A TRIO of history sleuths are to present an exhibition of their year-long research into the men and women from their village who returned from the First World War.
Jill Barr, Jennifer Priestley and Diane Ball had no idea of the challenges they would faced in trying to track down the more than 180 people from Staindrop who returned from Europe in 1918.
So far they have managed to uncover information on about 70 which they will put on display at the village’s Scarth Memorial Hall on Saturday, November 10.
This comes on the back of a similar project the group undertook to commemorate the start of the First World War when they completed research into the 40 Staindrop men who did not return.
Mrs Ball said: “We knew for this one it would be more difficult. We are slightly disappointed because we set off with high hopes we would get all of them.”
The group was able to secure £6,800 in Heritage Lottery funding for their research and everything that they uncover is to be put on a website for everyone to access. A scan of the website is to be kept at the National Archive.
The history detectives were given a great boost at the start of their research by a Roll of Honour produced by George Richardson in 1922, which lists all the men who died as well as the names of 186 men and women who returned from the war.
Mrs Priestley said: “We think it is something he felt he had to do because he came back.”
They then compared the names with the absent voters’ list.
Mrs Ball said: “Hopefully from that you can find where they lived – we have looked
at the parents and the siblings.”
Their research uncovered more about two women, Edith Anne Bell and Emily Stephenson, who returned.
Mrs Ball said: “We have got loads on them. They were on the hospital ships to begin with.”
They learned that despite being prone to seasickness and being moved off the ship, Edith Ann Bell went on to be awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal, which was presented to her by King George V.
A plaque is to be unveiled during the exhibition and placed in part of the Scarth Memorial Hall that was built in memory of the village’s fallen soldiers.
Despite vigorous research, little is known about the building extension or when it took place.
Mrs Ball said: “We are struggling to get an exact date, we think it was in the early 1920s. We were surprised because there would have been committees because it was built by public subscription.”
The only evidence Mrs Priestley has been able to uncover about it is a reference to a school concert which
was held to raise cash for the work.
Another hint of when it was done is a reference in a parish magazine about the difficulties of preparing catering for an event at the hall because of the building work being done.
The new plaque will feature 41 names, one more than the 40 that appear on the roll of honour in St Mary The Virgin Church.
Mrs Ball said: “Fred Binks died within 12 months of coming home from the effects of gas.”
The group extended their thanks to Judith Phillips, of The Bowes Museum, and Gill Parkes, from Durham Record Office, who provided them with help and training for their project.
The exhibition, which runs from 1pm to 4pm, is by ticket only, available from from Staindrop Post Office.
Mrs Barr said: “Another reason we are holding the event is for people in the village who do not realise their ancestors served because they didn’t talk about it when they came back.”
Part of the exhibition includes an hour-long quarter peal of the eight bells at the church.
For more information or to collect a free ticket to the event contact Diane Ball on 01833 660288, Jill Barr on 01833 660960 or Jennifer Priestley on 01833 660428.