The Fusilier Museum is a museum in

Bury, Greater Manchester Bury ( ) is a market town on the River Irwell in Greater Manchester, England. Metropolitan Borough of Bury is administered from the town, which had an estimated population of 78,723 in 2015. The town is within the historic county boundarie ...

, England. Its collection includes the uniforms, medal and artefacts of the

Lancashire Fusiliers The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...

History

The Fusilier Museum was originally housed in the Wellington Barracks on Bolton Road. In 2009, the museum moved into the former Bury Arts and Crafts Centre building on Broad Street, which had closed in December 2004 after 110 years on the site. The new museum was officially opened by the Duke of Kent on 25 September 2009. The

Regiment ceased to exist in 1968 after it was amalgamated into the

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (often referred to as the Royal Fusiliers or, simply, the Fusiliers) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division. Currently, the regiment has two battalions: the 1st battalion, part of ...

along with three other Regiments. Thus the museum is part of a family of other Fusilier museums: the

Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland The Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland, formerly the Northumberland Fusiliers Museum, is a museum located within the Abbot's Tower of Alnwick Castle in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. History The museum was first established at Fenham Barra ...

in Alnwick Castle, the

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire) The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire) is situated on the first floor of St John's House in Warwick, England. History The trustees of the museum joined forces with Warwickshire County Council to acquire the building in 196 ...

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

and the

Fusiliers Museum (London) The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wa ...

at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

Architecture

The building was originally designed as a Technical School for Bury Borough Council by local architect

Joshua Cartwright Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

in the

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

style, and completed in 1893. It was built on land acquired from Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby. The frontage bears the inscription "Technical School" and is decorated with a frieze of five panels, each containing five sculpted

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

figures representing the crafts and skills that were taught at the school, including mathematics, science, engineering, printing, pottery, literature and music. The figures were sculpted by John Jarvis Millson and J.R. Whittick. In the 1940s, the Technical School was reorganised as the School of Arts and Crafts, and later the Arts and Crafts Centre. It is now a Grade II listed building.

Collection

The museum houses the collection of the Lancashire Fusiliers, commemorating over three hundred years of the regiment's history. Beside the museum stands the Gallipoli Garden and the Grade II*-listed

Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial The Lancashire Fusiliers War Memorial is a First World War memorial dedicated to members of the Lancashire Fusiliers killed in that conflict. Outside the Fusilier Museum in Bury, Greater Manchester, in North West England, it was unveiled in 192 ...

Victoria Crosses held by the museum

The museum holds the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

es awarded to the following members of the regiment: *Sergeant

Harold John Colley Harold John Colley VC MM (26 May 1895Birth Certificate at Birmingham Register Office – 25 August 1918) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can b ...

, 10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

) *Lance Sergeant William Kenealy, 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (First World War) *Private John Lynn, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (First World War) *Second Lieutenant John Schofield, 5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (First World War) *Sergeant

Frank Edward Stubbs Frank Edward Stubbs (12 March 1888 – 25 April 1915) was an England, English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to United Kingdom, British and Comm ...

, 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (First World War)

Gallery

File:Lancashire Fusiliers Memorial.jpg, Lancashire Fusiliers Memorial File:Private Andrew Robb Fusiliers Museum 2016.jpg, Pte Andrew Robb of the XXth Foot File:Fusilier Museum First World War.jpg, Part of WW1 display File:Private Arthur Jefferson VC Fusilier.jpg, Part of WW2 Display: Arthur Jefferson, VC

References

External links

Fusilier Museum website
{{Buildings and structures in Bury Buildings and structures in Bury, Greater Manchester Museums in Greater Manchester Regimental museums in England Grade II listed buildings in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury Royal Regiment of Fusiliers