China replicas of Matlock Bath's War Memorial have become collectors' items. Second only to the Cenotaph in London, more china replicas were made of the village's War Memorial than of any other War Memorial in the United Kingdom. Some collectors have twelve or more different versions, which range from 120mm to 200mm in height.

Of the three photographs of the china cenotaphs, above, the centre image was made in England by the Victoria China Company at some stage during the 1920's. The photographs on the left and right, which show the arms on the sides, are of Foreign manufacture.

On the right is a model of the same memorial, but this time bearing the crest of Brighton in East Sussex. However, there isn't a memorial in Brighton of this design. The china was manufactured and then became open to all comers. So towns from all over the United Kingdom who wanted to sell such souvenirs simply put their own crest on it. The Brighton china model was made slightly later in the 1920's than the English version, when the post war anti-German ill-feeling had died down.

Manufacturers included Norfolk, Podmore, Shelley and Saxony and some of the overseas versions were put into a catalogue.

There's a book called "Take 'em Back to Dear Old Blighty" by Robert Southall ISBN 0903852144 pub. Milestone Publications (1982) that may be of interest for those wishing to collect souvenir china of memorials.

The china replica of Matlock's memorial on Pic Tor (left) is a "Willow" model and the town's coat of arms are underneath the inscription.

The inscription reads:

1914 - 1919
IN GRATEFUL AND LOVING
REMEMBRANCE
OF OUR MEN
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
FOR
FREEDOM
— —

"HE LIVES IN FAME
THAT DIED IN VIRTUES CAUSE"

Also see:
Matlock Miscellany
Matlock Bath's coats of arms