Joseph Sturge Memorial
The Joseph Sturge Memorial is a memorial with a statue dedicated to the English Quaker and abolitionist Joseph Sturge (1793-1859). The statue was unveiled in the presence of a crowd of 12,000 on June 4, 1862 at the "Five Ways" in Birmingham , not far from Sturge's former home. The monument has been listed as a Grade II monument since June 8, 1982 .
The monument - on the border between Birmingham and Edgbaston - was created by the sculptor John Thomas . Sir Charles Barry had hired Thomas as a stone and wood sculptor for work at the former "King Edward's Grammar School" at the Five Ways. Thomas died before the £ 1000 monument was completed. Around 1975 the statue's left hand fell off.
The statue shows Sturge in a teacher pose, his right hand resting on a Bible to highlight his strong Christian faith. He wears a skirt without a turn-up, as preferred by contemporary Quakers. At the lower part of the plinth he is accompanied by two female allegorical figures: one represents peace and holds a dove and an olive branch, with a lamp at her feet she is a symbol of innocence. The other figure symbolizes mercy and offers two Afro-Caribbean infants security and support, it is the memory of the struggle for and the victory over slavery . The crown of the base is inscribed with the words “Charity, Temperance and Peace”. The word "Temperance" is written on a gadronized bowl over which drinking water is distributed. The base of the Sturges statue bears his name and the date of his death. The preserved original figures and the base are made of Portland stone .
In 1925 the monument was moved a few meters to its current position and given a bronze plaque. The following inscription can be read on the board:
"HE LABORED TO BRING FREEDOM TO THE NEGRO SLAVE THE VOTE TO BRITISH WORKMEN AND THE PROMISE OF PEACE TO A WAR-WORN WORLD"
German equivalent:
"HE WORKED FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE NEGER SLAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE OF BRITISH WORKERS AND THE PROMISE OF PEACE FOR A WORLD TROUBLED BY WAR"
From 2006 to 2007, the memorial was restored to mark the 200th anniversary of the Slave Trade Acts of 1807 on behalf of the Birmingham Civic Society , Birmingham City Council , and the Sturge Family. The restoration included, among other things, an addition to the missing hand.
On March 24, 2007, the city held a city procession to formally rededicate the statue. Councilor Mike Sharpe, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, unveiled a new notice board with details about Sturge's life. On the same day, a blue plaque was unveiled at Sturge's residence on Wheeleys Road, Edgbaston .
Birmingham City Council is responsible for the statue.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Joseph Sturge . Birmingham City Council . Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ↑ a b c 1076324 . In: The National Heritage List for England . English Heritage . Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Joseph Sturge (1793-1859) . In: National Recording Project . Public Monuments and Sculpture Association . Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ↑ The source speaks of "right hand", but the pictures clearly show that the left hand was missing; the right hand rests on the Bible.
- ↑ Blue plaque unveiling
Coordinates: 52 ° 28 '20 " N , 1 ° 55' 9.3" W.