Cylinder, phonograph cylinder

The handwritten description on this wax phonograph cylinder's box reads "Nov 4/1915 / God Bless our Soldiers by Primary Sc[hool] teachers at Social at Lyndale."

This recording was made by Cromwell Wall who lived at 'Lyndale', 33 Parkhurst Road, New Southgate, with his wife Minnie and nine children. He is seated second from right on the bench in the attached photograph showing the family in Lyndale's garden.

The 'primary school' refers to the primary school of the New Southgate Baptist Chapel in Grove Road, near to the Walls' home. Grove Road Baptist Chapel was bombed twice during the Second World War but was repaired and still stands. It has now been converted into sheltered housing. On the site of its School Room stands the Christian Centre of Christ Church New Southgate and Friern Barnet Baptist/United Reformed Church.

In 1915 when Cromwell made this recording - and when the photograph was taken - his eldest son Oliver (seated in uniform) was fighting in the First World War. Oliver died of pneumonia in a hospital on the French Front in October 1918 three weeks before peace was declared.