‘York Cemetery: World War One Commemorative Exhibition’ created by York Cemetery’s genealogists is now open in York Castle Museum’s Community Room until Sunday, 1st March.

Cemetery Genealogist Janet Lea said:

“Following the success of our exhibition in the cemetery chapel last year, an invitation to take it to the Castle Museum was too good an opportunity to turn down. This is a new, really polished version of last year’s cemetery exhibition and a natural addition to the museum’s own ‘1914: When the World Changed Forever’ exhibition.

We used historical documents, memorabilia, newspaper articles, photographs and an audio visual display to tell the stories of some of those who died because of World War One and who are buried in York Cemetery.”

Beautifully displayed in a glass case are a number of artefacts which actually belonged to two of the people featured in the exhibition. Of special significance and on public display for the first time is the World War One Victory Medal which was awarded to George Henry Sykes. Last year York Press reported the lost and found story of this particular medal, which the genealogy team recently reunited with George’s family.

Fittingly, Janet’s own ceramic poppy from the Tower of London’s famed art installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ is also on display; each of the 888,246 poppies in this colossal installation represented a life lost in the war.

We asked another member of the cemetery’s genealogy team, Caroline Kennedy, which stories she feels will be of most interest to visitors. She told us:

“The display about the victims of the Zeppelin raid seems to be attracting quite a bit of attention. Nine people were killed on 2nd May 1916 by bombs dropped from Zeppelins on the streets of York and seven of them are buried in York Cemetery.

People were so in awe of these huge machines and the spectacle they were creating in the darkness that they felt compelled to go outside to watch. Many people were injured and some of the victims met their death this way.”

Caroline points out that this was not so in the case of elderly couple George and Sarah Avison who were asleep in bed when a bomb dropped directly on their York home and killed them instantly. A picture of George is on display next to a photograph of the memorial on George and Sarah’s grave in the cemetery. An inscription on their memorial reads clearly ‘killed by a bomb dropped from enemy aircraft’.

Caroline’s personal favourite exhibit, however, is a photograph of a mug which belonged to Edward Hope Hawthorne who was in the Royal Naval Division during the war.

“Edward’s family told us that Edward was actually holding his mug when it was shot through during the Battle of Gallipoli. You can clearly see from the bullet hole in the mug that it went in one side and came out of the other. It must have been one heck of a shock!

The family told us that Edward was a much changed man because of his war experiences and I could see that from some of their other photographs not on display here. But I didn’t want to show the face of the sick, broken man so instead we are showing the handsome, former school headmaster who bravely volunteered to go to war.”

On display next to Edward’s photograph, a newspaper obituary reports that whilst in Gallipoli, his commanding officer noted Edward’s ‘zeal and devotion to duty’.

Caroline’s special audio visual display in the exhibition reveals page by page the list of all of the 151 people buried in York Cemetery with a Commonwealth War Grave, which includes Edward Hope Hawthorne.

The list is interspersed with photographs of those not already on the main display boards and poignant music plays along in the background. The music, Heroic Elegy Opus 36 by Ernest Bristow Farrar, was very carefully chosen by Caroline who told us:

“There’s a very sad but relevant story behind the music. Ernest, a Yorkshireman, composed it in 1918 with those fighting in the First World War in mind. Soon afterwards he himself was killed in action after just two days at the front.”

The genealogists conduct searches of York Cemetery’s computerised records for visitors every Friday in the gatehouse office. Tel 01904 610631 or email genealogy@yorkcemetery.org.uk. The cemetery and genealogy office also open for York Residents Festival on Sunday, 1st February, and on Sunday 26th April at 2pm local historian and cemetery genealogist David Poole will be conducting a special guided walk ‘World War One in the Cemetery’.

Residents Festival at York Cemetery

Sunday 1st February 10am to 4pm: Annual Residents Festival Day

Annual Residents Festival Day is the perfect opportunity to experience some of what York Cemetery has to offer: There’s no need to book, just turn up and enjoy!

The genealogy office will be open to conduct searches of its computerised records for visitors from 11am to 3pm, with special rates for information (no find no fee).

The cemetery’s expert guides will, throughout the day, be conducting guided walks with a historical or nature theme, allowing you to see interesting monuments whilst hearing the stories of people buried and enjoying the natural beauty of the grounds.

The guides will also be conducting tours of the chapel catacombs which are not normally open to the public.

In the stunning grade 2* listed cemetery chapel there will be a special exhibition about the cemetery and a chance to find out more about the Friends of York Cemetery, volunteering, etc. We will also be serving drinks and delicious home-made cakes in the chapel.