Memorial

Peace column South Africa 1899-1902 Saltwell Park

Gateshead

Memorial Name: Peace column South Africa 1899-1902 Saltwell Park (G39.017)

NEWMP Ref No.: G39.017

Parish: Gateshead

Original Location:

Saltwell Park

Which War:

South Africa 1899-1902

Dedication, Creation or Publication date:

Unveiled 11th November 1905 by General Sir John French, K.C.B. at 3.30p.m.

Materials Used:

Bronze statue, granite base, freestone steps.

Sculptor, Artist or Designer:

Mr. Francis W. Doyle-Jones, Sculptor of West Hartlepool and Chelsea.

Inscription:

South African War
1899-1902
In grateful remembrance of the
Gateshead men who lost their
lives in their Country’s Service.
This memorial was
erected by their Fellow
Townsmen, October 1905

How sleep the brave who sink to rest,
by all their Country’s wishes blest,
By fairy hands their knell is rung,
by forms unseen their dirge is sung
(Collins, Lines in 1746).

Memorial Description:

Statue of “Peace”, total height 26 feet (7.9m), with arms raised to hold aloft a laurel wreath and wings outstretched, poised on a square, tapered granite pedestal.

At the top of each side of the pedestal is a carved rounded shield joined to one another on all sides by swags.

The dedication is incised on the front of the pedestal and the names are on the sides.

The whole stands on a base of freestone steps with raised flowerbeds round the base.

Names:

77 names, ranks and regiments.
See transcript.

Notes:

1. W.B.S. Leathart, whose name also appears on the monument at Low Fell, was the son of James Leathart of Brackendene House, Low Fell, who was a patron of the Pre-Raphaelites. (Len Dent)

2. One description of this says that the statue of “Peace” is life-sized. Presumably, they mean “human” size.

3. Gateshead sent 900 men to fight, Reservists and volunteers. Their wives and dependants were cared for by the Gateshead Branch of the Northumberland and Tyneside Reservists Fund, which spent £14,387, all of which was raised by voluntary subscription.

4. Gateshead Borough initiated the movement which resulted in the Government giving pensions to widows and orphans of those who fell or died from wounds.

External Links:

Historic England Listing

Sources:

Photos: C. Sanders; Ron Carson; Len Dent; Dorothy Hall; old postcards; John S. Perry; Tony Harding

Newcastle Daily Leader
05/09/1901 reports proposal to erect a monument and “Gateshead Council did not move with such celerity that there was any likelihood of a monument being finished before the war really ended”;
13/11/1905 reports the unveiling ceremony

4th Royal Warwickshire Regiment For remembrance and in honour of those who lost their lives in the South African War 1899-1902. James Gildea, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1911.

Newcastle Central Library
Photo c1910

A Guide to the Public Monuments and Sculpture of Tyne and Wear (Ayris, Jubb, Palmer, Usherwood, Specialist Conservation Team Publication, 1996).

Source of quotation
“How sleep the brave who sink to rest . . .” Ode written in the year 1746 William Collins.

Additional Research Documents

G39.017 Unveiling Programme 1905

Download
Research Acknowledgements:

P. Thirkell;
Ethel and Neville Armstrong, Whickham and District L.H.S.;
Mrs. Nan Smith;
Fitzhugh Collection, Middleton in Teesdale;
C. Sanders;
Ron Carson;
Errol Broomfield;
Len Dent;
John S. Perry;
Tony Harding

Research In Progress:

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk

Provide Details

If you know more about this memorial, please send the details to NEWMP.

Names Documents:

GATESHEAD Saltwell Park

  

                                           Gordon Highlanders      

                                           Private R. Hall    

                                           “  “    H. Skae   

                                           ——  

        South African War                  Durham Light Infantry   

              1899-1902                    Corporal S. Nicholson    

                                           Private J. Arkless     

                                           “  “    T. Bradley        

    In grateful remembrance of the         “  “    J. Connor    

    Gateshead men who lost their           “  “    J. Callaghan    

    lives in their Country’s Service.      “  “    E. Dixon (Vol.Coy)    

    This memorial was                      “  “    F. Duffy                             

    erected by their Fellow                “  “    A. Farren    

    Townsmen, October 1905                 “  “    J. Forrest    

                                           “  “    J. Finneran    

                                           “  “    E. Harwood    

                                           “  “    S. Jones (Vol.Coy)  

                                           “  “    W. Mason             

      ——                               “  “    T. Marley      

                                           “  “    G. McGlone          

    How sleep the brave who sink to rest,  “  “    J. Monoghan   

    By all their Country’s wishes blest,   “  “    G. Morris   

    By fairy hands their knell is rung,    “  “    G. Plotnicki    

    By forms unseen their dirge is sung.   “  “    T. Ryan     

           Collins, Lines in 1746.         “  “    R. Rigg    

                                           “  “    P. Scullion         

                                           “  “    H. Sellers      

                                           “  “    R.H. Whitfield (Vol.Coy)

                                           “  “    G. Woodcock   

                                           Bugler  K. Cumming

                                           ——                

                                           Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders   

                                           Private P. Cailey  

                                                ——          

                                            Lothians and Berwickshire

                                           Yeomanry   

                                           Lieut.  W.G. Angus            

           

————————————————–

    7th Dragoon Guards                     Royal Engineers     

    Private H. Senior                      Private J.R. Cowan

         ——                            Sapper  P. Hoay

    10th Royal Hussars                           ——            

    Private T.W. Hornsey                   Coldstream Guards       

    “  “    H. Watson                      Private A. Moad

         ——                                 ——

    12th Royal Lancers                     King’s Own Scottish Borderers      

    Corporal A. Yeats                      Private – Huggins

         ——                            “  “    J. Thew  

    Imperial Yeomanry                           ——               

    Quarter Master Sergt. J.F.Murray       King’s Own Royal Lancasters

    Sergeant W. Crone                      Private A.H. Spurgeon

    “  “    J. Middlemiss                       ——

    Lance Corporal J.J. Nugent             Northumberland Fusiliers

    “  “    A.W.C. Williamson              Corporal H. Sinclair       

    Corporal J. White                      Private J. Campbell  

    Trooper  A. Bell                       “  “    T. Coulson

    “  “    A. Dodd                        “  “    R. Cullen  

    “  “    F. English                     “  “    B. Hodson             

    “  “    T. Hope                        “  “    W. Johnson     

    “  “    W.B.S. Leathart                “  “    J. Loan    

    “  “    H. Sturgeon                    “  “    H. McCarrick       

    “  “    C. Taaffe                      “  “    E. Neilson    

    “  “    A. Thompson                    “  “    F.W. Pitcher (Vol.Coy)

    “  “    J. Waugh                       “  “    M. Redhead   

         ——                            “  “    J. Steel  

    General Brabant’s Light Horse          “  “    W.J. Wakefield

    Trooper  W.L.P. Smith                  “  “    E. Wakefield   

                                           “  “    H. Waugh  

                                                ——

         ——                            Prince of Wales Own (West)

    Border Horse                           Yorkshire Regiment      

    Trooper  J. O’Shaughnessy              Lance Corporal T. Dodd  

         ——                                 ——

    Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts            King’s Own Yorkshire

    Private  T. Hall                       Light Infantry

         ——                            Private J. Richardson

    Royal Field Artillery                       ——

    Gunner   J. McKinnon                   Imperial Light Infantry   

    “  “     J. Sheridan (Vol.Coy)         Private C.F. Snaith      

NamesG39.17    

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