St Mary
Wednesday, 24 October 2018 (10–1–18 in G)
100 Plain Bob Doubles
1 Suzanne Newton
2 Ellis Hollows
3 John P Ottaway
4 Monica Hollows
5 Stuart Newton (C)
6 Tom Stanforth
Ringing at St Mary’s Cuckney to mark the centenary of the Armistice in honour of John Joseph and William Henry Hakes, both bell ringers at St Mary’s. The ringer on 4 is the great niece of John and William, with the ringer on 2 the great, great nephew. Ringer on 3 rang in both peals to mark the centenary of their deaths in 2017.
Also present were Esme Hollows (great, great niece and also rang rounds and plain hunt) and Sheila Hakes (great niece-in-law, representing great, great nephews Richard and Stephen Hakes)
John Joseph Hakes was killed in WW1 aged just 19 years old. He was born in Cuckney in March 1898. He was one of 9 children of John Joseph Hakes Senior and Mary Hakes and like his siblings he attended Cuckney Primary School. John learnt to bell ring at St Mary’s Church and was a member of the North Nottinghamshire Association of Church Bell Ringers. John enlisted in Worksop and served with 2/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment. From the official war records we believe he probably died near Caubrieres Wood in the battle for Le Verguier ridge on 7th April 1917. Due to a breakdown in communication 2/8th were left in an isolated position close to enemy lines and as a result 7 officers and 110 other ranks were killed/wounded on that day. John is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and on the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Roll of Honour. He is also remembered on the headstone of his parent’s grave in the St Mary’s churchyard and on the memorial plaque inside St Mary’s. He was also awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
William Henry Hakes was 22 years old when he was killed during WW1. William was born in Cuckney in September 1895 and like his siblings he attended Cuckney Primary School. William learnt to bell ring at St Mary’s Church and was a member of the North Nottinghamshire Association of Church Bell Ringers. In early 1917 he had married Margaret A Barton shortly before leaving for the front line. He enlisted in Worksop and served in the 1st Battallion South Staffordshire Regiment. We believe William was seriously wounded or killed during the attack on Polygon Wood on the 4th October. Three officers and 36 other ranks were killed, 7 officers and 223 other ranks were wounded and 40 other ranks were missing after the attack according to the official War Diary. His grave stone at Cuckney Church gives his date of death as 4th October, whereas the CWGC records say it was the 6th October 1917. William is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial and on the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers Roll of Honour. He is also remembered on the headstone of his parent’s grave in the St Mary’s churchyard and on the memorial plaque inside St Mary’s. He was also awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
John Hakes Senior ran a butcher’s shop in Cuckney. The family lived in what is now known as Wisteria Cottage on Creswell Road in Cuckney.
Bell ringing is a Hakes family tradition. As well as John Joseph Hakes Senior and his four sons, Monica’s father Cyril and his four brothers were also ringers at St Mary’s. The A. Hakes in the photograph from 1914 is Monica’s grandfather Alfred. Monica, Esme and Ellis started ringing on 24th November 2017 as part of the national “Ringing Remembers” campaign and are very proud to be adding a fourth and fifth generation to the family history of bell ringing. They are learning at St Annes in Lancashire, taught by the ringer on 5.
£3.00

This performance is linked to the event Ringing for the Centenary of the WWI Armistice

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