The Royal Sussex Regiment Memorial, also known as ''The Bugler'' and the South African War Memorial, is a war memorial on Regency Square in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, on the south coast of England. It commemorates casualties of the

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foo ...

in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

and other campaigns at the end of the 19th century.

Design

The memorial stands at the southern end of Regency Square, an upmarket housing development to the west of the centre of Brighton. It consists of a statue of a soldier from the

on a substantial plinth and faces the sea. The soldier is playing the bugle, an allusion to a real event at the

Battle of Doornkop The Battle of Doornkop was fought during Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Lord Roberts' advance on Pretoria in May and June 1900. Background Following his victory against the Boers at the Battle of Paardeberg, Roberts moved to take the capi ...

, a major event in the

. The figure was modelled on a real sergeant from the regiment. The plinth is decorated laurel wreaths and bears the dedicatory inscription: "In memory of the officer, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Royal Sussex Regiment who fell in South Africa 1900–1902". The names and dates of other battles and campaigns are inscribed around the bottom of the plinth: Louisbourg/Quebec 1759, Maida/Egypt 1882, Nile 1884–5, Abu Klea. The dates of the two world wars were added following those conflicts.Seddon, Seddon, & McIntosh, p. 24. The plinth is rectangular in plan and tapers towards the top, where the four corners are marked by artillery shells. Bronze plaques contain lists of names.

History

The monument was erected to the memory of the Royal Sussex's casualties in the Second Boer War but includes dedications to other conflicts from around the turn of the 20th century. The memorial was designed by the local architect

John William Simpson Sir John William Simpson KBE FRIBA (9 August 1858 – 30 March 1933) was a British architect and President of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1919 to 1921. Background and early life Simpson was the eldest son of the Brig ...

and the statue was sculpted by

Charles Leonard Hartwell Charles Leonard Hartwell (1 August 1873 – 12 January 1951) was an English sculptor in bronze and marble. Life Hartwell was born in Blackheath, London, in 1873. He attended the City and Guilds School in Kennington and won a silver medal for s ...

, whose signature is on the base. The contractors were B&W Bennett of Lewes Road, Brighton. The memorial was unveiled by

William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny (16 September 1826 – 12 December 1915), styled Viscount Neville between 1845 and 1868 and known as The Earl of Abergavenny between 1868 and 1876, was a British peer. Background and education He was ...

, the

Lord Lieutenant of Sussex This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Sussex. From 1677 until 1974, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Sussex. Lord Lieutenants of Sussex to 1974 *Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel 1551–? ''jointly with'' ...

, on 29 October 1904. Regency Square was filled with soldiers for the ceremony, to the extent that the ''

Brighton Herald The ''Brighton Herald'' (renamed ''The Brighton Herald & Hove Chronicle'' in 1902 and the ''Brighton & Hove Herald'' in 1922) was a weekly newspaper covering the boroughs of Brighton and Hove in southeast England. Founded in 1806 as the first news ...

'' described it as being "under military occupation".Antram & Morrice, p. 24. The memorial cost £1,400 of which £803 was contributed from the regiment's funds; the remainder was raised by public subscription. It is maintained by

Brighton and Hove City Council Brighton and Hove City Council is the local authority for Brighton and Hove, a local government district with city status in the ceremonial county of East Sussex, England. The council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also per ...

. Since 1952, it has been a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

; listed building status provides legal protection from unauthorised demolition or modification and is applied to structures of historical and architectural importance.

References

Bibliography

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Citations

{{Reflist Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove Statues in England Monuments and memorials in East Sussex 1904 establishments in England 1904 sculptures English military memorials and cemeteries Grade II listed monuments and memorials War memorials in the United Kingdom Military history of East Sussex Bronze sculptures in England Outdoor sculptures in Brighton and Hove

Design

History

See also

References

Bibliography

Citations