The Queen Victoria Memorial in

Lancaster, Lancashire Lancaster (, ) is a city and the county town of Lancashire, England, standing on the River Lune. Its population of 52,234 compares with one of 138,375 in the wider City of Lancaster local government district. The House of Lancaster was a branch ...

, England, is a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. It stands in the centre of Dalton Square, Lancaster facing

Lancaster Town Hall Lancaster Town Hall is a municipal building in Dalton Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The building was commissioned to replace the aging town hall, now the city museum, in Market Square. The n ...

. It was erected in 1906, being commissioned and paid for by

James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton, (31 December 1842 – 27 May 1930) was a British businessman, philanthropist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician. His family's business in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster produced oilcloth an ...

. The monument was designed by Herbert Hampton (1862–1929) a prolific sculptor and stone carver who also designed the exterior of the

Ashton Memorial The Ashton Memorial is a folly in Williamson Park, Lancaster, Lancashire, England built between 1907 and 1909 by the millionaire industrialist Lord Ashton in memory of his second wife, Jessy, at a cost of £87,000 (equivalent to £ in ). Desc ...

in Lancaster

Description

The memorial is of Portland stone with bronze sculpture. A statue of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

stands on a tall pedestal facing South, "looking a little pensively over the square," according to

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...

. The pedestal sits on a tall square plinth with rounded corners accompanied by four bronze lions at the ordinal points. Around the plinth is an unbroken bas relief frieze of bronze. At the corners, facing ordinal points, are four figurative sculptures, each depicting an allegory of Freedom (northeast), Truth (southeast), Wisdom (southwest) and Justice (northwest). On the four cardinal faces are near life size likenesses of fifty three prominent British figures from the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

. Of the fifty three persons depicted upon the plinth of the Queen Victoria Monument only two are women:

George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...

and

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, i ...

. Five of those depicted were born in Lancaster or the surrounding area: William Turner,

Edward Frankland Sir Edward Frankland, (18 January 18259 August 1899) was an English chemist. He was one of the originators of organometallic chemistry and introduced the concept of combining power or valence. An expert in water quality and analysis, he was ...

, Richard Owen,

William Whewell William Whewell ( ; 24 May 17946 March 1866) was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. In his time as a student there, he achieved ...

. At the time of construction, of the people featured on the monument, six were still alive: William Turner,

Luke Fildes __NOTOC__ Sir Samuel Luke Fildes (3 October 1843 – 28 February 1927) was a British painter and illustrator born in Liverpool and trained at the South Kensington and Royal Academy Schools. He was the grandson of the political activist Mar ...

Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of su ...

William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, Mathematical physics, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy (Glasgow), Professor of Natural Philoso ...

and

himself, the author of the monument. Amongst the people of Lancaster, the monument is also known as "King Victoria", because of the shape of the silhouette against the Western sky at dusk.

Gallery

Image:Queen Victoria Memorial Lancaster Freedom NE Corner.JPG, Allegory of "freedom" depicted on the NE corner Image:Queen Victoria Memorial Lancaster Wisdom SW Corner.JPG, Allegory of "wisdom" depicted on the SW corner Image:Queen Victoria Memorial Lancaster Truth SE Corner.JPG, Allegory of "truth" depicted on the SE corner File:Lancaster Justice 6839.JPG, Allegory of "justice" depicted on the NW corner

East Frieze

The

frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

on the east face of the monument depicts thirteen prominent Victorians from the fields of arts and culture. They are, from left to right: *"Irving" is Sir

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

(real name John Henry Brodribb) (1838–1905) Actor *"Tennyson" is Alfred, Lord Tennyson, first Baron Tennyson (1809–1892) Poet *"Sullivan" is

Sir Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

(1842–1900) Composer and conductor *"Leighton" is

Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and classical subjec ...

(1830–1896) Painter *"Turner" is Joseph Mallord William J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) Painter *"Prince Consort" ~ Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861) Prince consort, consort of Queen Victoria *"Ruskin" is

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and pol ...

(1819–1900) Art critic and social critic *"Millais" ~ Sir

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest ...

, first baronet (1829–1896) Painter *"Watts" is

George Frederic Watts George Frederic Watts (23 February 1817, in London – 1 July 1904) was a British painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. He said "I paint ideas, not things." Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical work ...

(1817–1904) Painter and sculptor *"Fildes" is Sir (Samuel)

(1843–1927) Illustrator and painter *"Barry" is

Edward Middleton Barry Edward Middleton Barry RA (7 June 1830 – 27 January 1880) was an English architect of the 19th century. Biography Edward Barry was the third son of Sir Charles Barry, born in his father's house, 27 Foley Place, London. In infancy he was ...

(1830–1880) Architect *"Thornycroft" is

Thomas Thornycroft Thomas Thornycroft (19 May 1815 – 30 August 1885) was an English sculptor and engineer. Biography Thornycroft was born at Great Tidnock, near Gawsworth, Cheshire, the eldest son of John Thornycroft, a farmer. He was educated at Congleton ...

(1815–1885) Sculptor *"Stevens" is Alfred Stevens (1817–1875) Sculptor and designer

South Frieze

The frieze on the south face of the monument depicts twelve Victorian politicians and statesmen. They are, from left to right: *"Derby" is

Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, (29 March 1799 – 23 October 1869, known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley) was a British statesman, three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ...

(1799–1869) Prime minister *"Aberdeen" is George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784–1860) Prime minister *"Russell" is

John Russell, 1st Earl Russell John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, (18 August 1792 – 28 May 1878), known by his courtesy title Lord John Russell before 1861, was a British Whig and Liberal statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1852 and a ...

John Russell, first Earl Russell (1792–1878) Prime minister and author *"Peel" is

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...

(1788–1850) Prime minister *"Salisbury" is

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a ...

(1830–1903) Prime minister *"Beaconsfield" is

Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

(1804–1881) Prime minister and novelist *"Gladstone" is

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

(1809–1898) Prime minister and author *"Palmerston" is

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865) was a British statesman who was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Palmerston dominated British foreign policy during the period ...

(1784–1865) Prime minister *"Rosebery" is

Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death o ...

(1847–1929) Prime Minister *"Melbourne" is

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, (15 March 177924 November 1848), in some sources called Henry William Lamb, was a British Whig politician who served as Home Secretary (1830–1834) and Prime Minister (1834 and 1835–1841). His first prem ...

(1779–1848) Prime minister *"Bright" is

John Bright John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn La ...

(1811–1889) Politician *"Cobden" is

Richard Cobden Richard Cobden (3 June 1804 – 2 April 1865) was an English Radical and Liberal politician, manufacturer, and a campaigner for free trade and peace. He was associated with the Anti-Corn Law League and the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty. As a you ...

(1804–1865) Manufacturer and politician

West Frieze

The frieze on the west face of the monument depicts fourteen Victorian scientists and writers. They are, from left to right: *"Turner sir W" is Sir William Turner(1832–1916) Anatomist and university administrator *"Lister" is

(1827–1912) Surgeon and founder of a system of antiseptic surgery *"Frankland" is Sir

(1825–1899) Chemist *"Owen" is Sir Richard Owen (1804–1892) Comparative anatomist and palaeontologist *"Macaulay" is

Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1 ...

(1800–1859) Historian, essayist, and poet *"Darwin" is

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

(1809–1882) Naturalist, geologist, and originator of the theory of natural selection *"Dickens" is

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

(1812–1870) Novelist *"Carlyle" is

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

(1795–1881) Author, biographer, and historian *"George Eliot" is

(pseudonym) Marian Evans (pseudonym) (1819–1880) Novelist *"Thackeray" is

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel ''Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...

(1811–1863) Novelist *"Geo Stephenson" is

George Stephenson George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was a British civil engineer and mechanical engineer. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians In the history of the United Kingdom and the ...

(1781–1848) Civil engineer *"Wheatstone" is Sir

Charles Wheatstone Sir Charles Wheatstone FRS FRSE DCL LLD (6 February 1802 – 19 October 1875), was an English scientist and inventor of many scientific breakthroughs of the Victorian era, including the English concertina, the stereoscope (a device for di ...

(1802–1875) Developer of telegraphy *"Kelvin" is

(1824–1907) Mathematician and physicist *"Faraday" is

Michael Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic inducti ...

(1791–1867) Scientist and natural philosopher

North Frieze

The North frieze depicts prominent people of Victorian times from a variety of fields, a "mixed bag of Worthies"

. They are, from left to right: *"Pitman" is Sir

Isaac Pitman Sir Isaac Pitman (4 January 1813 – 22 January 1897) was a teacher of the :English language who developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in ''Stenographic Soundhand'' in 183 ...

(1813–1897) Deviser of shorthand writing *"Whewell" is

(1794–1866) Writer on the history and philosophy of science *"Florence Nightingale" is

(1820–1910) Reformer of Army Medical Services and of nursing organisation *"Franklin" is Sir

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...

(1786–1847) Naval officer and Arctic explorer *"Gordon" is

Charles George Gordon Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in ...

(1833–1885) Army officer *"Livingstone" is

David Livingstone David Livingstone (; 19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of t ...

(1813–1873) Explorer and missionary *"Bishop Fraser" is James Fraser (1818–1885) Reforming Anglican Bishop of Manchester *"Kingsley" is Henry Kingsley (1830–1876) Novelist and essayist *"Booth" is

William Booth William Booth (10 April 182920 August 1912) was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first " General" (1878–1912). His 1890 book In Darkest England and The Way Out o ...

(1829–1912), Founder of the Salvation Army *"Shaftesbury" is

Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (28 April 1801 – 1 October 1885), styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was a British Tory politician, philanthropist, and social reformer. He was the eldest son of The 6th Earl of Shaftesbury ...

(1801–1885) Philanthropist and politician *"Russell of Killowen" is

Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen Charles Arthur Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen, (10 November 1832 – 10 August 1900) was an Irish statesman of the 19th century, and Lord Chief Justice of England. He was the first Roman Catholic to serve as Lord Chief Justice since the Re ...

(1832–1900), Judge *"Brougham" is Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1795–1886) Law *"Rowland Hill" is Sir

Rowland Hill Sir Rowland Hill, KCB, FRS (3 December 1795 – 27 August 1879) was an English teacher, inventor and social reformer. He campaigned for a comprehensive reform of the postal system, based on the concept of Uniform Penny Post and his soluti ...

(1795–1879) Postal reformer and civil servant *"James Williamson" is

(1842–1930), Linoleum manufacturer and politician

Recent history

The memorial was given its Grade II*

status in 1970. In 2012, English Heritage (now

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...

) declared the monument to be at risk due to its deteriorating condition. "The bronze is corroding (green patina).The stonework suffers from staining and the monument is often subject to graffiti" and it was placed on the "Heritage at Risk" register of that year. In 2014, Lancaster City Council announced its wish to see some restoration to the monument, if suitable funds could be raised publicly or privately.

References

{{commons category, Victoria Monument, Lancaster Monuments and memorials in Lancashire Grade II listed buildings in Lancashire Grade II listed monuments and memorials Buildings and structures in Lancaster, Lancashire Tourist attractions in Lancaster, Lancashire Buildings and structures completed in 1906 1906 establishments in England Lancaster Vandalized works of art in the United Kingdom