St Michael Cornhill War Memorial
 | This article includes alist of references,related reading,orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations.(December 2016) |
| St Michael Cornhill War Memorial | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
 | |
| For 2,130 men from the parish – and the neighbouring City of London parishes of St Peter le Poer and St Benet Fink – who served in the British armed forces in the First World War | |
| Established | November 1, 1920 |
| Location | 51°30′47.9″N00°05′08.4″W/ 51.513306°N 0.085667°W St Michael Cornhill near London |
| Designed by | Richard Reginald Goulden |
DURING THE / GREAT WAR / 1914–1919 / THE NAMES WERE / RECORDED ON THIS / SITE OF 2130 MEN / WHO FROM OFFICES / IN THE PARISHES OF / THIS UNITED BENEFICE / VOLUNTEERED TO / SERVE THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE NAVY AND / ARMY + OF THESE / IT IS KNOWN THAT / AT LEAST 170 GAVE / THEIR LIVES FOR THE / FREEDOM OF / THE WORLD | |
St Michael Cornhill War Memorialis aFirst World War memorialby the entrance to the church ofSt Michael Cornhill,facingCornhillin theCity of London.The memorial became a Grade II*listed buildingin December 2016; the church itself is Grade I listed.
Commemoration
[edit]The memorial commemorates 2,130 men from the parish – and the neighbouringCity of Londonparishes ofSt Peter le PoerandSt Benet Finkwith which it was merged in 1906 – who served in the British armed forces in the First World War. About 170 died in the war, listed on aroll of honourkept in the church.
Description
[edit]It was designed byRichard Reginald Goulden;he had served in theRoyal Engineersduring the war. A maquette is held by theImperial War Museum.The completed 4 metres (13 ft) high memorial comprises aPortland stonepylon, topped by a bronze sculptural group cast by the foundry ofA.B. BurtoninThames Ditton.The main figure of the sculpture depicts a standingArchangel Michaelwith wings erect, wearing Romansegmented armourand a helmet, holding up aflaming sword.By the angel's right foot are two lions, one biting the other, representing war; by the left foot are fourputtilooking upwards, representing peace.
The angelic figure stands on a cast bronze block, which bears the inscription:DURING THE / GREAT WAR / 1914–1919 / THE NAMES WERE / RECORDED ON THIS / SITE OF 2130 MEN / WHO FROM OFFICES / IN THE PARISHES OF / THIS UNITED BENEFICE / VOLUNTEERED TO / SERVE THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE NAVY AND / ARMY + OF THESE / IT IS KNOWN THAT / AT LEAST 170 GAVE / THEIR LIVES FOR THE / FREEDOM OF / THE WORLD.
Unveiling
[edit]The memorial was unveiled on 1 November 1920 at a ceremony attended by theLord Mayor of LondonJames Roll,with the Rector of the church RevJohn Henry Joshua Ellison,and theArchdeacon of LondonErnest Holmes.TheLondon Troops War Memorialwas unveiled outside theRoyal Exchangejust 11 days later.
Similar works by the same artist
[edit]Goulden designed several other war memorials in the 1920s, including theBank of England War Memorialnearby, others in or near London atMiddlesex Guildhall,RedhillandKingston,and some further afield, atBrightlingsea,Dover,Gateshead,andMalvern.The Malvern memorial also includes an angelic figure with wings erect; others – such as Redhill, Kingston and Dover – feature a figure without wings but holding an object aloft.
Copies
[edit]A copy of the St Michael memorial was unveiled in 1927 by Field MarshallLord Plumerat the Chapeau Rouge crossroads nearLa Groisein France, on the road fromLandreciestoGuise,as a memorial to the1st Division BEF,which retreated past the location in 1914 and advanced past it again in 1918. A similar sculpture is the centrepiece of the war memorial of Hornsey County School, Pemberton Road,Harringay,which was moved toSt Paul's Church, Harringayin 1970 but damaged in a fire in 1984, and now on display atHornsey Town Hall.
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Entrance to St Michael, Cornhill -
Malvern -
Redhill -
Kingston -
Dover
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- St Michael's, Cornhill War Memorial,National Heritage List for England, Historic England
- 20th Century Society
- London Remembers
- The Victorian Web
- St Michaels Church, Cornhill,Imperial War Museum
- Maquette for the Memorial at St Michael, Cornhill, City of London,Imperial War Museum
- Hornsey County School,Imperial War Museum
- Old Hornseyans School War Memorial
- An open letter to Claire Kober about Harringay's dislocated war memorial
