Norsworthy Monument

The life-size bronze bust of Major Edward C. Norsworthy was created by British Canadian sculptor Hamilton Plantagenet MacCarthy. It was unveiled to the public in April 1918, three years after Edward had been killed in action.

On April 21, 1918, the Norsworthy Monument was officially unveiled by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, on behalf of masons in Montreal. The Norsworthy Monument was originally unveiled to commemorate the heroism of Major Edward C. Norsworthy, but all four of J.C. Norsworthy’s sons served in the First World War.

All four were born in Ingersoll, received their university education at McGill, and all went into the banking business. Edward was the eldest and one of the first to enlist in September 1914 at Valcartier, Quebec. He was shipped out with the 1st Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was Second in Command of the Royal Highland Regiment, Black Watch of Canada when the Germans unleashed poisonous gas for the first time, during the Second Battle of Ypres. Edwad was reported to have succumbed to wounds in the field during the night of April 22, 1915.

His younger brother Alfred was killed in action in the days leading up to Vimy Ridge, while brother Stanley was in command of the Black Watch during the attack on Vimy. The youngest brother John had served with Alfred and he too was also wounded during that famous attack. John is buried beneath the Norsworthy Monument along with his father, mother and wife.

One of Alfred’s grave markers is located directly behind the monument. His original wooden cross in Barlin Cemetery was replaced with a stone marker, and then replaced again by the standard military marker. That stone marker was sent to his father in Ingersoll.

The monument also has a bronze plaque memorializing two of J.C. Norsworthy’s nephews; Robert and Harold Hunter. They were sons of his sister living in Brampton Ontario. Robert was killed on September 17, 1918 and Harold was killed just six days before the Armistice.

Inscription

[front/devant]

IN MEMORY OF
MAJOR EDWARD CUTHBERT NORSWORTHY
13TH BATTALION ROYAL HIGHLANDERS
3RD BRIGADE CANADIAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
BORN IN INGERSOLL 29TH MAY 1879
KILLED IN ACTION AT LANGEMARCK 22ND APRIL 1915
MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES
BY FIELD MARSHAL SIR JOHN FRENCH
FOR GALLANT AND DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE IN THE FIELD
NOT FOR FAME OR REWARD-NOT FOR PLACE OR RANK
NOT LURED BY AMBITION-OR GOADED BY NECESSITY
BUT IN SIMPLE OBEDIENCE TO DUTY
AS HE UNDERSTOOD IT
MAJOR NORSWORTHY SACRIFICED ALL-SUFFERED ALL
DARED ALL-AND DIED
“DUCLE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI”

[side/côté]

FRED
IN MEMORY
OF
LIEUTENANT ALFRED JAMES NORSWORTHY
73RD BATTALION ROYAL HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA
BORN IN INGERSOLL 3RD MAY 1887
KILLED IN ACTION AT VIMY RIDGE 29TH MARCH 1917
HIS DAUNTLESS COURAGE AND CHEERFULNESS UNDER
MOST TRYING CONDITIONS WON THE ADMIRATION
OF HIS SUPERIOR OFFICERS AND HIS MEN
GENTLE IN PEACE – A HERO IN BATTLE
BELOVED BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM
FOR GOD FOR TRUTH FOR LIBERTY

Le 21 avril 1918, le monument Norsworthy fut officiellement dévoilé par le Grand Maître du Grand Lodge of Canada dans la province de l’Ontario, au nom des maçons de Montréal. Le monument Norsworthy fut initialement dévoilé pour commémorer l’héroïsme du major Edward C. Norsworthy, mais les quatre fils de J. C. Norsworthy servirent aussi durant la Première Guerre mondiale.

Tous les quatre sont nés à Ingersoll, ont fait leurs études à l’Université McGill, et ont travaillé dans le secteur bancaire. Edward, l’aîné, fut l’un des premiers à s’enrôler au mois de septembre 1914 à Valcartier, Québec. Il quitta avec la 1re Division du Corps expéditionnaire canadien et il était commandant adjoint du Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada lorsque les Allemands lancèrent la première attaque au gaz toxique durant la deuxième bataille d’Ypres. Edward succomba à ses blessures sur le champ de bataille durant la nuit du 22 avril 1915.

Son frère cadet, Alfred, fut tué au combat dans les jours qui précédèrent la bataille de la crête de Vimy, alors que son frère Stanley commandait le Black Watch durant l’assaut sur la crête de Vimy. Le plus jeune des frères, John, servit aux côtés d’Alfred et fut lui aussi blessé durant ce célèbre assaut. John est enterré sous le monument Norsworthy, aux côtés de son père, de sa mère et de son épouse.

L’une des pierres tombales d’Alfred se situe directement derrière le monument. Sa croix de bois originale, dans le cimetière de Barlin, fut remplacée par une pierre tombale et fut plus tard remplacée de nouveau par une stèle militaire standard. Cette pierre tombale fut envoyée à son père, à Ingersoll.

Le monument comprend également une plaque de bronze à la mémoire des deux neveux de J. C. Norsworthy : Robert et Harold Hunter. Fils de sa sœur originaire de Brampton en Ontario, Robert fut tué le 17 septembre 1918, et Harold, lui, fut tué seulement six jours avant l’armistice.

Le texte de l’inscription figure dans la section anglaise.