Transept Window All Saints Melbourn in memory of Henry Brodie Day

All Saints Church, Melbourn

History of All Saints, Melbourn

Listed building:

Parish Church. C13 chancel, nave and part of West Tower. Much altered in C15 when West tower was almost completely rebuilt, clerestorey added and chancel roof raised. Major restoration of 1882-3 by R.R. Rowe. Plan of West Tower, nave and aisles, South porch, Chancel and North Vestry. West tower mostly C15 although the tower arch is C13.

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The large window in the transept is in memory of Henry Brodie “Harry” Day, b 5.3.1897 Royston d. 3.2.1918 from shellfire on Western front. Harry was also an assistant schoolmaster in the village until the First World War when he enlisted in December 1915 at the age of 18 and joined the Suffolk Regiment. He served as Private and Lance Corporal in France with the Suffolks during 1915 and 1916. He then joined the Officer Training Corps at Newmarket in July 1917. He was required to present a certificate of moral character; this was signed by the Rev. De Courcy Ireland of Melbourn and Mr A R Fordham JP. Harry was then commissioned as a second lieutenant on 30th October 1917 and joined the C Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Cambridgeshire Regiment on 3rd January 1918. Exactly one month later, to the day, he was killed by shellfire, apparently behind the lines, together with his batman. He is buried in Grave IV.A.22., Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel le Grand, Peronne.

Harry’s parents continued to live in Melbourn at ‘Roseleigh’ in Mortlock Street; this was the address at which they received the £10 war gratuity for a deceased officer. In 1923 the large window in the transept of Melbourn Church was erected in Harry’s memory. It seems very unlikely that such a memorial could have been afforded by the Day family in Melbourn. It is possible,
though not provable, that funds came from Harry’s grandmother, Jane Elizabeth Lilley nee Brodie, who died in 1921.

There is also a memorial to his brother, Ralph Brodie Day b 1901 Royston d. 8.7.1931 of flu.