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Following the outbreak of the war, from their friends at home the men from the village on active service received four boxes of Abdullah cigarettes a week. Also assisting the war effort was Mr. W. Steventon, the headmaster of the village school, who would organise at the request of Mrs. Bernard, the wife of Colonel Bernard, a parochial penny a week fund for the British Red Cross. As for the village schoolteachers, they donated a percentage of their salary each month to the Prince of Wales’ National Relief Fund.

In March 1915 Mr. Charles Chapman, a groom employed by Mr. G. Whiting, of Stoke Goldington, volunteered for active service, but was rejected for having ‘defective teeth.’ However, in April this restriction was lifted, and, with the army being empowered to provide suitable dentistry at public expense, Mr. Chapman would be accepted. He subsequently joined the Army Remount Department, and by June 1915 would be on active service in France.

In the second week of July 1915, 32 men and youths of the village joined the North Bucks Battalion of the Bucks Volunteer Defence Corps.

Mr. F. Clarabut, the assistant postmaster of the village, enlisted in the R.A.M.C. in August 1915.

On Wednesday, February 9th 1916, Mary Botterill, a widow with 10 children, was summoned at the Newport Pagnell Petty Sessions. She was the licensee of the Lamb Inn, and the charge involved having on January 28th 1916, the evening of a Red Cross concert in the village, supplied liquor to a member of the Forces for consumption off the premises. This was in contravention of the Defence of the Realm Act, and giving evidence Superintendent Pearce said that at the time it was issued a copy of the Order, referring to the sale of drink to soldiers, had been served on the defendant by police constable Grace. He asked her to hang it in the tap room, with the relevant content being that no intoxicating liquor could be served to members of the Forces for consumption off the premises, unless they had a permit signed by a commissioned officer of their unit. At the time there were no soldiers in the district, and so the defendant had not read the notice. Police constable Smith, who had been at Stoke Goldington since October 29th 1915, said that about 2.45p.m. on Saturday, January 29th he visited the pub, since information had been received that soldiers were observed the previous evening in possession of intoxicating liquor. When he asked the landlady if soldiers had been in the pub at that time she confirmed that they had, and when asked if she had sold them intoxicating liquor to be taken off the premises, she said she had served one bottle. At about 8p.m. on the same day police constable Smith again visited the premises, this time with sergeant Honour, and in a statement Mrs. Botterill said she hadn’t realised she was doing anything wrong. On the night in question about 8 soldiers had visited the pub, and at about 8p.m. on leaving one asked for a bottle of beer, which she sold for 4½d. In mitigation she said she had read the copy of the order but had not understood it. With her late husband she had been at the pub for 30 years, and with Mr. W Carlile saying that he had known her for about 25 years, and that her character was excellent, the Bench decided on leniency. A sentence of payment of costs was imposed, plus being put under the charge of the Probation Officer for a year.

On Wednesday, February 23rd 1916, at the Military Tribunal of the Newport Pagnell Rural District a small holder of the village applied for exemption for his 22 year old son, whom he said was the public carrier and a horse keeper. It was impossible to get labour and if his son went he would be unable to carry on the business alone. The Recruiting Officer said there was no evidence that an older man couldn’t do the work, but to this the applicant replied that he farmed 45 acres, on which his son was partly employed. There was no other help, and apart from looking after 7 bullocks the son also helped with ploughing and generally managed the business. As for the carrying business, which involved travelling to Northampton twice a week, this had been bought for him, and would have to cease if he was called up. Little impressed, the Military Representative, Major Sir Everard P. Duncombe, remarked “You think it would be better of your son to go to Northampton twice a week instead of fighting?” and the application was refused.

During the early hours of Tuesday, March 28th 1916 there was a heavy fall of snow, followed during the day by weather ‘of the wildest character.’ Accompanied by a keen east wind further snowfalls occurred, and with telephone and telegraph wires down the whole district was isolated from the outside world. Hundreds of trees were uprooted, and 19 fell on the road between Stoke Goldington and Newport Pagnell.

On Monday, August 7th 1916 Celeste Hendrickes, a Belgian employed as a labourer on a farm at Stoke Goldington, was summoned for setting snares for game on the land of Mr. Walter Carlile, at Gayhurst. He pleaded not guilty, saying that Mr. G. Whiting, the tenant of the land, had given him permission to catch some rabbits. In evidence Mr. Essam, the gamekeeper at Gayhurst, said that he had found two snares set in a corn field. Keeping observation, at 5.30a.m. he saw the defendant, who was on his way to work, lay down his bike by the side of the road and go to the snares, whereupon Mr. Essam told him he had no right to be there for such a purpose. It transpired that although Mr. Whiting had given permission a year ago, this had since been withdrawn. A fine of 10s was imposed.

All badly shaken, but none seriously hurt, five men from the Stony Stratford district were involved in a car crash at Stoke Goldington on the afternoon of Saturday, August 12th 1916. They had been motoring from Northampton, when near the Coach and Horses Inn, Eakley Lane, a wheel of the vehicle touched the bank, and the car overturned. Two of the occupants were pinned underneath, and on hearing the crash men working in the fields rushed to help. The injuries were attended to at the pub.

For driving a horse and cart in the village with no lights, on August 31st 1916 George Adams, a groom of Stoke Goldington, was stopped at 9.45p.m. by police constable Smith. George said he had been to Lathbury, and because he thought he could get back in time he had not taken any lamps, although there was a plentiful supply from his employer. However, he had been kept at Lathbury longer than anticipated, and in consequence a fine of 7s 6d was imposed.

In civilian life Leslie Steventon, the son of the village schoolmaster, had been a probationer on the General Manager’s staff of the L.N.W.R. By their consent he joined the army at the age of 18, and having for 12 months been attached as a Lance Corporal to the 23rd Battalion Motor Machine Gun Company in German East Africa, serving with General Smuts column, in August 1916 it was announced that he had been promoted to corporal. He was subsequently recommended for a commission, and after training at Winchester it would be announced in July 1918 that he had been gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant.

For a jumble sale, held at Newport Pagnell on the evening of Saturday, November 18th 1916, Mr. Steventon, the village schoolmaster, gave a piece of the Zeppelin brought down at Potters Bar. The relic found a ready sale.

Loosing an eye and a foot, Private George Bull, of the Northants. Regiment, was seriously wounded on active service in France, and in December 1916 was being treated in St. Thomas’ Hospital, London. Aged 19, he had joined up around mid 1915, having previously worked for his uncle, who was a builder in the village. He was the son of William Bull, and having recovered from a neck wound his brother, John, rejoined the Wilts. Regiment on November 30th, having been home for a while at Stoke Goldington.

For use by the villagers on their gardens and allotments, a potato sprayer was purchased in May 1917.

The funeral of Mrs. Louisa Smith took place on the afternoon of Saturday, May 11th 1917. She was the wife of Thomas Smith, a well known agriculturalist who lived in the village all his life, and the daughter of Samuel Mobbs of Pytchley, near Kettering. She had been married for 49 years, and had 2 sons and 8 daughters. Having been ill for 12 months she died on May 14th 1917 aged 73, and was buried in the churchyard.

Having experienced engine trouble, on Thursday, May 24th 1917 an aeroplane made a forced landing in one of Mr. G. Whiting’s fields.

Having for many years been in the occupation of John Roddis, with the approval of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and on the instructions of the Reverend F.W. Walker, the sale of the freehold of Rectory Farm took place on the evening of Thursday, October 25th 1917. This was conducted at the Bull, Olney, by Mr. P. Gambell, and the purchasers would be Messrs. E. and J. Nicholls of Yardley Hastings, and formerly of Stoke Goldington.

As the previous year, in January 1918 a house to house collection in the village was organised for Lord Roberts’s Memorial Workshops Fund, with the money to be spent on providing training in some branch of industry for soldiers ‘broken’ in the war. Seven of the upper standard schoolgirls visited the houses in the parish to leave literature and small envelopes, which when later collected were found to contain £3 2s 6½d. The girls involved were Dolly Byway, Marjorie Harris, Nora Pickersgill, Nellie Bull, Vera West, Ivy Edmunds and Fanny Gibbs.

Serving in France, on August 22nd 1918 Private R. Dredge, of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, was dangerously wounded in the left leg, which had to be amputated the following day. He was then transferred to Richmond Hospital, where he would make good progress. Joining the army in March 1915 he went to France in June of that year and was attached to the Motor Transport Dept. as a clerk. After 3 years he was then transferred to the Royal Berkshire Regiment. Before enlisting he had been manager of a branch grocery business at Downham Market, Norfolk, for a Nottingham firm.

In a tragic incident of ‘friendly fire,’ Gunner Elisha Warren, of the Royal Field Artillery, died of wounds on September 25th 1918. A shell had prematurely burst whilst his gun was in action. Being a well known footballer before the war, he was 30 years of age, and at Stoke Goldington left a widow and three children.

On June 7th 1919, at the parish church Lieutenant Forest Saxon Lloyd Fitz-George, M.C., of the South Africa Royal Engineers, married Miss Aye-Aye Cottrell Walker. She was the elder daughter of the rector, the Reverend F.W. Walker, who conducted the service.

Rain did not spoil the village celebrations on Peace Day, July 19th 1919. On the previous Wednesday Mrs. Carlile had entertained the children in a generous manner, and after a good tea there was a Punch and Judy show, followed later by sports with prizes. Mr. W. Steventon, the village schoolmaster, had been elected as chairman of the Peace Day Committee, and the proceedings began with an imposing church parade. This was marshalled and lead by Mr. Steventon, wearing the uniform of the Bucks Volunteers, in which he had served during the war as a 1st Lieutenant, and following the banner of the Friendly society came the schoolchildren, carrying flags, the women and girls, the older male residents of the parish, 40 demobilised soldiers and the Volunteers in uniform. The procession marched along the main street to the church, where a service of thanksgiving was conducted by the rector, the Reverend F.W. Walker. At 3p.m. a tea was served to 54 children and 11 women, with an hour later a knife and fork spread for 104 men. Apart from a football match a varied programme of sports had been arranged, but due to the rain these were postponed to August Bank Holiday. In the evening a concert took place in the school, and at 10p.m. everyone adjourned to Whitmer Hill, where a large bonfire, built by Mr. W. Green, was set alight by Stella Green, and could be seen for miles around.