After much discussion with the City Museum Service and the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, the memorial has now been taken from store and returned to Countesthorpe and erected in the in the Cemetery Chapel. A rededication service will be held in the Spring.
By way of some background; in 1884 in an enlightened move, ten Cottage Homes (another was added later) were built out in the then open country at Countesthorpe. They were houses for both boys and girls from the Leicester Poor Law Union. They were managed by house parents. Good schooling was given.
It contains the name of one of Leicester’s great heroes, Private William Buckingham VC, as well as ten other men who were killed in that conflict, all of whom had been boys at the Homes. Like so many memorials, it does not say clearly where it was from, so out of context can easily be lost.
It contains one very strange feature – the two glass display panels. What were they for? May be for the display of medals? All suggestions greatly fully received as of course, will be any other information.
