The Scottish War Memorials Project

spoons · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject: Tarff UF Church WW1

Not listed on UKNIWM

Location - in storage at the former Tarff Parish Church (originally Tarff United Free Church), now a private house. OS Map Ref NX 683 562.

For a long time I believed this memorial to be lost but was relieved to find that it still exists.

Tarff church was closed in 1988 and the WW2 wooden plaque memorial was moved to Twynholm church which is now the parish church for the area. At least two local people separately told me that the WW1 memorial used to be a window, it was no longer in the church and was removed by the church of Scotland to Edinburgh prior to the church being sold.

I contacted the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh who checked their records and told me they have no record of any windows being removed prior to sale and furthermore there was no storage or suitable place in Edinburgh for them to be moved to. They were unlikely to have moved such a memorial out of its area.

I then visited the former Tarff Church (now private residence) and knocked on the door with fingers firmly crossed. I was met by the very helpful lady of the house who told me that she and her husband were the second owners of the church since its sale and she believed that two small windows were removed by the church, a third larger window was essentially destroyed and had to be disposed of but the WW1 memorial was almost entirely intact. It was necessary to remove the window to make the property watertight. She and her husband had removed the four panels and had them in storage in a temporary workshop pending a decision on what to do with them (and awaiting funds). At significant inconvenience to herself, she allowed me to take each panel into the light to photograph them (unfortunately with a doorframe casting partial shadows).

I have done my best with the photos I took and put them together in an attempt to give some idea of the overall effect. I neglected to take measurements but the total window must be in the order of eight feet high. The owners current thoughts are that they might reassemble the window and install it in a light box for display in their hallway but that would not be for some time.

The window was created by Tina Adamson in 1920.

Now for the bad news, there is one pane missing and this had two of the four surnames on it and I have not yet found a record of the names. The names which are present are Alexander McColm and Charles R Murray. The missing names are David M????? and William ?????. The first two are listed on the Ringford/Tongland civic memorial and if the other two are also listed on the same civic memorial (a big assumption) then they would be either David Murdoch or David McLelland and either William Simpson or William McQueen. I intend to continue searching the local newspaper archives in hope of finding a record of the unveiling and failing that an appeal in the local paper to see if anyone has a record of the missing names. Any other thoughts?

spoons · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:

Name: McCOLM, ALEXANDER
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Corporal
Regiment/Service: Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Unit Text: 8th Bn.
Date of Death: 09/07/1916
Service No: S/6551
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 10 A.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Name: MURRAY
Initials: C R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: King's Own Scottish Borderers
Unit Text: 9th Bn. attd. 7th/8th Bn.
Date of Death: 18/09/1916
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 4 A and 4 D.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL