A tale of wartime love and loss marks VE Day
08 May 2025
A love story with a bitter twist stands at the centre of an exhibition at Northumberland County Hall in Morpeth to mark VE Day and the end of WWII.
The installation celebrates the life and service of Lieutenant Philip Cheswright of the Royal Naval Reserve who crossed the world protecting the interests of war-torn Britain.
It is a tale of duty and sacrifice characteristic of many who served at that time and has all the ingredients of a Hollywood blockbuster - from marriage into an aristocratic family, the terror of naval combat and his untimely death due to illness just a year after the war finished.
The exhibition which runs throughout May examines Philip’s marriage to Patricia Trevelyan, of historic country house Wallington Hall, his wartime experiences and his early death from leukaemia in 1946.
Sue Wood, Head of Archives at Northumberland County Council, said: “The exhibition seeks to honour his memory, showcasing personal letters, photographs, paintings and artifacts that narrate his journey from naval officer to a family man, who left a young widow and two small children with no memory of their father.
“The contents were provided by Philip’s daughter Janet Hardie who was a babe in arms when he died.
“It took her many years to open a wooden chest belonging to her father – but she was glad she did as it revealed her father’s love for her mother, his talents and personality in a way she had never understood before.
“Water colours and drawings depict his journeys from Indian docks to Norwegian fjords and the Brazilian coast to the New York skyline. Along with some peaceful landscapes he captured the horrors of war such as torpedoed battle ships or burning planes.
“Janet said her mother used to say that she and Philip spent only 165 days together during their marriage but still believed she was luckier than many wives who never saw their husbands again.
“The exhibition offers visitors a chance to reflect on the sacrifices and personal stories of people like Philip Cheswright.
“This is why the work of the Archives team is so important, we capture the stories of people like Philip and Patricia to ensure they are never forgotten.”
* Wallington Hall, the ancestral home of the Trevelyan family is located near Cambo 12 miles west of Morpeth, Wallington is Grade I listed with a rich tapestry of history.
Originally owned by the Fenwick family from 1475, the estate was sold in 1688 to Sir William Blackett, who transformed it into a grand Palladian mansion.
In 1777, the property passed to the Trevelyan family, who maintained it until Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan gifted it to the National Trust in 1942 - marking the first donation of its kind
Wallington's interiors boast exquisite Rococo plasterwork and a central hall featuring murals by William Bell Scott, depicting scenes from Northumbrian history.
The estate's gardens and parklands were influenced by the renowned landscape designer Lancelot "Capability" Brown, who was born nearby and contributed to the estate's design.
The exhibition is free to visit, for more details go to www.northumberlandarchives.com