Article from the 23rd December, 1914, in the Scarborough Pictorial which describes describes the memorial service in 1914 to mourn those who died in the German bombardment of Scarborough.
In memory of those who lost their lives, a memorial service was held at St. Mary's Parish Church at noon on Saturday. The Mayor (Mr CC Graham) and members of the Corporation attended officially, and Free Churchmen took part in the service. It is the first time, we believe, in the history of the Borough that Anglican and Free Churchmen had taken part in a united memorial service. The organist (Mr R.J. England) played Beethoven's funeral march at the outset, and the processional hymn was "Rock of Ages," this being followed by the 90th Psalm, the Rev. W.H. Lockley, president of the Free Church Council, and pastor of the Claremont United Methodist Free Church, reading the lesson (1. Corinthians, xv.. 20th verse to the end). The other hymns sung were : "They who course on earth is o'er" and "Jesus lives". Prayers were offered by the vicar, and the Nune Dimittis and the Benediction, followed by the singing of a verse of "God Save the King," and the playing of the Dead March in "Saul" concluded a striking and solemn service.
After the hymn, "They whose course on earth is o'er," the Archbishop of York, who was accompanied by his chaplain, referred impressively to the tragedy, and at the close, when he asked for silent prayer, the scene was most impressive.
The Archbishop said: "The terrible and memorable experience through which, dear people of Scarborough, you have passed this week, draws all our hearts together, and indeed draws the heart of the whole people of this realm to you. It is fitting that you should wish to bring that common heart of solemn grief and sympathy and trust into this building whither for so many generations your fathers ...."
"Our heart then, , is filled with grief for those peaceful men and women, and innocent children whose lives have been so suddenly and so cruelly taken away. Our heart is full of sympathy with those to whom they were near and dear, and with all, especially the aged people, to whom the terrible event of this week has brought such inevitable anxiety and distress. Our heart is also filled with indignation at the cruel onslaught upon the peaceable folk of a defenceless town. We could well bear with fortitude the dread necessities of war , but this was not necessity, it was a breach of all those restraints which hitherto civilised nations have sought to impose upon the inevitable horrors of war. Deep, therefore, and just is the indignation which fills to-day this common heart. Grief then, sympathy, indignation, all of them sincere and overflowing - these are the emotions that bind us together. But they will move us not to more distress and excitement, or alarm, but rather to a more quiet and determined resolution that we, to whom an experience so strange and terrible has come WILL NOT FAIL OUR COUNTRY at this time of need. We shall be only the more eager to prove by our steadiness, our calmness, our determination that we are ready to meet the calls which at this solemn time, our country makes upon us. These men and women and children whose loss we are assembled here this morning to mourn will not have died in vain. Their death will be a reminder to all of you here, and to the whole of the people of our country, of the ruthless ferocity of that war spirit which we are with our allies so sternly and solemnly summoned for the sake of the world's peace to destroy. Their death will have been a fresh vindication of the righteousness of our cause".
