About This Website

Responded Nobly - Suffered  Severely

(WW1 and its effect on the village of North Tolsta)

 Lest We Forget

Thanks to a generous grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund we  have been able to start processing the many articles and photographs we have already amassed of people from North Tolsta who were on active service  during the Great War

As we proceed, we are becoming more aware of the many gaps that are showing up in our collections, not only of details and photographs of those who gave their lives in that terrible conflict, but also of those who served dutifully and then came back home, often broken in body and mind, to live a life of poverty and ill health in the following years. Most of them tried to pick up the pieces and often buried their awful experiences where no one could dare ask them to recall.

Please, wherever you are, if you have any connection with North Tolsta, look up these old photographs, letters, papers and articles that might help us to bring the memory of these brave men to life for the generations who have never met or known of anyone who actually served in the First World War. We are the last generation who knew some of these great men personally. Many of them were our Church Elders and Deacons. Some of them served as our Sunday School teachers during our formative years.

Whatever you have or can tell us, we can photocopy and record for our project. You will always keep the original. With modern technology we might even be able to make better copies for you to pass on to your family.

Our aim is to create a website which will enable anyone to access details of life in North Tolsta during the early 20th Century, with special emphasis on the First World War, the fate of those who served and the lives of those left behind to cope at home. When we put everything together we hope to have a clearer picture of how this fearful war affected all our lives for many generations afterwards.

 So come on, that includes YOU! I'm sure EVERYONE has some contribution to make.

Please contact any of the committee or
Chairman Donald Murray:                      email address:       info@tolsta.info
Project Leader Catherine M. Smith:     email address:      nthsworldwar1@outlook.com