Appeal to trace families as memorial stones including with names of men killed in First World War are saved from church

A memorial stone honouring 38 men who died fighting for their country has found a new home in Blackpool thanks to the determination of a council worker.

The tablet, inscribed with the names of local men killed during the First World War between 1914 and 1918, has been saved following the demolition of Marton Methodist Church on Midgeland Road.

After intervention from staff at Blackpool Council’s waste disposal company Enveco, it has been removed from the grounds of the former church and relocated to the Fylde Memorial Arboretum in Bispham. Now it is hoped that more memorial stones, which had also stood in the church grounds, can be reunited with the families they are linked with.

Steve Harvey, Enveco’s grounds maintenance gardener, decided to act after recalling the section of memorial stones from his days spent with his family at the church. Following contact with Melrose Investments, which now owns the site, and Paul Binns, chairman of the Fylde Ex-Services Liaison Committee, it was arranged to relocate the main memorial to the Arboretum.

A setting was created by Captain John Jones from Fylde Memorial Arboretum Community Woodland, with the stone placed there by Enveco’s grounds maintenance team.

Jez Evans, operations director at Enveco, said: “Steve’s commitment to pursue the safekeeping of memorial stones when Marton Methodist Church was sold, cannot be understated to preserve the names of Blackpool residents who lost their lives in the Great War. Enveco and Blackpool Council have a strong relationship with the Fylde Memorial Arboretum volunteers who tirelessly maintain the community woodland memorials.”

The additional stones have been handed to the Arboretum for safekeeping but the aim is to return these to family members. The names inscribed on the stones are: –

• The Leeming Family
• Mr and Mrs J.R. Cookson
• John and Emma Parkinson
• Mr and Mrs John Hallam
• Mr John W Cardwell
• Mr W Carr
• Thomas and Betty Cardwell (of Cropper)
• Elizabeth and Howorth
• Mrs E.D. Denbigh

Anyone with information should email [email protected]. The Fylde Memorial Arboretum and Community Woodland is appealing for volunteers – email [email protected]. Developer Melrose Investments Ltd is seeking planning permission to build a three-storey apartment block to provide 15 supported living flats on the site of the former church.