2LT James Martin Tolson and 2LT Robert Huntriss Tolson

photograph of Robert Huntriss Tolson with permission of the Tolson Memorial Museum,Ravensknowle Park, Wakefield Road, Huddersfield - Taken by David Davies 18 Jun 2013

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photograph of James Martin Tolson with permission of the Tolson Memorial museum - Taken by David Davies 18 Jun 2013

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Plaque - Taken by David Davies 18 Jun 2013

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Reference WMO/72782

Address:

Tolson Memorial Musem

Ravensknowle Park

Wakefield Road

Dalton

Huddersfield

HD5 8DJ

England

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War Memorials Trust case: War Memorials Trust needs to avoid Contributors changing location/description details as we help to protect and conserve this war memorial through our casework. You can still add photographs, update condition and use the tabs below. If you believe any of the information you cannot edit is wrong or information is missing, please make a note of the reference number and include it in your email when you contact us.

Status: On original site

Type: Freestanding

Location: External

Setting: Within a garden/park/churchyard/enclosure/Marketplace

Description: Board/Plaque/ Tablet

Materials:

Metal Bronze

Lettering: Inscribed on a plaque

Conflicts:

First World War (1914-1918)

About the memorial: The whole of the museum and land is actually the memorial as it was donated by the Uncle of the two fallen soldiers. There is also a commemorative plaque, a photograph of the uncle and two photographs of the soldiers.

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Condition Level:

Comments:

 The multi-million cost of fixing up Tolson Museum is a “scare story”, campaigners have said.

Kirklees Council has stated the crumbling venue in Ravensknowle Park needs £4.2m of repairs to keep it going.
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/42m-tolson-museum-repair-costs-11100164

The council has said it can’t afford the hefty bill and is considering closing the historic museum – donated to the people of Huddersfield in memory of the war dead.

But Ann Denham, chair of the Friends of Tolson and Ravensknowle , said the figure was misleading.

“The statement that £4.2m is needed to repair the Tolson Museum is a scare story,” she said.

“If you look closely at the figures in the survey you see that the £4.2m includes the cost of repairs, not only to the museum, but also to the Clock Tower, the pump house, the stable block and the workshop block.

“If you take these buildings out it comes to £3m.“

Mrs Denham said the survey categorised repairs to the Tolson by urgency.

Category 1 – the most urgent – lists only £275,000 of work.

An estimated £208,000 of repairs are category 2, category 3 is £656,000 and £1m of work has been made category 4.

“This is still a large amount of money,” she admitted, “but the work would be phased in over the years.

“The Huddersfield District Committee surely could use some of its money to help facilitate this.

“This museum is the historical heritage of the people of Huddersfield.

“It should also be borne in mind, that if the museum was to close, there would be a cost in closing and securing it.

“A building which, apart from three rooms which are fully let for educational courses, is absolutely full of historical and environmental artefacts from attic to cellar.

“There is not a spare inch.

“What on earth will happen to these important artefacts?

“The house and the artefacts in it are the heritage of the people of Huddersfield and should remain available for all to understand and enjoy.”

Plans to slash £531,000 from the £1m museums budget in 2017/18 were approved by councillors last month.

The council has said Oakwell Hall at Birstall is safe from the axe but it is only likely to keep two other museums open – one for North Kirklees and one for Huddersfield.

Cabinet member for resources, Clr Graham Turner, told the Examiner that nothing had been decided but he hoped options for the future would be published by the summer.

She said the main museum building needed only £275,000 of urgent repairs.

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Inscription:

Ravensknowle, comprising mansion and six acres of gardens and park was given in 1920 by Legh Tolson esq FSA, to the people of Dalton in memory of his nephews Sec Lieut Robert Huntriss Tolson, 15th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment & Sec Lieut James Martin Tolson, Guards Division, Royal Field Artillery, who fell in the Great War 1914-1918. They died the noblest death a man can die, fighting for God, for Right and Liberty.

Names:

James Martin Tolson, 2nd Lieut 74th battery Royal Field Artillery Guards division. Born 26 March 1898. Wounded 1917, gassed 1918, killed in action in the attack on Solesmes 20 October 1918. Buried at Quievy, France. and Robert Huntriss Tolson, 2nd Lieut. 15th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. Born 6 November 1884. Served in Egypt 1915, killed in action at the first battle of the Somme. 1st July 1916. Buried at Serre Road Cemetary near Hebuterne, France

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