The First World War memorial in Lewannick Church is one of the most accomplished parish war memorials in Cornwall. Created after the Great War and described as a memorial "with low relief carving, coloured and gilded, carved by Rashleigh, Pinwill & Co.", it combines skilled craftsmanship with powerful symbolism. At its centre is the parish roll of honour bearing the names of nine local men who lost their lives during the conflict beneath the inscription "PRO PATRIA MORI 1914 + 1918". Carved at the base is the simple dedication "RIP", while the entire composition is framed by richly coloured and gilded decorative work that reflects the high standards of ecclesiastical woodcarving for which the firm became renowned.
On either side of the roll of honour are painted relief panels carrying complementary messages about war and peace. To the left, St George is shown slaying the dragon, a traditional symbol of courage, sacrifice and triumph over evil. To the right, St Martin of Tours is depicted dividing his cloak to share with a beggar, representing charity, compassion and mercy. Together the two saints present a deliberate contrast. One embodies martial virtue and the willingness to fight when necessary, while the other represents the Christian duty of kindness and reconciliation. The memorial therefore commemorates not only military service and sacrifice but also the values that parishioners hoped would endure after the war had ended.
The memorial is associated with the celebrated workshop of Rashleigh, Pinwill & Co., whose work can be found in churches across Devon and Cornwall. It was produced during the period when Violet Pinwill was emerging as one of the region's most accomplished woodcarvers. Working in partnership within the family business, she developed a reputation for highly detailed ecclesiastical carving and later continued independently under the name V. Pinwill Carver. While it is not entirely clear whether the whole memorial, including the painted scenes, was executed by the workshop, the carved and gilded panels are at least partly the work of Violet Pinwill and the talented craftsmen and women she employed.
The first name recorded on the roll of honour is E. A. Bennetts, almost certainly Flight Sub-Lieutenant E. A. Bennetts of the Royal Naval Air Service. Bennetts was killed on 17 August 1917 during an aerial engagement over the Western Front when his aircraft collided in mid-air with that of Flight Commander P. A. Johnston. Both men were killed while fighting against the German ace Hans Bethge of Jasta 30. Today Bennetts lies buried in the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery in France. His inclusion on the Lewannick memorial serves as a reminder that the war touched even small rural communities and that local men served in many different theatres and branches of the armed forces, including the emerging world of military aviation.
More than a century after it was erected, the Lewannick war memorial remains both a work of art and a record of local sacrifice. Its combination of gilded lettering, painted religious imagery and finely executed woodcarving elevates it beyond a simple roll of names. It stands as a lasting memorial to the nine men commemorated there and as an example of the remarkable craftsmanship associated with Violet Pinwill and one of Cornwall's most distinguished ecclesiastical carving workshops.
