The cloth appears to have been embroidered during the first world war.
Although the wooden frame shows
The names appear to be of those who wish to remember, rather than those being remembered. Names are clustered into small groups, perhaps families, neighbours, or friends. They include members of many well-known Stockport families, and even a dog "Blackie", unless that is someone's nickname. The cloth represents a community remembering its relatives and friends still serving abroad, as well as those who have died.
The cloth comprises a large central panel surrounded by twelve smaller panels. The central panel and eight of the smaller panels are embroidered with names, in the form of signatures, in dark blue thread on a white background. Each of the panels has a different layout. This points to them having been done by different hands, who probably went round collecting signatures before embroidering them. The panels were then stitched together.
Ten of the signatures are indecipherable. I have omitted them in the following transcription. Others are difficult to read. I have put a question mark "?" against those I am uncertain about. Overall, the transcription is only about 90% accurate. I have taken the panels in a clockwise direction, starting with the panel top right (1 o'clock) and ending in the centre.
| 1 o'clock panel | ||||
L/Cpl Ivor HODSON Sergt Trevor REES J FERNLEY Mary LEE L/Cpl S LEE AFC R B LEATHERBARROW Emily MARTIN Jannet FASNAR ? Hannah LINNEY | Henry BARON George BARON Mrs TURNER ? D BAILEY J ADSWELL ? L B RICHARDSON M A BAILEY M ARMITAGE L B NICHOLSON | E DOLEMAN ? Welyn A MANLY ? A ALLANSON ? Sergt G PROPHETT ? L BILLINGTON ? S G PRECE ? Florence BILLINGTON Annie BAILEY | ||
2 o'clock panel | ||||
F NUTTALL C BARBER L BARBER J BARBER S HOPWOOD D HOPWOOD W GARRETT M JACKSON E HIGGINBOTTOM | G C TAYLOR G J JACKSON Valter CLARKE Frank PARKER I LEIGH Harry LEE I F HATTON Amy L MASON Doris GOULD | M CHADWICK Doris COCKROFT ? Ada SHAW Elaine SIDEBOTTOM C GRIFFITHS C KAY E K SIDEBOTHOM ? M Louise HEAUWEL ? | ||
4 o'clock panel | ||||
M A OLDHAM Fanny LORAN Emma JASON Eve WHISTON Mary WHISTON MARY WHISTON | Edith M TEAN ? M STANSFIELD Ivy WHISTON J M GRAHAM T STANSFIELD K W WINBOLT | V WHISTON Blanche W WINBOLT John W NEEDHAM M TRIGGS Maria TOWN ? | ||
5 o'clock panel | ||||
Casie GRAHAM ? F TURNER E EVANS Pioneer E CLAYTON E MOODY M HEATON M E HIGHAM W H LEA ? Mr T CLAYTON Emily WRIGHT ? E GRAHAM E S WILLIERS Dorothy WRIGHT S F SHIPHAM | A M SAYLE Eric WRIGHT James WRIGHT May DAVIES E DAVIES O DAVIES Cpl W CLARKE Pvt H HAMER M SANDERSON M EVANS Ethel CLAYTON Carie MOORE A MOODY M A MOODY | James LEIGH Mrs T CLAYTON Hilda CLAYTON D SHAWCROSS H TAYLOR Russell CLAYTON W JACKSON N S JACKSON H TAYLOR M EVANS P HAMPSON R WATTS Lily WARREN Mrs CLAYTON | ||
7 o'clock panel | ||||
L HULME L COTTON G COOK L RICHARDSON N PHILLIPS E NEWTON M A BENNETT J E TRIPP | F BARBER C LANGTON F WOOD M O'CALLAGHAN E MOULDING W NADIN M MACDONALD | G UNWIN A J & H SIME E & V SIME J TURNER M BIGGAR P & H BIGGAR E PRESSON | ||
8 o'clock panel | ||||
J MEREDITH A MEREDITH E SAYER A MEREDITH C MEREDITH M J JONES A SIDEBOTTOM A HOLLINSHEAD N SMITH J B HARRISON ? W WOOD L ARMITAGE J WOOD P ROBSON F ASHTON A ATKINSON F HARVEY E BRADLEY D FORSTER H HOWARD J FORSTER M NUTTER M ATHERTON J WOOD J HOOLEY E SIDEBOTHAM | A WHITTLE ? F HUNT M MEREDITH F MEREDITH E ASHTON E CHILDS E ROBERTS H MILLIGAN R BRINDLEY W SIDEBOTHAM A P MEREDITH F FRIEND M ASHTON A RICHARDSON Amy RICHARDSON A E HEWITT A GRIFFITHS S MEREDITH Julia CROMPTON A E FERNLEY N WOOD E B SHAW L BALL A NORTHERN ? L B ASHTON A SMITH | E WOODWORK R CHARLES Amy K RICHARDSON A GNOSS ? E BRADLEY N M ROBINSON H M ROYAL E MEREDITH M ARMITAGE R T BELL N ROBINSON M WRIGLEY E POOLE E FROGGATT J BANKS A E WOOD E KNOWLES P JONES A CHARLES M MILLER J J ASHTON ? A CROSSLEY E A C TAYLOR M S GOULD ? J GOULD | ||
10 o'clock panel | ||||
BLACKIE A JACKSON C HARROP E WALKER R S DINLEY F PARKIN Pte A BRAYFORD N B LEA L J POOLE J SWIFT | J E WILLIAMS A WINDER S JONES S PINCHIN L TIDEWELL L HENDLEY Miriam JONES M TERRY M BLACKSHAW | M COTTINGHAM B SWINDELLS Edith WALKER N BLACKSHAW J DANIELS E SWINDELLS E HATHAWAY Bob CARNEY A PARKIN | ||
11 o'clock panel | ||||
Maggie STUBBS ? M SUTTOR Alexander FARRIAS Joy ROSE R N V ROSE | Mrs BROWN Miss TETLOW Edith WILKINSON N PRIEST ? Mary KEMP | Audrey PICKFORD E G ROSE Raymond E ROSE ? William BARRATT | ||
Central panel | ||||
C ARMITAGE D E ROBINSON P U J ROBINSON Mrs GIBBS M W CLAYE H BOURNE Barbara BOURNE E BARLORS ? A B CLAYE S J DESMOND E DESMOND T E JACKSON S E JACKSON M BAMFORD M F CLAYE C IMGHAM E MOTTERSHEAD E GATLEY L GOODYEAR Jack WILKINSON G W GARRETT B CREASBY S E MOTTERESHEAD Lucy SLEIGH E LITCHFIELD E E LEACH S E NEEDHAM Emilie STEVENS Audrey HANCOCK ? E J GARNER Amy SMITH B M HOLLINS Wm ROBINSON M H WARD J KENNERLEY E WALKER Violet M FENTON | E D RIDINGS G E AKIND ? PeggY SCOTT W SCOTT J DENFIELD E NEEDHAM G NEEDHAM Muriel CLAYE Sarah FARMER ? E YATES C G CALTHROP ? W E BASSHAM I BRINDLEY ? William HAND ? Mary N HAND ? E JONES J TIMPERLEY B THOMAS A C CALTHROP S CLAYE M NEEDHAM W L ROBINSON Daisy H GORDON E C NETHERWOOD M MOOR Geo WALKER Emily s CLAYE M NEEDHAM Emma GORDON J GARNER L ROBINSON E BETMAN H M BLACKETT F E MATHER Edith SEWELL Emily K MARTCOTH ? M RIDING | C E GLOVER M RHIND Mary M ROBINSON F DAVENPORT H CHALLINER J R GORDON E DAILEY E C MOORE H N O NEEDHAM F L SYMES L BRADSHAW Francis M BATEMAN H C CLAYE J E ROBINSON B N ADAMS Dorothy SYMES A TIPPINGS E HOPE W W BASSHAM W SYMES Edith BATEMAN M S CLAYE M G LANCASTER B REDFERN M HOLEHOUSE Doris ROBINSON M HILL S HILL J GRUNDY S CANNON C MATHER F BALL Edith M MOORHOUSE N SEWELL Frederick ROBINSON H W JACKSON | ||
Dec 1st 1917 M F SYMONDS | ||||
