Paisley War Memorial, also known as Paisley Cenotaph, is a
war memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
in at the centre of
Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. It was unveiled in 1924, became a Category B
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 ...
in 1980, and was upgraded to Category A in 1997.
The memorial was commissioned after the First World War, following an open competition which attracted 195 entries. A public subscription raised funding of £14,000 to build the memorial.
It comprises a bronze equestrian sculptural group on a high rectangular stone plinth. The plinth rises on four steps from a stone platform with a retaining wall on three sides, open to the west. The structure was designed by the architect Sir
Robert Lorimer
Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, KBE (4 November 1864 – 13 September 1929) was a prolific Scottish architect and furniture designer noted for his sensitive restorations of historic houses and castles, for new work in Scots Baronial and Got ...
, and constructed by Neil McLeod & Sons Limited with stone carving by Allen & Sons, using about 200 tons of grey granite imported from
Shap Fell in Cumbria.
The bronze sculpture group stop the plinth, about high and weighing about 4.5 tons, was designed by
Alice Meredith Williams
Gertrude Alice Meredith Williams (1877 – 3 March 1934), who generally went by the name of Alice Meredith Williams, was a British sculptor, painter, illustrator and stained glass designer.
Biography
Williams was born in Liverpool, the ninth o ...
and cast by
JW Singer & Sons. Williams had given her competition entry the title "The Spirit of the Crusaders": a model created for the competition is held by the
National Museum of Wales
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
in Cardiff. It depicts a medieval knight in armour mounted on a horse, accompanied by four infantry soldiers in First World War battledress, with muddy boots, greatcoats, and helmets. The knight carries a shield and pennant bearing the
St Andrew's saltire for Scotland.
The arms of the burgh of Paisley, of
St Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...
, and of
St George, are carved into the front (south) and rear (north) faces of the plinth, and bronze plaques are mounted on the east and west faces. Towards the bottom of the south face of the plinth, the stone bears an inscription which reads "TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY/ OF THE 1,953 MEN OF PAISLEY/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES ON LAND/ AND SEA IN THE GREAT WAR". After the Second World War, a further inscription as added "AND IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE/ MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS BURGH WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939-1945".
The memorial was unveiled on 27 July 1924, before a crowd of 20,000 people, by Mrs Macnab, a widow who lost three sons in the Great War. Prayers were led by Rev. Dr A M MacLean, of
Paisley Abbey, accompanied by the Provost Glover and the former Provost John Robertson who was chairman of the War Memorial Committee.
After this memorial, Williams collaborated with Lorimer on sculptures for the
Scottish National War Memorial
The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and commemorates Scottish service personnel and civilians, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Its chief archit ...
in Edinburgh.
File:Paisley War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 411180.jpg, West and south faces
File:War memorial, Paisley - geograph.org.uk - 43211.jpg, Memorial from the south
File:Paisley War Memorial (geograph 4665151).jpg, Detail of the sculptural group
References
Paisley, The Cross, War Memorial Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland
Paisley Cenotaph paisley.org.uk
Paisley War Memorials Online
Paisley War Memorials Register, Imperial War Museums
Unveiling of Paisley War Memorial British Film Institute
roll-of-honour.com
Paisley Cenotaph ArtUK
The Victorian Web
''Spirit of the Crusades'' museum.wales
The art of remembering: The WWI memorials of Morris & Alice Meredith Williams thehistorypress.co.uk
{{coord, 55.84562, -4.42403, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
1924 establishments in Scotland
Buildings and structures completed in 1924
Category A listed buildings in Renfrewshire
World War I memorials in Scotland
World War II memorials in Scotland
Listed monuments and memorials in Scotland