Published By John Davies
War Memorials – Oswestry & District and Beyond
Our Lady and St Oswald’s RC Church, Oswestry
Our Lady and St Oswald’s RC Church on FACEBOOK Link
Our Lady and St Oswald’s RC Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Shrewsbury, Edmund Knight, on 10 June 1890. The building replaced a prefabricated ‘Iron Church’ bought and brought from Barmouth – this had been gifted by Thomas Longueville, solicitor and local land owner. Longueville, and his wife Mary, donated land from their estate, and paid for the building of a church, priest’s house, convent and school on Upper Brook Street.
The Longuevillles had 4 children Reginald, Mary, Edward and Francis. All three sons served as officers in the Coldstream Guards during WW1 and survived the conflict.
The War Memorial and Crucifix outside the church were dedicated in July 1920. A slab of polished granite bears the names of 13 parishioners who fell in WW1. A second slab names 7 men who died in WW2. The figure of Christ on the Cross came from France.
Names on Our Lady and St Oswald’s War Memorial
Private William Davis
Able Seaman R/3261 Edward M Dudlestone, Nelson Battalion Royal Navy Division.
Private 6471 William J Healey, 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
Private John Lee
Private 17581 Christopher Macnamara, 11 Bn East Yorkshire Regiment (Hull Pals Hull Tradesmen),
Private Francis Rogers
Lance Corporal 10474 Bernard Spiers, 2 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Lance Corporal 24301 Edward Sweeney, 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
Lance Corporal 06562 Charles H Walker, 21 Service Coy Army Ordnance Corps.
Guardsman Bernard Wilcox
Private William Williams
Corporal John Williams
Sergeant Daniel Considine – also on Trefonen War Memorial
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