Shepshed War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial designed by John Daymond & Son and unveiled in 1918.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial, designed by John Daymond & Son and unveiled in 1918, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: it has special historic interest commemorating those members of the community who died in the First and Second World Wars;
* Architectural interest: it is a finely crafted, imposing monument in the classical style, demonstrating a skilful handling of Portland stone by John Daymond & Son, an established family firm of stone masons.

History

The memorial was designed by John Daymond & Son and cost £462 10s to construct. It was privately funded and donated to the town by Mr & Mrs Harriman. The memorial was unveiled on 2 February 1918 by the Duke of Rutland and was dedicated by the Revd H. D. Goe-Clark and the Revd A. H. Collard from Charnwood Road Baptist Chapel. It was erected during the war as its original dedication was to have been to the 781 men from the three parishes who joined up. By the time of its erection however, 76 of the men were known to have died. A bronze plaque was added in August 1926 with the names of the fallen from the First World War inscribed by Messrs Z. Tailby and Son of Loughborough. The names of those who died during the Second World War were later added. The fourteen marble tablets on the memorial are unused. In 1953 the memorial was removed from its original position in the Market Place and relocated to the east side of Glenmore Park where it was reconsecrated on 5 November 1953. It was then floodlit until 11 November.

John Daymond (c1847-1934) was the third of three generations of stone masons who operated a business near Vincent Square in London. His grandfather, John Daymond established the firm c1841 and it was continued by his father, also John Daymond (c1821-1898). The third John Daymond was apprenticed as a stone carver by the age of 14 and took over the family business in the 1890s. He had a son, John Dudley Daymond (born c1880) who also became an architectural sculptor by 1901. There are no buildings on the List associated with the Daymond family.

Details

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is a square pillar with a moulded plinth and square piers projecting obliquely at each corner, standing on a three-stepped base. It has a plain frieze and projecting cornice with egg and dart enrichment. It is surmounted by a smaller square pillar with a plain cornice, supporting a circular finial with a crowning bronze flame. There are fourteen rectangular marble tablets around the main pillar which were originally intended for names but are unused. The four sides of the smaller square pillar are engraved with the following: TO THE MEN WHO CAME/ FROM SHEPSHED/ OAKS-IN-CHARNWOOD/ AND CHARLEY/ 1914-1918/ FOR GOD/ KING AND/ COUNTRY. On the outward face each corner pier are carved wreaths incorporating three small panels arranged in a vertical line. The panels are engraved as follows: DARDANELLES/ YPRES/ FALKLANDS; HOOGE/ LOOS/ JUTLAND; VERDUN/ VIMY RIDGE/ CAMBRIA; AISNE/ MONS/ MARNE. The large bronze plaque on the main face of the pillar is inscribed ‘THESE GAVE THEIR LIVES/ 1914-1918’ followed by the names of the fallen; and underneath is inscribed ‘THESE ALSO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ 1939-1945’ followed by their names. A more recent black marble tablet on the plinth commemorates the names of the sponsors.


This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 19 January 2017.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17 May 2022 to correct a typo in the address

Sources

Websites
Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, accessed from http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/index.php
Leicestershire & Rutland War Memorials Project, accessed from http://warmemorials.leics.gov.uk
War Memorials Register, accessed 19 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/37810
War Memorials Online, accessed 19 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/86628

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