Burnley Cemetery and All Saints and St. John's, Holy Trinity and St. Peter's Churchyards all have War Memorials. There are also Commonwealth Commission War Graves commemorating those who lost their lives as a result of war service and are buried in the cemeteries and graveyards. Many family gravestones commemorating those who were killed in action and were not repatriated during WW1 can also be found.
Burnley Cemetery
Commissioned by the then Imperial War Graves Commission, this memorial was dedicated to the soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in service of their country during WW1. It was unveiled in a formal ceremony on Saturday the 9th October 1926.
It stands in a prominent position opposite the Rossendale Road entrance gates. The Cross of Sacrifice was designed by architect Reginald Blomfield and behind it is a stone semi-circular screen engraved with the names of the 174 servicemen who are buried in the cemetery.
This memorial is situated close to the original entrance to the old cemetery at the bottom of Cemetery Lane. No information can be found about its origins, other than the following which is engraved on the memorial:
'Erected by the comrades of 3 officers and 180 men of the 1st Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment who died in Lucknow between 31st October 1891 and 24th February 1896.'
However, on Sunday 29th October 1937, following the rediscovery and renovation of the monument which had been in a neglected condition, over 260 old soldiers paraded from their base at Sandygate to the cemetery for a remembrance service for the 183 men who had died as a result of a prolonged cholera epidemic.
Churchyard War Memorials
Left: St. Peter’s Memorial is sited alongside the main pathway to the church from Church Street, it was unveiled and dedicated on Sunday the 21st November 1920 to the 115 men of the parish who died in the Great War. It was designed by the noted Lancaster architects Messrs. Austin and Paley to a similar design as the Foldys Cross which once stood in the churchyard (now in Townley Park). Inside the church there is a memorial tablet, unveiled on Friday the 29th June 1923, which lists the names of all the men who lost their lives in service.
Centre: Holy Trinity Memorial is situated in a prominent position in the churchyard and is visible from Accrington Road. It was unveiled and dedicated on Sunday the 18th December 1921 and commemorates the men of the Parish who died in service. A memorial tablet inside the church, engraved with the names of the 79 men who had lost their lives was unveiled on Sunday the 23rd March 1923. This tablet can now be found in St. Matthew’s Church Burnley.
Right: All Saints and St. John’s Memorial is situated off the pathway from the main entrance gate on Padiham Road, it was unveiled on Saturdat 9th April 1921. It is a Paulinus Cross of Aberdeen granite on an hexagonal base of local Catlow Stone. Designed by Mr. Alex Fisher of St. Mary Abbots, Kensington, the mason’s and carving work was by Messrs. Whitaker of Church Street, Burnley. A brass memorial tablet inside the church contains the names of 212 men of the parish who fell in the war. The tablet was made by Mr. Thomas Powers of Church Street, Altrincham.
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION AND FAMILY GRAVES
As part of the World War 1 Centenary Commemorations in 2018 research was carried out to identify and record WW1 commemorative headstones in the Burnley and Padiham Cemeteries. Booklets have been produced for the two Padiham Cemeteries and these are available to download below.
Padiham St. John's Road WW1 Graves
Padiham Blackburn Road WW1 Graves
Work continues on the Burnley Booklets and it is hoped that the first section, the original, older, part of the cemetery will be available soon.