Over the last forty-odd years, money earned by the Society’s Town Tours and Slide/Tape Presentations has enabled the erection of a number of plaques around the town, in conjunction with other local organisations and descendants. This was to create a lasting memorial of Newark’s famous citizens, businesses and events. The plaques have all been photographed, and form the basis of this report. The first plaque was erected in 1973, and marks the birthplace of the nationally known artist, Sir William Newsome Prior Nicholson (born in 1879). Costs for this plaque are unrecorded, but the second plaque, on the birthplace of Sir Donald Wolfit, cost no more than £12 10s 6d.! Contrast this with today’s prices: a recent plaque, in 2013, to commemorate George (Willie) Hall, the International footballer, cost over £450!
The Society’s plaques are dedicated as tabulated below. Each is dedicated to a named individual or his bequest:-
SUBJECT PLACE DATE
William N Nicholson London Road Newark 1973
Donald Wolfit London Road Balderton 1974
Methodist Chapel Millgate 1980
Jersey School Guildhall Street 1983
William Jessop Appleton Gate 1985
Guildhall St. Chapel Guildhall Street 1987
Mulberry Tree (tree) Newark Cemetery 1989
Walnut Trees (tree) Lincoln Road Bridge 1992
James Gresham Castlegate 1993
Cannon Ball Hole Mount Lane 1994
Trent Iron Works (‘Nicky’s’) Trent Bridge 1996
Drill Hall Sherwood Avenue 1998
Church Chimney Church Walk 2000
William Cubley 80 Millgate 2002
Aldermen’s Walk Market Place 2002
Robert Kiddey King Street 2005
John Carr Newark Town Hall 2009
Newark Hospital Old hospital, London Rd/ Sherwood Ave.
Junction 2011
George ‘Willie’ Hall Lovers’ Lane School 2013
Thomas Earp MP The White House, Millgate 2014
Constance Penswick Smith 2 Church Walk 2015
Sir William Gilstrap MP Bart. Newark Registry Office 2017