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London Road
Primitive Methodist Church
GREAT
WAR
WINDOW
History
The window was unveiled on 8th October 1919
in the presence of clergy from many churches and a large
congregation. It was on the west wall of the building, opposite
the pulpit. It was destroyed by enemy action in World War II.
The window depicted the Good Shepherd, and,
inscribed above were the words "Feed My Lambs" Beneath was the
following:
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To the Glory of
God and in Undying Memory of the Following, who Gave
their Lives in the Defence of Righteousness, Liberty,
and Honour
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Private Gerald P Goldstraw
26th Royal Fusiliers
killed in France
October 7th 1916 |
Sergeant Edward A. Evans
22nd Royal Fusiliers
killed in France
April 22nd 1917
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Battery Quartermaster Sergeant
William G. Spinner MM
RGA, died in Active Service
November 12th 1918 |
Greater Love has no Man than this, That a Man lay down
his Life for his Friends John XV 13
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During the unveiling Rev Goldstraw spoke of
the three Fallen men, one of whom was his son and only child. He
said that they could not hold him back, and in September 1915 he
joined the Bankers' Battallion, and in little more than a year,
when he was about to come home for a commission, he fell
mortally wounded on the Somme. Before passing away he was
sufficiently forgetful of his wounds to cheer up others mortally
wounded lying by his side in a shell hole. He died a few hours
afterwards, and was buried where he fell, in some unknown grave,
just before the dawn of the first day of the week.
Sergeant Evans was a professional soldier and
had married into a family connected with the church. William
Spinner was a gunner in the Territorial RGA when war broke out
and went to France, becoming a battery quartermaster sergeant.
For his valiant services ther he gained a Military Medal. He
escaped serious injury throughout the was until six weeks before
the Armistice, when he became seriously ill. He died the day
after the Armistice was signed. He had been married in the
church by Rev Goldstraw only five months previously.
with thanks to Tony Belsey
The London Road Church is now known as
The Beacon, and is also the
combined home for
St Columba
and the Tower Hamlets
Wesleyan Mission
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