St James’s Church, Hall Gate Lane, Stalmine. FY6 0LD

The first records of a place of worship on this site are from around 1240 AD. Formerly St. Oswald’s, the church was completely rebuilt in 1806, and renamed St. James’s.
Further extensions were added in 1880, and again in 2006.
Inside the church are two memorials, from WW1 and WW2
WW1 Memorial

The names on the WW1 Memorial are:
Richard Bradley
Lieutenant. 4th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Richard was born in 1893 at Pilling, son of Richard and Emma Bradley
He enlisted in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps in 1915 and was commissioned Lieutenant on 22nd January 1916.
Richard was killed in action 31st July 1917 during the 3rd Battle of Ypres. He was 24.
He is one of the many men with no known grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, at Ypres.
He is also remembered on the War Memorial at St. John the Baptist in Pilling.
William Cross
Sergeant 24073. 1st Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
William was born in 1896 in Preesall, the son of William and Margaret Alice Cross.
He died on 12th November 1918. He was 22.
He is buried at Preesall Cemetery.
William Carter Brockbank
Corporal 235365. 15th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.
William was born in 1884 in Fleetwood, the son of James and Mary Brockbank.
He was killed in action on 30th September 1918. He was 21.
William is buried at Uplands Cemetery, Magny-la-Fosse, near Aisne, France.
James Rupert D’Alton Cleaver
Lance Corporal 23601. 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
James was born in 1897 in Gorton, Manchester, the son of William Edward and Fanny Eliza Cleaver.
He died from wounds received in action on 18th April 1917. He was 29.
James is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, near Boulogne, France.
John William Porter
Private 201680. 2nd/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
John was born in 1884 at Preesall, the son of John and Ann Porter.
He died on 28th December 1918 from illness contracted while serving. He was 34.
John is buried at Preesall Cemetery.
Arthur Anderson Shepherd
Lance Corporal 19128. 6th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Arthur was born in 1896 at Stalmine, the son of Arthur and Mary Jane Shepherd.
He was killed in action on 9th April 1916. He was 20.
Arthur is remembered on the Basra War Memorial in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.
Thomas Henry Ainsworth
Gunner 136772. A Battery, 231st Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Thomas was born in Stalmine in 1896, the son of Joseph and Mary Ainsworth.
He died from wounds received in action on 13th October 1918. He was 22.
Thomas is buried at Fresnoy-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, near Aisne in France.
John Dodgson
Lance Corporal 1009. 1st/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
John was born in Pilling in 1893, the son of John and Jane Dodgson.
He died from wounds received in action on 10th May 1915. He was 21.
John is buried at Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery, Hazebrouck, France.
Arthur Midgley
5805DA. Royal Naval Reserve
Arthur was born on 3rd Jan 1886 in Manchester the son of James and Susannah Midgley.
Arthur was killed as a direct result of enemy action on 19th November 1915 whilst serving on HM Trawler Falmouth 111. He was 29.
The Falmouth was serving as a minesweeper off Folkestone when it struck a mine and was practically blown in half.
Arthur has no known grave but the sea, and he is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Edwin Borwick Schofield
Gunner 696811. B Battery, 275th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Edwin was born in Morecambe in 1864, the son of Daniel and Euphemia Katherine Schofield.
He was killed in action on 16th October 1918. He was 34.
Edwin is buried at Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix, France.
Richard Ronson
Gunner 149474. 33 Seige Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
Richard was born in Stalmine in 1886, the son of George and Ann Ronson.
He was killed in action on 22nd March 1918. He was 31.
Richard is buried at Grevillers British Cemetery, near Bapaume, France.
John Cookson
Driver 118075. 45 Battery, 42 Brigade Royal Field Artillery
John was born in 1877 in Stalmine in 1877, the son of John and Margery Cookson of Highgate Farm, Stalmine.
He died on 18th April 1917. He was 39.
John is buried at Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, France
George Danson
Private 19597. 6th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
George was born on 6th July1894 in Stalmine, the son of Robert and Mary Jane Danson.
The family lived at Moss Side, Stalmine.
George was killed on 9th April 1916. He was 22.
He is remembered on the Basra War Memorial in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.
George is also remembered on the War Memorial at St. John’s church, Out Rawcliffe.
Thomas Culshaw Dodgson
Private 122. 15th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Thomas was born in 1888 in Pilling, the son of John and Jane Dodgson.
He was killed in action on 3rd September 1916. He was 27.
Thomas is one of many men with no known grave. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Niall Gregory
Lance Corporal 1019. 1st/6th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Niall was born in Madeley Heath, Staffordshire in 1892, the son of William and Sarah Gregory.
He was killed in action on 1st August 1916. He was 24.
Niall is buried at Peronne Road Cemetery, Maricourt, France.
Harold Griffin
Private 60506. 10th Battalion Cheshire Regiment
Harold was born in Worcester in 1898, the son of Albert and Jane Griffin.
He died of wounds received in action on 18th April 1918. He was 20.
Harold is buried at Mendinghem Military Cemetery, near Ypres in Belgium.
Richard Edwin Hankey
Private 58277. 16th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Richard was born in 1899 in Preesall, the son of James and Alice Hankey.
He was killed in action on 8th October 1918. He was 19.
Richard is buried at Bois-des-Angles British Cemetery, Crevecourt-sur-L’Escault, France
Luke Hornby
Private 245128. 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment
Luke was born in Stalmine in 1896, the son of Richard and Margaret Hornby.
He was killed in action on 31st July 1917. He was 21.
Luke is one of many men with no known grave. He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.
James Lawton Moss
Private 1014. 1st/5th Battalion King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
James was born on 30th January 1891 in Great Budworth, Cheshire, the son of James and Clara Moss. He was the brother of Samuel Moss (below).
Prior to joining up James was employed as a salt rock miner.
He was killed on 5th May 1915. He was 24.
James is one of the many men with no known grave. He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Samuel Moss
Private 241285. 2nd/5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
Samuel was born in Stalmine in 1894, the son of James and Clara Moss, and brother of James Lawton Moss (above).
He was killed on 5th December 1917. He was 23.
Samuel is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
Richard Parkinson
Private 27390. 8th Battalion Border Regiment
Richard was born in 1883 in Stalmine, the son of James and Elizabeth Parkinson.
He was killed in action on 10th April 1918. He was 34.
Richard is one of the many men with no known grave. He is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial, near Ypres.
James Arthur Raby
Private 701759. C Battery, 330th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
James was born in 1888 in Poulton-le-Fylde, the son of William and Jane Raby.
He died of wounds received in action on 8th July 1917. He was 29.
Richard is buried at Coxyde Military Cemetery, Koksijde, Belgium
Peter Richardson
Private 424103. 10th Battalion London Regiment
Peter was born in 1882 in Out Rawcliffe, the son of John and Catherine Richardson.
He died on 11th October 1917. He was 33
Peter is buried at Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.
George Southern
Private 206881. 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
George was born in Preesall in 1897, the son of George and Miriam Southern.
He was killed in action on 27th May 1918. He was 21.
George is one of the many men with no known grave. He is remembered on the Soissons Memorial, Aisne, France.
George Wilkinson
Private 2635. 5th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment
George was born in 1895 at Out Rawcliffe, the son of Thomas and Susannah Wilkinson of Ashton Farm, Out Rawcliffe.
He was killed in action on 27th April 1915. He was 25.
George is one of the many men with no known grave, and is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Timothy Wilkinson
Private 44291. 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Timothy was born in 1895, the son of George and Grace Wilkinson of Bank Farm, Little Carlton.
He was killed in action on 8th October 1918. He was 23.
Timothy is buried at Naves Communal Cemetery Extension, near Cambrai, France.
WW2 Memorial

Those named on the memorial are:
George Taylor Bradshaw
Gunner 1517029. 99 Battery 20 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
George was born in 1919, the son of John and Dorothy of Cemetery Lane, Preesall.
He was killed on 2nd June 1940, aged 21.
George has no known grave, and is remembered on the Dunkirk Memorial.
Leslie Cross
Sergeant 1029597. 103 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Leslie was born in Garstang in 1920, the son of John and Jane Cross.
At 1738 on 20th October 1943, 14 aircraft from 103 Squadron took off from Elsham Wolds on a bombing mission to Leipzig.
Leslie was aboard Lancaster ED 881, which failed to return from the mission and is presumed to have crashed into the sea. All 4 crew on board, including Leslie were killed. He was 23.
Leslie has no known grave, and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey.
Eric Lumb
Chief Officer. SS Biela, Merchant Navy.
Eric was born in 1916, the son of Edmund and Lilian Lumb, who later ran the Seven Stars public house.
On 1st February 1942, the cargo ship SS Biela left Liverpool bound for Buenos Aires, loaded with general cargo. SS Biela was part of Convoy ON-62.
On 14th February 1942 400 miles S.W. of Cape Race, Newfoundland, the Biela was hit by a torpedo from U Boat U-98 and sunk.
All 49 crew on board were killed, including Eric. He was 26.
Eric has no known grave but the sea, and is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
Harry Poole
Lance Bombardier 891094. 88 Field Regiment Royal Artillery
Harry was born in Lancaster in 1911, the son of Harry and Margaret Alice Mildred Poole.
He was killed on 9th June 1943, aged 32.
Harry is buried at Chungkai War Cemetery near Kanchanburi in Thailand.
The inscription on his headstone reads:
THY WILL BE DONE
Also in the church is a wooden shield memorial erected by the Blackpool and Fylde branch of the Burma Star Association in memory of those who fought in the Burma Campaign from 1941 to 1945.
