Bromley Parish Church Memorial

The Bromley Parish Church Memorial commemorates the deceased parishioners of World War I. The war memorial was designed and constructed by British sculptor Sydney March, of the March family of artists.

Bromley Parish Church Memorial
Coordinates51°24′17.92″N 00°00′45.58″E
LocationBromley, Greater London, England
DesignerSydney March
TypeWar memorial
MaterialPortland stone
Height5 metres
Completion date1921
Opening date20 March 1921
Dedicated toFallen parishioners of World War I

Design

The Bromley Parish Church Memorial was erected in the churchyard of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, also known as Bromley Parish Church, on Church Road in Bromley, Greater London, England.[1][2] In addition to a memorial cross in the churchyard, there was also a bronze plaque in the church which recorded the names of the fallen parishioners.[3] The cross is made of Portland stone, a limestone quarried on the Isle of Portland in the English Channel. Its design is of the gothic period. The memorial cross is approximately five meters tall, with four carved figures. They represent Saint Michael, Saint George, Victory, and Peace.[3] In addition, there are several inscriptions at the base of the cross: "In memory of the Men from this Church and Parish who gave their lives in the War of 1914–1919," "Make them to be numbered with the Saints in glory everlasting," and "Their names are recorded on a tablet in the Church."[3] The memorial cross is positioned in a rose garden, surrounded by a high beech hedge.[4][5]

Dedication

The Bromley Parish Church Memorial commemorates the parishioners of St. Peter and St. Paul who lost their lives in World War I.[1] It was unveiled on 20 March 1921 by Major General Sir John Raynsford Longley, K.C.M.G., C.B. (1867–1953). Longley served in the military from 1902 to 1923, and then came out of retirement to serve during World War II.[6] The war memorial was dedicated by the Bishop of Rochester, Dr. John Reginald Harmer (1857–1944).[3] An Anglican bishop, he served as Bishop of Adelaide before accepting the see of Rochester.[7] After the unveiling and dedication of the memorial cross in the churchyard, the dignitaries and parishioners returned to the church where the bronze plaque was unveiled. This was followed by a service, led by the Vicar, the Reverend J. K. Wilson.[3]

Bombing and rebuilding
Church tower of Bromley Parish Church, St. Peter and St. Paul.

On the night of 16 April 1941, heavy bombing inflicted damage on many churches. Bromley Parish Church was nearly completely destroyed; the only portion which survived was the 14th century tower. The bronze tablet inside St. Peter and St. Paul, which formed part of the Bromley Parish Church Memorial, was lost in the air raid.[3] However, the memorial cross in the churchyard survived. Bromley Parish Church was rebuilt after World War II. The foundation stone for the church was laid on 13 October 1949 by Queen Elizabeth, then a princess. On 14 December 1957, construction of the new church was completed. The new bells of the church incorporated some of the metal from the original.[8]

Sculptor

Both the memorial cross in the churchyard and the bronze plaque in the church were designed and made by British sculptor Sydney March.[3][9] The son of George and Elizabeth March, he was born in 1876 in Stoneferry, East Yorkshire, England. He was the second of nine children, eight of whom chose careers as artists.[10] Sydney March exhibited thirteen times at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts.[11] He and his siblings established art studios at their family home of Goddendene in Locksbottom, Farnborough, Kent.[12] He was a prolific artist whose focus was war memorials, and sculptures of British royalty and contemporary figures. Sydney, together with his sister and brothers, completed the National War Memorial of Canada after the untimely death of their sibling, sculptor Vernon March, in 1930.[13] Other monuments for which Sydney March is renowned include the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers South African War Memorial in Northern Ireland,[14] the United Empire Loyalist Monument in Canada,[15] and the Lancaster Monument in England.[16] His smaller-scale works include portrait busts of King Edward VII[17] and Cecil John Rhodes,[18] both in London's National Portrait Gallery.

References
  1. "Bromley Parish Church Memorial". bromley.gov.uk. London Borough of Bromley. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  2. "Latitude and Longitude of a Point". itouchmap.com. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  3. "Bromley Parish Church Memorial". bromley.gov.uk. War Memorials in Bromley. p. 6. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  4. "London Gardens Online – St Peter and St Paul's Churchyard, Bromley". londongardensonline.org.uk. London Parks & Gardens Trust. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  5. "War Memorial, St Peter & St Paul, The Parish Church of Bromley, Church Road, Bromley, London Borough of Bromley". flickr.com. Yahoo Inc!. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  6. "Major General Sir John Raynsford Longley KCMG CB 1920 – 1939". queensroyalsurreys.org.uk. The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  7. Hilliard, David. Harmer, John Reginald (1857–1944). The Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  8. "Bromley Parish Church – Guide and History" (PDF). bromleyparishchurch.org. Bromley Parish Church, St Peter and St Paul. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  9. "A Bronze Coronation Portrait Bust of King Edward VII (1841–1910) signed Sydney March for the founders Elkington & Co". armoury.co.uk. The Armoury of St. James's. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  10. March, Sidney. "1891 England Census". ancestry.com. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. The National Archives of the UK (as re-printed on Ancestry.com). Missing or empty |url= (help)
  11. March, Sydney. "Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain & Ireland 1851–1951". sculpture.gla.ac.uk. University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  12. March, Sydney. "First World War Art – Sculpture". dsfa.com. David Cohen Fine Art. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  13. Baker, Eamonn (15 July 2008). "Memorial to a celebrated sculptor". Derry Journal. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  14. "The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers South African War Memorial". omagh.gov.uk. Omagh District Council. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  15. "Loyalist Monuments – Hamilton UEL Monument". uelac.org. United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  16. "The Lancaster Monument, East Sheen Cemetery, Richmond". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  17. "King Edward VII". npg.org.uk. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  18. "Cecil John Rhodes". npg.org.uk. National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
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