Newdigate Woodcarvers Memorial. WW1

Thank you to John Callcut from Newdigate Local History Society for sharing the information on Mrs. Janson and her wood-carving class.

In about 1902 Mrs Janson of Newdigate Place started a woodcarving class to ‘stop the boys from hanging around Mr. Dean’s shop window for the sake of the lighting.’ Their work reached a remarkably high standard, a lot of which can still be seen in the church.

Ten pupils from her class were lost in the First World War. There is a memorial to them in St. Peter’s Church, Newdigate, found in the vestry of the church, it is a small wooden carved memorial commissioned by Mrs Janson to commemorate those who had died from her carving class.

Newdigate Wood-carving Memorial.
Photo courtesy of John Callcut.
Newdigate Local History Society

Newdigate Carving Class
In Praise and Honour
of

Norman Andrews
William Beadle
John Burberry
Roy Goldsack
Aubrey Hudson
Westley Johns
Arthur Monk
Walter Skinner
Percy Weller
Arthur Wooltorton

In Memorium

The window in the north aisle is dedicated to Mrs. Janson. It depicts Jesus in his father’s carpenter’s shop.

Newdigate Wood-carving Stained glass window.
Photo courtesy of John Calcutt.
Newdigate Local History Society

It is still possible to identify some of the handicraft done by some of the men as the carvers of the motifs on the pew ends are recorded. Percy Weller carved the fish of St Peter, the dove of the Holy Ghost and the lily of Mary, Arthur Monk did the fleur de lys and the anchor and shield of St. Nicholas and Raymond Potter who was seriously wounded at Gallipoli carved the Christ monologue.

YouTube — A film by Richard Vobes (The Bald Explorer) on the Wood Carvers of Newdigate

For more information on Mrs Janson’s Woodcarvers class visit the NLHS website to purchase Jane Lilley’s book entitled ‘The Wood-Carvings of St. Peter’s Church, Newdigate’