Summary
First World War memorial, 1916.
Reasons for Designation
Bishopsgate Parish Memorial, which stands in the churchyard of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the First World War;
* Historic association: an unusually early First World War memorial dating to 1916, thought to be the first freestanding memorial raised in London, commemorating both named war heroes and un-named local servicemen who had died in the first two years of the conflict;
* Architectural interest: an elegant memorial cross in the medieval style;
* Group value: with the church of St Botolph (Grade II*), two drinking fountains, three overthrows and lanterns, and St Botolph’s church hall (all Grade II).
History
The Bishopsgate Parish Memorial, also known as the Kitchener Cross, was designed and executed by Messrs Maile and Sons of London. It was unveiled on 4 August 1916 by the Lord Mayor of London (Sir William Henry Dunn, an officer in the Territorial Force) and the Bishop of Stepney, accompanied by representatives of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC). Colonel William Evans, Commanding Officer of the HAC Reserve (3rd) Battalion was in attendance, along with the Drum and Fife Band. It was the second anniversary of Britain’s entry into the war and the ceremony was filmed for Pathé News. The memorial is thought to be the first freestanding First World War memorial erected in London.
The memorial appears to have been prompted by specific events, namely the death of John Travers Cornwell on 2 June 1916 after the Battle of Jutland (31 May – 1 June) and Field-Marshal Earl Kitchener’s drowning shortly after on 5 June. It seems that a memorial to Kitchener was first planned, as the Order of Service for the unveiling ceremony is titled “Unveiling of Memorial Cross to Lord Kitchener”. Following the public campaign in the Daily Sketch to recognise the actions of Boy First Class John Travers Cornwell on HMS Chester, the decision was made also to commemorate his death.
The Rector of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, Reverend Captain William Hudson Shaw, was Chaplain to the Honourable Artillery Company, the church being the Regimental Church of the HAC. Kitchener had links with the HAC, having suggested at the outbreak of the war that it develop from its half Battalion training strength to become an officer-training Regiment. He had inspected the HAC with the Lord Mayor in 1915. It is probable that links between the HAC, the Ward, the City of London, and the City’s officers in the Territorial Force, prompted the Lord Mayor to spearhead the propagandist erection of the memorial at the church during the early days of the Battle of the Somme.
As well as Kitchener and Cornwell, the memorial commemorates men of the HAC and volunteers from the Ward who had died during the first two years of the war. At the unveiling ceremony, the Lord Mayor said, “it was right the City of London should take the lead in perpetuating the services and sacrifices of its citizens. The memorial recognized the statesman-warrior – a citizen of London – citizen soldiers, and the humble sailor-lad, each and all types and examples of self-sacrificing devotion to duty.”
Field-Marshal Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC, Secretary of War, was drowned on 5 June 1916 when HMS Hampshire was sunk by a German mine en route to Russia. In contrast to the generally-held view in 1914 that the war would be short, Kitchener believed that the war would be at least three years long and that a large army would have to be raised to fight it. Appealing for volunteers, he had rapidly expanded the army which, from 1 July 1916, was fighting the Battle of the Somme. The death of this popular hero was a great shock that stimulated intense public mourning, which chimed with the deep interest in the story of “the boy Jack”.
The 16 year-old John “Jack” Travers Cornwell, who had kept his post at a gun turret on HMS Chester though mortally wounded in the Battle of Jutland, had been buried in a common grave in Manor Park Cemetery, Newham. His story caught the public imagination and on 29 July 1916 he was re-buried with full military honours in a new plot. On 15 September the London Gazette recorded his citation for the Victoria Cross. The day before, the Lord Mayor of London had launched a national appeal to endow in perpetuity a Jack Cornwell Ward at the Star and Garter Home, Richmond (Grade II) and to fund Jack Cornwell Cottage Homes for disabled sailors and their families (the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust’s John Cornwell Victoria Cross National Memorial housing in Hornchurch). Given the date of the citation, Cornwell’s award of the Victoria Cross must have been added to his name on the Bishopsgate Parish Memorial after the unveiling.
The memorial was cleaned and the lettering re-cut in 2006, at which time it was re-dedicated.
Details
The Portland Stone memorial cross is located in the churchyard of the church of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate (Grade II*), standing to the south of the church and west of the Grade II-listed drinking fountains and lanterns on Bishopsgate. Approximately 4m high, it comprises an ornamented wheel-head cross rising from a moulded collar bearing the monogram IHS. The octagonal cross shaft is decorated with blind arcading below the collar and above the moulded foot. The shaft stands on an octagonal plinth, which stands on a three-stepped base.
The plinth carries the inscriptions on four of the eight faces:
(east face) KITCHENER/ JUNE 5 1916/ LEST WE FORGET
(south face) IN MEMORIAM/ OFFICERS AND MEN/ OF THE/ HONOURABLE/ ARTILLERY/ COMPANY/ WHO DIED IN THE GRAT WAR/ AUGUST 4 1916
(west face) IN MEMORY OF/ OUR/ BRAVE DEAD/ OF/ BISHOPSGATE/ 1914 – 1916
(north face) JOHN TRAVERS/ CORNWELL VC/ OF/ HMS CHESTER/ THE/ BATTLE OF JUTLAND/ JUNE 1916/ HERO OF 16 YEARS
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 10 February 2017.
