Newlyn war memorial

Summary

A First World War memorial, dating from 1920, by Sir Edward Warren, FRIBA, with a relief sculpture by Leonard Stanford Merrifield; altered by the addition of names of the Fallen of the Second World War after 1945, and further to commemorate a serviceman lost in the Korean War.

Reasons for Designation

Newlyn War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest
* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20;

Architectural interest
* For its design, a well-executed stone cross, by a known architect;
* For the artistic interest of the sculpted figural panel of returning service personnel by Leonard Stanley Merrifield.

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 750,000 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 Newlyn 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 in a well-attended ceremony of dedication on 23 July 1920 by Cornish writer and literary critic Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Constructed by the builders WH Snell and Sons, it was designed by architect (Sir) Edward Prioleau Warren (1856-1937), who worked across the country, and had previously designed the Fishermen’s Institute in Newlyn (1911), outside which the memorial was set up, in a prominent position. During the First World War, Warren had been seconded to the Serbian Army, and designed the War Cemetery in Basra, Iraq. Newlyn War Memorial includes a powerfully-modelled sculpted bronze panel depicting men of the various units of the Army and Navy in which Newlyn men had served, by Leonard Stanford Merrifield (1880-1943). Merrifield, born in Wyck Rissington, Gloucestershire, trained at Cheltenham School of Art and later the Royal Academy Schools. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculpture in 1926. He is known for his portrait sculptures, figural groups, and war memorials.

After the Second World War, the names of the men of the parish who died in that conflict were added to the memorial, and a further inscription was added to commemorate a serviceman lost in the Korean War.

Details

A First World War memorial, dating from 1920, by Sir Edward Warren, FRIBA, with a relief sculpture by Leonard Stanford Merrifield; altered by the addition of names of the Fallen of the Second World War after 1945, and further to commemorate a serviceman lost in the Korean War.

MATERIALS
The memorial is constructed from granite, with polyphant stone inscription panels, and a bronze sculptural plaque.

DESCRIPTION
The memorial is approximately 6.4m high. It takes the form of a small wheel cross on an octagonal shaft; immediately below the cross is a cartouche with the borough arms to the front face, and a laurel wreath around the inscription PRO PATRIA to the reverse. The stocky shaft has a splayed foot which stands on a large pedestal with moulded cap, with carved inscription panels to three sides reasing - side one: IN MEMORY OF/ THOSE BRAVE MEN OF/ NEWLYN WHO DIED FOR/ OUR COUNTRY AND OF/ ALL OTHERS WHO FELL/ OR SERVED IN THE SAME/ CAUSE IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914 - 1918 1939 – 1945; sides two and three: inscribed with the names of those who lost their lives (131). The fourth side has a bronze relief sculpture, deeply modelled, showing members of the various units in which the men of the community served, by L S Merrifield. The pedestal stands on a two-stepped, octagonal platform with low pylons of octagonal section with shaped tops at each angle.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES
The platform and a short, paved and planted approach are tightly enclosed by metal railings and gates.

Listing NGR: SW4630528947

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 25 July 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/9354
War Memorials Online, accessed 22 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/143997

Other
Newlyn War Memorial, in The Cornishman, week ending 28 July 1920

End of official list entry

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