Memorial Service at Rushden

Park-road Baptist Church – Tribute to the War Victims

A special service in memory of those men and lads formerly connected with the church who have fallen in the war was held in the Park-road Baptist Church, Rushden, on Saturday evening when a large congregation filled the spacious building, many having to be accommodated in the aisles. Although the service was a memorial, yet the note of sadness was not unduly emphasised, as music and sermon alike breathed the spirit of comfort, and gave the assurance that those who have died for us are enjoying that blissful immortality that is the sure and certain reward of their supreme sacrifice.

The service, which was conducted by the Rev. R. C. Law, A.T.S., commenced with the introit "When wilt Thou save the people?" and this was followed by the hymn "In the cross of Christ I glory". Prayer was then offered, and the hymn for absent ones, "Holy Father, in Thy mercy" preceded by the reading of some appropriate passages of Scripture as the lesson. The choir then rendered Stainer’s beautiful anthem "What are these that are arrayed in white robes?" following which the recit, "Sing ye praise" and the aria "He counteth all your sorrows" from the "Hymn of Praise" (Mendelssohn), were sympathetically sung by Mr. Bernard Tomkins. The congregation then stood whilst Mr. Law read out the names of men (about 26 in number) formerly connected with the church who have sacrificed themselves in their country’s cause. Then followed a lengthy list of about 250 names comprising those who are still serving. The names of those who have fallen or are missing was as follow:-

Killed
	Samuel Clayton	(brothers)
	Harry Clayton
	Horace Clark	(brothers)
	Fred Clark
	Leonard Ballard
	Eric Cave
	Sydney Denton
	Fred Leach
	Fred Dorks
	Fred Clayton
	Charles Harley
	J. Oswald Knight
	Leonard Helsdown
	Leonard Charles Cockings
	Fred Line
	William Sherwood
	Sydney Mackness
	Fred Tew
	Herbert Bates
	Bert Sherwood
	George Wm Burt	(brothers)
	Fred Burt
	Horace Perkins
Died of Wounds
	Victor Moon
Died on Service
	Herbert H. May
Missing
	Rennie Leeding
	George Drage

The Rev R. C. Law, who yesterday was formally recognised as pastor of the Park-road Baptist Church.

Prayer preceded the hymn "Ten thousand times ten thousand", and the Rev. R. C. Law then based an impressive discourse upon Romans viii. 22, 38 and 39.

Note: the sermon is fully reported, and then article continues:-

... They had come to the casting out of the greatest devil that ever existed, the devil of the spirit of war, because their sons and relatives had gone to the trenches to die, that the present boys and girls might grow up into a world:-

"Where men shall brothers be
And form one family
The wide world o’er".

The sermon was followed by the hymn "For ever with the Lord" and after the Benediction, one verse of the hymn "Eternal Father strong to save" was sung as a vesper to the tune "Melita". Mrs R. Denton, who presided at the organ, included Handel’s "Comfort ye My people" amongst her voluntaries.

Rushden Echo, 19th November 1920, transcribed by Kay Collins MEMORIAL SERVICE. A service in commemoration of the 52 members of the Park-road Baptist Church who made the great sacrifice in the war was held on Sunday evening. Special hymns were sung and the Rev. R. C. Law read out the names of the fallen, while the congregation stood. In the course of his sermon, Mr. Law spoke strongly against the hardships allowed to he inflicted on ex-Servicemen through unemployment.

see also The Church Organ - a memorial plaque

War Memorial