Freeman Brothers was first established as a funeral director in Horsham, West Sussex, in 1855. The company now has a further three offices across the county – in Billingshurst, Crawley and Hurstpierpoint – and maintains a presence in the local community. Freeman Brothers often collaborates with sister company, J. Gumbrill Monumental Masons, and that has been the case recently with the maintenance of a local memorial…

As we approach Remembrance Day, our colleagues at J. Gumbrill received a request to ensure that the war memorial in Hurstpierpoint is in top condition.

If you haven’t visited the village, Hurst’s memorial is in a lovely spot. Next to Holy Trinity church, it is in a low-walled space which has matured with several trees. The memorial was first dedicated in 1922, and 100 years later (minus one month!), we at Freeman Brothers added a memorial to the COVID-19 pandemic in the same garden. There is also a bench, offering the ideal space to pause and reflect.

Caring for any stonework carried out by our sister company is incredibly important to ensure the ongoing good condition of the piece. When any work is completed, part of our colleagues’ service to their customers is to issue instructions on how to care for their memorial. Different types of stone require different forms of upkeep, and caring for the piece also depends upon where it’s sited – trees and wildlife will have an impact!

With the Hurst memorial standing in close proximity to several trees – and being particularly tall – there was a lot of cleaning to be done, necessitating the use of scaffolding. Fortunately, the week during which the work took place saw favourable weather conditions, and the team set to work carefully cleaning this important monument.

As with many others nationally, the war memorial in Hurst was created by the community during the aftermath of World War I. Whilst there had been significant conflicts previously – notably, the Boer War – this one had impacted those at home more than before; the loss of life through both voluntary and conscripted sign up to active duty, plus the fact that the media was evolving meant that greater numbers of the general public felt connected to the war, and wanted to recognise those who had died.

Hurst’s memorial is typical in listing names alphabetically and without rank – this is an acknowledgement of the belief that we are all equal in death – and it is thought that, unfortunately, the names of some locals are missing. This could be due to a number of factors: the memorial was created via public consultation, and it could be that some people were missed due to lack of communication, or perhaps they had no relatives or friends who outlived them. It may seem a controversial thing to say, but it is also possible that people didn’t want their loved ones included on the memorial. As we often acknowledge, grief and bereavement is complicated, and we don’t know what everyone’s thoughts and feelings were on the conflict. It may be that some didn’t want this kind of reminder of how their loved one had died, or for them to be associated with conflict in an ongoing manner.

With over 100 years having passed since the memorial was first built, it continues to stand proudly in a prominent part of the village. Having been freshly cleaned, it is ready to be part of the forthcoming Service once again.

Cleaning stonework can be far simpler than many might think – whilst there are some more delicate types of stone, others are hardier, and it’s often just a case of knowing which tools are right for the job, it can be as straightforward as a typical domestic brush and a bucket of soapy water! If you would like any advice on caring for a stone – whether the work was originally done by J. Gumbrill or not – please get in touch to find out more. A free, no obligation assessment and quote will be provided at any time.