenant (A). Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Derek was born in Newcastle under Lyme in Staffordshire in 1924, the son of Leslie Grose Tomlinson and Winifred Mary Tomlinson.
At the time of his death the family were living in Betley, Staffordshire.
Derek attended Newcastle High School, and then Wrekin College. It was his intention to take up a medical career and he was accepted as a student at Manchester University while still at Wrekin.
He joined the Navy as a naval airman, and after several months training in Trinidad he was granted his commission as an Observer.
On 17th November 1944 he was the navigator in a Fairey Swordfish aircraft on a training flight from HMS Nightjar when it crashed in a field, killing all on board. Derek was 20.
William Herbert Rostron Young
Sub Lieutenant (A). Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
William was born in 1924, the son of Charles Lawrence Royston Young and Lilian Alice Young.
At the time of his death the family were living in Bath, Somerset.
During the night of 20th December 1943 the crew of Barracuda P9828 aircraft had taken off from RNAS Inskip (HMS Nightjar) and were flying low in the Lake District.
The aircraft had just flown the full length of Coniston Water with it’s navigation and landing lights on and was seen to pass over Coniston village heading north-east.
Little else about the incident is known other than the aircraft had just made a climbing turn to starboard when it flew into rising ground, narrowly missing farm buildings, hit a drystone wall and exploded.
All three crew, including William were killed. He was 20.
Outside the church is the War Memorial, which was unveiled in 1920.
There are six names on the memorial from WW1:
Thomas Crook
Private 34505. 12th Battalion Highland Light Infantry.
Thomas was born in 1895 in Inskip, the son of Thomas Albert and Ada Crook. The family lived at Chesham House, Inskip.
He died on 25th January 1917. He was 22.
Thomas is buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension, near Rouen, France.
Richard Ibison
Lance Corporal 12362. 2nd Battalion Scots Guards
Richard was born in Sowerby in 1890, the son of Richard and Margaret Ibison.
He died on 27th September 1915. He was 25.
Richard is one of many men with no known grave, and is remembered on the Loos Memorial, France.
Geoffrey Connell Lancaster
Corporal 13055. 7th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Geoffrey was born in Inskip in 1896, the son of John James and Fanny Maria Lancaster.
He died on 11th October 1915. He was 19.
Geoffrey is buried at Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L’avoue, France.
William Porter
Private 35516. 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment
William was in born 1889 in the village of Catforth the son of Henry and Elizabeth Porter.
He was killed in action on the 8th May 1918. He was 18.
William is buried at Klein-Vierstrat British Cemetery in Belgium.
William Stuart
Private 38269. 14th (Service) Battalion Highland Light Infantry
William was born in Sowerby in 1890, the son of Thomas and Jane Stuart. The family lived at New Hall Farm, Sowerby.
He died on 24th March 1918. He was 28.
William is buried at St. Pierre Cemetery, Amiens, France.
Inskip Baptist Church, Preston Road, Inskip. PR4 0TT
Within the churchyard is the grave of a fallen WW1 soldier:
Ellis Kirby
Gunner 3957. B Battery 331st Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Ellis was born in 1899, the son of Thomas and Dorothy Kirby.
He died on 1st February 1917 in the Military Hospital in Colchester. He was 18.
There is also a grave of a fallen WW2 soldier:
Thomas Davies
Corporal 3447692. 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
Thomas was born in Preston in 1913, the son of James and Martha Davies.
He married Ivy Evelyn Burrows in 1938.
On 235d August 1940, Thomas was serving in the 2nd Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers who were based at Fernhill Manor School in New Milton in Hampshire, which had been requisitioned for the duration of the war.
He had been granted 48 hours local leave, and his wife had travelled down from Preston by train to be with him.
Thomas met his wife at New Milton railway station and was walking down the road with her when a German Heinkel aircraft dropped several bombs on the area of Station Road. Thomas was killed, and Ivy later died of her injuries at New Milton General Hospital.
They are buried togather in the grave at the Baptist Chapel.
