Simcoe Carillon Tower

Simcoe, Ontario

Type

Other

The Simcoe Carillon Tower is dedicated to Norfolk County residents who died in the First and Second World Wars. It was erected by the Committee of Prominent Veterans in 1925. Construction started November 4, 1924 and the dedication ceremony took place on June 17th, 1925. The structure is 60 feet in height and 22 feet square. It is constructed of Hagersville limestone and trimmed with carved Indianna stone and is set on a pile of foundation. It comprises 23 bells weighing over 8,000 pounds. In 1946, a plaque was added with the names of those killed in the Second World War. Excerpts from: The Carillon Tower Compiled by: Grade Six Enrichment Students of St. Joseph's School The Carillon Tower, in the stillness of the night, stands out as a guardian, watching over the Town of Simcoe. In the autumn of 1919 some of Simcoe's townspeople decided to do something about erecting a memorial in tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the war. Mr. George Werrett called a mass meeting in co-operation with the Great War Veteran's Association to consider a suitable memorial for Norfolk's war heroes who sacrificed their lives in the First World War. Sproatt and Rolph, famous architects from Toronto, were consulted, as well as Mr. Houseman, Managing Director from the Gillette & Johnston Bell Founding Company. Eventually the decision was made to construct a stone tower 60 feet in height that would contain a Carillon of 23 bells. The money for the construction was raised through a county-wide campaign. The tenders received were higher, by thousands of dollars, than the original estimates hoped for by the committee and the architects. The Board of Education offered to supply the site where the Memorial now stands. It was apparent that the town was banding together and that the additional funds would be raised. The Starting of the Construction: On November 4, 1924, a carload of smooth stone had arrived. The stone was to be used in the design on the entrance, the belfry and the window. Due to the fact it was located near the Lynn River, it had to be built on a series of piles. The monument is built as a solid block with design features being divided into four horizontal components. Differences occur in the lower half of the tower with the upper half being the same on all four elevations. The side facing onto Norfolk Street is the most impressive of the four sides. The doorway opening contains a thick, vertical, wooden plank door with a semi-circular stone transom inscribed with the words "Norfolk's War Memorial". Two commemorative bronze plaques on either side of the doorway honour the soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars. There are ten paned leaded windows located in the tower. Above the window, in the upper half of the tower, is the bronze dial of the clock. In the upper section of the tower above the Norman arch motif of the doorway is a series of six semi-circular openings which allow the sound of the bells to travel away from the tower. The decorative stone labels are carved to form gothic arches. Again each of the openings is surrounded by colonettes. In the year 1925, Gillette & Johnston, Croydon, England were well established in bell founding. This influenced Simcoe townspeople's' decision to request Gillette & Johnston to cast the bells for the Carillon Tower. Gillette & Johnston's Managing Director, Mr. R.F.A. Houseman, met with the Norfolk War Memorial Committee to agree on a contract. Thousands of people attended the inspirational dedication ceremony on the wonderfully sunny afternoon of Wednesday, June 17, 1925. Never in Simcoe's history had there been a larger parade that marched downtown to the Tower. The Boy Scouts led the parade, with over 500 Great War Veterans beside them. Next marched a firing party, the 1st Norfolk Rifles Band, the 1st Battalion of Norfolk Rifles, under Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Winter, and pupils of Simcoe High and other Public Schools. The two Memorial plaques on the west side, containing the 217 names of Norfolk County men, who had been killed, were unveiled by Mrs. Abram West, of Houghton. She was a mother of three sons lost in the war. The other two Memorial plaques on the east side, containing 12 names of former Simcoe Composite School students were unveiled by Mrs. Christian Quanbury. Her two sons names were also included. The Re-Dedication: June 29th, 1975 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Carillon Tower. It was celebrated by a Re-Dedication Ceremony. Thousands of Simcoe residents attended. The Norfolk War Memorial is the second carillon installed in Canada (the first being at the Metropolitan United Church, Toronto) and the twelfth in North America. What is a carillon? A carillon is a set of bells that cover at least two octaves (23 bells) in chromatic series. They are perfectly tuned and pleasing harmonies may be produced by playing two or more bells together. The carillon is generally played from a clavier of keyboard. This consists of two rows of short handles or levers which are struck with the extended fist, and a row of foot pedals. The Carilloneurs: It has been through the efforts of dedicated and talented people that the residents of Simcoe have been able to enjoy Carillon concerts throughout the years. The carilloneurs throughout the time have been: Percival Price - 1924 Kamiel Lefevere - 1926 Henri Sohier - 1925 - 1943 assisted by Herman Dreher Herman Dreher 1943 - 1969 Angus MacLeod - 1969 - 1975 June Somerville - 1975 to present time Monica Graham - 1983 to present time

Inscription

[front/devant]

(left plaque)

THIS CARILLON TOWER
HAS BEEN PLACED HERE WITH THE
HOPE THAT IT MAY LONG STAND IN
EVERGROWING HONOUR AND UNFADING
GRATITUDE TO OUR MEN OF NORFOLK
WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE
GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918

PT.E D.F. ABBOTT
SGT. J.WM. ALWARD
PTE. FRANK BALL
PTE. C.W. BEGARDUS
PTE. LEONARD BLAKE
SAPPER LEO BOUGHNER
PTE. S.H. BROADRIB
PTE. J.C.(BILL) BROWN
PTE. JAS.R. BUTLER
PTE. HAROLD BUTLER
PTE. WM. H. CAMPBELL
PTE. ARTHUR CLARK
PTE. G.W. COOK D.C.M. M.M.
PTE. GERALD W. COWARD
PTE. F. CRIPPS
PTE. HARVEY H. DAVIS
PTE. WM. DENNY
LIEUT. MILTON W. DICK
PTE. DAVID DICKSON
PTE. E.F. DOLMAN
PTE. FRANK DOUGHERTY
LIEUT. HAROLD S. EDMONDS M.C.
PTE. LAURENS M. FLEG
PTE. WALTER FRENCH
SGT. J.M. GOULDEN
PTE. WESLEY GURR
LIEUT. H. LLOYD HAMMOND
LIEUT. HENRY A. HARDING
PTE. ROY HICKMAN
PTE. HAROLD HILLIS
PTE. BEN HOWARTH
PTE. ARCHIE HUTCHISON
PTE. WALTER JARVIS
PTE. THOMAS KNELLER
PTE. ALFRED KING
PTE. ALBERT LARSSON
PTE. LLOYD B. LEWIS
PTE. WM. LOWN
SGT. ARTHUR T. MARCH
PTE. HARRY MASTERS
PTE. A.E. McCALL
PTE. ALEX McLEOD
PTE. MORLEY E. MOFFAT
PTE. ARCHIE MORRIS
FLT. LT. J.E. MOTT
PTE. CL. E. MURCH
SIG. GEO. A. NEILL
PTE. HUGH L. OLMSTEAD
CAPT. A. HILTON PAULIN
SGT. THOS. PEPPER
PTE. CECIL POWELL
PTE. ROBT. PRENTICE
PTE. CHAS. REED
PTE. GEO. A. RIBBLE
PTE. LORNE ROBINS
PTE. FREEMAN RYERSE
PTE. JOHN R. SEARLES
PTE. GEO. SHERLOCK
PTE. WILFRED SIMMONS
PTE. H.A. SLINGERLAND
PTE. H. WHITNEY SMITH
PTE. ED. G.S. SMITH
SGT. BERNARD SOHIER
PTE. JOHN W. SPAIN
PTE. GUY STEWARTSON
PTE. ROY B. THOMPSON
PTE. STAN WAKEFORD
PTE. PERCY E. WALLACE
PTE. ARTHUR WEST
PTE. JOHN WESTGARTH
PTE. LEWIS C. WHITING
PTE. R.E. ACTON
SPR. GEO. A. ANDREWS
CORP. WM. BAIRD M.M.
PTE. AUSTIN BENNETT
PTE. C.R. BLORE
PTE. LORNE BOYER
CORP. WM. BROUGHTON
PTE. H. CARL BROWN
FLT. LT. SANDY McD BROWNE
PTE. F. EARL BURNETT
TE. JOHN T. CARNAHAN
PTE. LLOYD COATES
PTE. JOHN COOK
PTE. JAMES CRAIG
LIEUT. MILTON G. CRUISE
PTE. ALFRED DAW
PTE. ROSCOE DEVITT
PTE. WILLIAM DICKEY
PTE. FRED DOREY
PTE. PATRICK DICKSON
MAJ. R. LOUIS DUGIT
PTE. WM.E. FOULKNER
PTE. JOHN FOLMSBEE
PTE. LEONARD H. GARLAND
SGT. VERNE GREEN
PTE. C. BERT HAMMOND
PTE. LORNE HANSEL
PTE. ANDREW HARRISON
CORP. REGINALD HICKMAN
SGT. FRED HOBSON V.C.
PTE. JOHN W. HUKE
SGT. JAS. HUXLEY
PTE. A.L. JONES
PTE. REGINALD KNIGHT
PTE. PERCY KRELL
PTE. BRUCE B. LEASK
PTE. LEWIS A. LOCKMAN
PTE. WALTER LOW
PTE. WALLACE MARR
PTE. JOHN MAY
PTE. CYRUS McCLENTIC
PTE. CHARLES McNAB
PTE. T. MILLER
PTE. DAVID MORRIS
CORP. H.J. MURPHY
PTE. THOS. MUSGROVE
PTE. HAROLD V. NETHERCOTT
PTE. JOHN PAKE
PTE. EDGAR D. PEARCE
PTE. CHAS. S. PLACE
PTE. JOSEPH POWELL
PTE. ERNEST C. QUANBURY
PTE. JAMES REYNOLDS
PTE. W.P. RICHMOND
PTE. THOS. ROBINSON
PTE. LEO SCHLOSS
PTE. CHARLTON SEBRING
PTE. HARRY SHERMAN
CAPT. JOHN O. SLAGHT M.C.
PTE. GORDON A. SMALL
PTE. PERCY J. SMITH
PTE. ERNEST W. SMITH
FLT. LT. J. MITCHELL SOUTER
PTE. W.J.F. SPELLER
CORP. CHAS. L. STIPES
PTE. ROBT. TOWLAND
PTE. LEONARD E. WALPOLE
FLT. LT. R. SHERWIN WATT
PTE. LEWIS E. WEST
CADET G.J. WHITE
LIEUT. LEROY WHITSIDE
PTE. CECIL ALWARD
PTE. LEVI W. ASHFORD
SGT. F.W.G. BARNWELL
PTE. JOHN BERRY
PTE.HARRY BOOTH
PTE. FRANK BRINN
PTE. HAROLD BROWN
LT. ROBT. RAY BROWN
PTE. G.R. BRIER
PTE. WALTER CADE
PTE. E.J. CASSELS
PTE. GEORGE COLTON
PTE. WALLACE COOK
PTE. JOHN S. CRERAR
FLT. LT. CARLETON CRYSLER
PTE. WALTER DELINE
PTE. WM. H. DICK
PTE. GEO. DICKIE
LPTE. HAROLD F. DIVER
PTE. JOHN E. DOUDNEY
PTE. W.H. EMSLEY
PTE. ROY FEERE
LIEUT. CECIL FRANKLIN
PTE. ALLEN GILSON
PTE. V.E.M. GREENLAND
PTE. HERBERT W. HAMMOND
PTE. ED. HARTER
PTE. ALF. H. HARRIS
PTE. FRANK W. HILL
PTE. ROY HOWICK
PTE. A.W. HUTCHEON
PTE. FOSTER HYDE
PTE. NELSON KENLINE
PTE. A. FRED KNOTT
PTE. ARTHUR LANE
PTE. MARSHALL LEFLER
PTE. WALTER LONG
PTE. C.O. MALCOLM
PTE. EDGAR MARTIN
PTE. GORDON C. McCALL
PTE. NORMAN McKENZIE
PTE. ANDREW MESSECAR
PTE. GEORGE E. MORRIS
PTE. LORANCE T. MORROW
PTE. FRANCIS L. MURPHY
PTE. ROY MYERS
CORP. ROBT. NUNN
PTE. GEO. F. PARRELL
SIG. CLINTON PEGG
LIEUT. WILSON PORTER
PTE. GEO. A. PRATT
LT. J. HENRY QUANBURY
PTE. HARRY REVELL
PTE. W.J. RINGLER
PPTE. C. CLYDE RUSH
PTE. LEONARD SCOTT
PTE. E.H.C. SELLAR
PTE. O. SILVERTHORNE
PTE. WM. SMITH
PTE. NILE SLOAT
PTE. WALTER SMITH
PTE. JOHN A. SMITH
PTE. GEO. SPAIN
PTE. D. EARL STEGMEIR
PTE. F.N. STROHM
NURSE ALICE TRUESDALE
PTE. JNO. WATMOUGH
PTE. DAVID WALPOLE
PTE. BILL JIM WEST

(right plaque/plaque droite)

PTE. JOHN WILSON
PTE. ARNOLD WOOD
PTE. ERNEST YOUMANS
PTE. ROSS E. WINEGARDEN
FLT. LT. HARRY C. WOOD
PTE. J. YOUNG

"TO YOU, FROM FAILING HANDS, WE THROW
THE TORCH - BE YOURS TO HOLD IT HIGH." McCREA

WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945

GNR. GEORGE F. ADAMS
P.O. JOHN N. ALMOND
PTE. LLOYD M. ANDERSON
CORP. WESLEY BARBER
GNR. WILLIAM M. BENNETT
L. BDR. CLENDON D. BRAZIER
FLT. SGT. STANLEY BROCKINGTON
FLT. SGT. HEBERT BRYDEN
SGT. MARVIN BURTIS
PFC. THOMAS H. CLARY
PTE. ALBERT CROCKETT
STO. DOYLE I. CULLIFORD
PTE. WALTER DOAN
PTE. WILLIAM FEERE
PTE. THOMAS C. FLEW
SGT. WILLIAM H. GRAHAM
LIEUT. JAMES D. HAMILTON
WIND CMDR. GRAEME E. HARRISON
LIEUT. GEORGE A. HEATH
F.O. RAYMOND HERRON
GNR. EARL HOOVER
F.O. ALLAN H. JACKSON
L.CPL. HAROLD JONES
PTE. RALPH KELLNER
FLT. SGT. HARRY LEATHERDALE
P.O. HERBERT LEECE
SGT. J.D. LUXTON
F.O. NEIL J. MERINUK
SGT. JAMES E. MILLER
FLT. SGT. IAN MURRAY
P.O. ROBERT McGHIE
CAPT. C. RAY NEIL
SGT. LEONARD OSBORNE
E.R.A. BEVAN PAMPLIN
LIEUT CHARLES E. PHILLIPS
F.O. JOHN M. POLOMARK
SGT. WILLIAM C. REID
FLT. LIEUT. A.J. RUTTLEDGE
F.O. BRUCE A. ST. LOUIS
P.O. GEORGE SHAW
PTE. WILLIAM A. STACKHOUSE
RFMN. JAMES ARTHUR STEWART
FLT. LIEUT. CARMAN STROUT
PTE. FRANK TEDLEY
CPL. THOMAS W. THRALL
L.CPL. FIDELIS VAN ACKER
FLT. SGT. ROGER VEIT
CPL. HARRY WAGNER
TPR. J. VINCENT WAGNER
PTE. LLOYD W. WHITEHEAD
PTE. ROY WOODEY
FLT. SGT. GEORGE T. HODGSON
GNR. ROBERT AITKEN
TPR. ALLAN J. ANDERSON
LIEUT. GEORGE ATKINSON
RFMN. GEORGE A. BELL
L.S.C.R. BLACKHURST
GNR. LAWRENCE BRIDGES
SGT. LORNE E. BROWN
PTE. WILLIAM BUCK
P.O. LEONARD CAMPBELL-ROGERS
O.D. BEVERLEY COLE
SEAMAN KENNETH T. CRONK
WO2 DONALD G. CULVER
PTE. WALTER R. DRAPER
SGT. ROBERT FERGUSON
TPR. BRYCE FOSTER
P.O. GRANT L. HALL
F.O. DOUGLAS HAMMOND
PTE. KENNETH HAYCOCK
SGMN. BEN HEMSLEY
GNR. MORLEY HICKS
FLT. SGT. ARTHUR G. INNES
PTE. EDMUND JEWISS
PTE. LOUIS KAY
GNR. MICHAEL KUDRICH
SGT. JOHN R. LECKIE
PTE. MARCEL LeSAGE
PTE. LLOYD W. MARR
L. BDR. LEO E. MILLARD
PTE. BERKLEY MITCHELL
PVT. CARSON McDANIEL
FLT. SGT. DONALD McLEOD
PTE. WILLIAM H. NEWKIRK
CPL. WILLIAM J. PALMERSTON
SGT. ROBERT PEGG
CAPT. FRANK PICKERSGILL
PTE. CHARLES R. RAWCLIFFE
CPL. HAROLD RENTON
F.O. DONALD A. RYERSE
TPR. LLOYD SCHRAM
GNR. BASIL W. SMITH
PTE. HUGH STEWART
SGT. ALEX STRACHAN
F.O. ROBERT C. STUART
PTE. GLENDON THEAKSTON
F.O. EARL UNDERHILL
PTE. JOHN R. VANCE
SGMN. HECTOR VERTENTE
PTE. HOWARD WAGNER
FLT. SGT. LEO WARDELL
PTE. GEORGE E. WILSON
P.O. BEVERLEY WYCOFF
CHIEF ENGINEER HUGH ALLAN
PTE. ROY ANDERSON
PTE. OLIVER BARBER
SPR. GEORGE A. BENNER
SGT. C. REX BOWYER
MIC CLAUDE L. BUCKLEY
SPR. LEROY COPE
SGT. BRUCE CULLEN
PTE. GEORGE J. DARBORN
PTE. LOUIS M. EGERTON
TPR. W. FESCHUK
GNR. E.P. GLIDDEN
SGT. HARRY P. HAMILTON
GNR. P.R. HANEY
WO1 MARVIN HERRON
RFMN. FRANK HOLMES
SGT. THOMAS A. IVEY
FLT. SGT. DOUGLAS JOHNSON
BMDR. ANTHONY KELLNER
STO. FREDERICK LAMBERT
PTE. JOHN LEE
O.D. JEFFREY A. LONG
F.O. JOHN G. MARTIN
P.O. ALLAN MILLER
PTE. ROBERT I. MULLIGAN
S.P.O. JOSPEH G. McDERMOTT
PTE. ARTHUR G. NEIL
PTE. ALEX NOVINKA
L.CPL. FREDERICK J. PETTIT
SGT. BEN PIERCE
PTE. GEORGE REID
PTE. FRED ROBINS
F.O.C. RICHARD RYERSE
P.O. ERNEST A. SHAW
FLT. SGT. MILTON R. SMOKE
LIEUT. JAS. A.C. STEWART
P.O. JOHN W. SUMMERHAYES
P.O. JACK H. THORNTON
SGMN. EDMOND VAN ACKER
STEWARD DIRK VAN OOYEN
PTE. RAYMOND J. VINCE
PTE. IVAN WAGNER
PTE. ALVIN WATSON
L.A.C. GEORGE WINFIELD
PFC. FRED J. ZYWICKI

WHILE THE RIVERS RUN TO THE OCEAN.
AND THE SHADOWS MOVE IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS
AND THE SKY FEEDS THE STARS.
ALWAYS WILL YOUR HONOR AND YOUR NAME
AND YOUR GLORY, REMAIN

VIRGIL.

THEY WENT WITH SONGS TO THE BATTLE, THEY WERE YOUNG,
STRAIGHT OF LIMB, TRUE OF EYE, STEADY AND AGLOW,
THEY WERE STAUNCH TO THE END AGAINST ODDS UNCOUNTED,
THEY FELL WITH THEIR FACES TO THE FOE.

THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD, AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD;
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM, NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN,
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING,
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

L. BINYON

THESE BRONZE PLAQUES ERECTED IN 1948.

[back/arrière]
THE BORAD OF EDUCATION OF THE TOWN OF SIMCOE
DEDICATED THE PLOT UPON WHICH THIS TOWER IS
BUILDED. PUPILS AND EX-PUPILS HAVE INSCRIBED
THIS TABLET TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE
SOMETIME STUDENTS OF THE SIMCOE HIGH SCHOOL
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR

LIEUT. JOHN W. BOTTOMLEY
PTE. G. WALLACE COOK
FLT. LIEUT. CARLETON CRYSLER
LIEUT. HAROLD EDMONDS M.C.
PTE. FRANCIS L. MURPHY
CAPT. A HILTON PAULIN
PTE. ERNECT C. QUANBURY
LIEUT. J. HENRY QUANBURY
SERGT. VINCENT SPARLING
FLT. LIEUT. SHERWIN WATT
LIEUT. J. LEROY WHITSIDE
CAPT. A. HAMILTON YOUNG

THESE LAID THE WORLD AWAY, POURED OUT THE RED SWEET
WINE OF YOUTH; GAVE UP THE YEARS TO BE OF WORK AND
JOY, AND THAT UNHOPED SERENE THAT MEN CALL AGE; AND
THOSE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN, THEIR SONS, THEY GAVE
THEIR IMMORTALITY.

RUPERT BROOKE

[left side]
(plaque)
AFGHANISTAN
2001 - 2014

PO2 DOUGLAS CRAIG BLAKE, CD
3 MAY 2010

(plaque)
(133rd BATT. CREST)

The 133rd Norfolk's Own Overseas Battalion
of the Canadian Expeditionary Force under the command of Lt.-
Col. A. C. Pratt was enlisted largely from the 39th Norfolk
Rifles of the Canadian Militia in November 1915.

They trained at Camp Borden in the spring of 1916 and sailed
from Halifax on the S.S. Lapland October 30th 1916 with a
strength of 680 officers and men.

Early in 1917 in England the Battalion was disbanded and the
members assigned to other Canadian units, most of which served
in France and Belgium. A combined total of over 100 lives
were lost from the Battalion in the following battles.

YPRES - VIMY RIDGE - HILL 70
PASSCHENDAELE - AMIENS - ARAS - CANAL DU NORD
CAMBRAI and MONS

Their devotion and service has secured an honoured place for
them in the history of Norfolk County.

This historical plaque was erected in 1973