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    © Imperial War Museums 2026

    Memorial

    Bristol Corporation employees WW1

    Bristol Corporation Employees WW1 Roll of Honour cover

    Source: Copyright Bristol Archives

    1/5

    Current Location

    Lord Mayor's Office, Mansion House, Canynge Road, Clifton Down, Bristol, Avon, BS8 3LJ, England

    OS Grid Reference

    ST 56657 73726

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    Names listed on this memorial

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    © WMR-90125

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    Type of Memorial
    Roll of honour or book of remembrance
    WMR Reference Number
    90125
    Description
    Ribbon-bound Book of Remembrance, with typed pages and the red seal of Bristol Corporation on its cover. The first section of the Book lists the Corporation's employees who served in World War 1, grouped by the Department in which they worked, including: Bristol Constabulary, Bristol Docks Committee, Education, Treasurer's, Electricity, Accountant's, Valuer's, Town Clerk's, City Engineer's, Asylum, Overseer's and Rates, Weights and Measures, Health, City Estates, Museum and Art Gallery. The second section of the Book lists of all who received decorations. The third section of the Book lists all who died. In 1920 the ceremonial copy of the Book was presented to the Lord Mayor of Bristol. A copy was also given to each employee who had served and the next of kin of all who had died, and to each of the relevant Corporation Departments. Five of those copies are now held at Bristol Archives, having since been deposited with them by the relevant families/ Departments/ organisations. (In addition to being listed in this Book of Remembrance of Corporation employees, Bristol Constabulary officers who served were commemorated on an illuminated WW1 Roll of Honour - see War Memorials Register reference 90103. The Port of Bristol Docks Committee's employees were likewise also named on an additional memorial erected by that Department- see WMR reference 29063). N.B. The Book of Remembrance does contain some incorrect dates of death, either due to a lack of accurate data being available when it was compiled or to typos.
    Inscription
    (Cover): ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-1918 (Section 1, list of servers): NAME, BRANCH OF SERVICE, RANK, PERIOD OF SERVICE YEARS MONTHS, THEATRE OF SERVICE/ (NAMES) (Section 2 preface): THOSE TO WHOM/ HONOURS, DECORATIONS OR DISTINCTIONS/ WERE AWARDED (Section 2 pages): ROLL OF HONOUR/ DISTINCTIONS GAINED IN THE WAR/ BY EMPLOYES (sic) OF THE CORPORATION/ Name, Department, Rank, Theatre of Service, Distinctions gained/ (NAMES) (Section 3 preface): THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES/ IN DEFENCE OF THEIR COUNTRY (Section 3 pages): ROLL OF HONOUR/ CORPORATION EMPLOYES (sic) WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ Name, Department, Rank, Theatre of Service, Date, Place of Death/ (names)
    War
    First World War (1914-1918)
    Number Commemorated
    1554
    Served
    1382
    Died
    172
    Information shown
    Surname, initials/forename, Corporation employment data, military unit and rank, Theatre of service, decorations, place/date of death where appropriate
    Order of names
    Section 1 lists names alphabetically, grouped by Department; Section 2 is an alphabetical list of those decorated; Section 3 lists those who died.
    Additional Information
    Only one third of the Book's pages have been seen; the total number who served is taken from a press report of the presentation of the Book.
    Maker(s)
    • Bristol Corporation, Compiler

    Sponsor Type
    corporate
    Maintenance History
    The ceremonial copy of the Book of Remembrance is held by the Lord Mayor of Bristol at Mansion House. (As at May 2020, Bristol Archives holds 5 copies of the Book, which have been deposited with them by the relevant Corporation Departments/families of employees who served/died, to which/whom those copies were originally given in 1920).

    Ceremonies

    Presented

    04 November 1920

    Alderman Sir John Swaish presented the ceremonial copy to the Lord Mayor at an event held in Bristol's Art Gallery

    Custodian
    Lord Mayor of Bristol

    Components

    Book

    Made from: Paper


    Condition: Good


    • Three copies of the Book of Remembrance are held by Bristol Archives under reference Pol/St/15/1: Records of Bristol Constabulary (1836-1974) and Avon & Somerset Constabulary (1974- ) - (1836-2009); Roll of Honour for employees of Bristol Corporation [including police] killed in the Great War 1914-1918 (dated 1920). https://archives.bristol.gov.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=Pol/St/15/1&pos=65
    • Another copy of the Book of Remembrance is held by Bristol Archives under reference 19841/8: Records deposited by Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery; Employees Roll of Honour (Bristol Corporation)
    • A further copy of the Book of Remembrance is held by Bristol Archives under reference 41179: Roll of Honour for Bristol Corporation Employees (1920)
    • Western Daily Press 31/1/1920 (page 7) reported that at a recent Council meeting it had been agreed that a Roll of Honour of all the Corporation's employees who had served in WW1 should be compiled. In addition, plans were made to hold a reunion at the Museum and Art Gallery that April for all Corporation employees who had survived, and relatives of the Fallen.
    • Western Daily Press 23/4/1920 (page 5) reported that the Mayor of Bristol had hosted a reception at the Museum and Art Gallery the previous evening, for the Corporation's employees who had served in WW1, and relatives of the Fallen. In his speech at that event, the Mayor had mentioned that more than 1500 employees had enlisted (including one lady); in addition to those who had died, more than 250 has sustained wounds. He also mentioned that the "Roll of Honour book", listing all their names, was currently being compiled, which was expected to be completed in the next two months or so. When completed, a copy would be placed in the Museum, another "special copy" would be "placed in the Council House amongst the archives of the city". (Copies would also be given to each employee who had served and to the next of kin of those who had died).
    • Western Daily Press 5/11/1920 (page 5) reported the special Remembrance event that had been held at Bristol's Art Gallery the previous day, during which the ceremonial copy of the Bristol Corporation employees' Book of Remembrance had been presented to the Lord Mayor.