Bromley (St Peter and St Paul's) War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1921, designed by Sydney March.

Reasons for Designation

Bromley (St Peter and St Paul’s) war memorial, which is situated in the churchyard, 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 during the First World War.

Architectural interest:
* An elegant Portland Stone lantern war memorial with finely carved sculptural depictions of St George, Victory, St Michael and Peace;
* By renowned sculptor Sydney March who also designed the Grade II*-listed war memorial obelisk in Bromley at St Martin’s Hill;

Group value:
* For its relationship with the Church of St Peter and St Paul (Grade II*-listed)

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Bromley as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.

The memorial was unveiled on 20 March 1921 by Major General Sir G R Longley and dedicated by Dr John Reginald Harmer, Bishop of Rochester. It was designed and built by Mr Sydney March. The names of those who died were included on a bronze tablet that was placed inside the church; the tablet was also designed by Sydney March. The memorial was originally located outside the east end of the church but was moved following bomb damage to the church in the Second World War; the bronze tablet was destroyed as a result of the bombing.

Sydney March (1876-1968) was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, but for most of his life he lived with his artistic siblings in Farnborough, Kent. He showed regularly at the Royal Academy between 1901 and 1932 and was responsible for a number of important memorials and public statues including the Lancaster monument in East Sheen Cemetery and Bromley War Memorial (at St Martin’s Hill), both dated 1922 and listed at Grade II*. He also made the marble coronation bust of King Edward VII (National Portrait Gallery). His brother Vernon won a world-wide competition to design and build the National War Memorial of Canada; however he died in 1930 with the memorial unfinished. Sydney and his remaining siblings carried on this work, collaborating in the casting and completion of the memorial.

Details

First World War memorial, 1921.

DESCRIPTION: the war memorial is located in the churchyard of St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church (Grade II*-listed). A high beech hedge surrounds the small war memorial garden.

The memorial is of Portland stone and takes the form of a carved lantern-cross with sculpted depictions of St George, Victory, St Michael and Peace to each of the faces. The lantern crowns a tapering column with a moulded cap and base rising from an octagonal plinth. The whole surmounts a cruciform-shaped base. The inscriptions are carved in relief on three faces of the plinth.

The first face carries the dedication: IN MEMORY OF THE/ MEN FROM THIS/ CHURCH AND PARISH/ WHO GAVE THEIR/ LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR OF/ 1914 – 1919. The second side reads MAKE THEM TO BE/ NUMBERED WITH/ THY SAINTS IN/ GLORY EVERLASTING. The final face is inscribed: THEIR NAMES ARE/ RECORDED ON A/ TABLET IN THE/ CHURCH.


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, 25 September 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials in Bromley, accessed 6 July 2017 from http://www.bromley.gov.uk/downloads/file/286/war_memorials_in_bromley
Bromley Parish Church a History and Guide, accessed 6 July 2017 from http://www.bromleyparishchurch.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/History%20and%20Guide%20min_1.pdf
War Memorials Register, accessed 10 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3852
War Memorials Online, accessed 25 September 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/170591

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