St John's Church, Liverpool Central
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St John's Gardens is an open space in
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, England, to the west of St George's Hall. The gardens are part of the
William Brown Street William Brown Street in Liverpool, England, is a road that is remarkable for its concentration of public buildings. It is sometimes referred to as the "Cultural Quarter". Originally known as ''Shaw's Brow'', a coaching road east from the city, ...
conservation area, and comprise one of the two open spaces within Liverpool's
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. It has been a
Green Flag Green Flag Limited is a British roadside assistance and vehicle recovery provider, which is part of the Direct Line Group. Formed in 1971, as the National Breakdown Recovery Club, as an alternative to the AA and RAC, it used a network of ...
site since 2003. The gardens contain ornamental flower beds, and memorials to notable people of the city.


History

The gardens stand in a former area of
heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
land known as The Great Heath, which continued to exist until the middle of the 18th century. As Liverpool grew, the land was built on, and towards the end of the 19th century it had been completely developed. The land sloped upwards to the east of the developing city and was exposed to the winds, making it a suitable site for windmills and for public lines to dry washing. In 1749 the city's first General Infirmary was built on the site, followed by the Seaman's Hospital in 1752, a
dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispense ...
in 1778, and a
lunatic asylum The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...
in 1789. Industry also came to the site; in addition to windmills, there were rope works, potteries, a
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
yard, and a row of
lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called ''quicklime'' (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is: CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2 This reaction can tak ...
s. From 1767 the land towards the top of the slope had been the town cemetery, and in 1784 the St. John's Church, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, was built in the middle of the cemetery. By 1854 the cemetery was full, and the church was demolished in 1898. Meanwhile the other buildings in the area had been demolished, the industries closed, and St George's Hall had been built, opening in 1854. At the beginning of the 20th century it was decided to landscape the former cemetery. The remains of most of the bodies were removed and buried elsewhere. The site was redeveloped and opened in 1904 as "St John's Ornamental and Memorial Gardens". The gardens were designed by the corporation surveyor
Thomas Shelmerdine Thomas Shelmerdine (1845–1921) was an English architect who was appointed to the post of City Surveyor of Liverpool in 1871 at the age of 26. He is the youngest person to have held that post. Shelmerdine was the architect of several buildin ...
. In addition to the creation of flower beds, statues and memorials were erected in the gardens.


Monuments

The gardens contain seven memorial statues, each of which is recorded in the
National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, ...
as a designated 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 ...
. The Rathbone Monument commemorates William Rathbone who died in 1902, although the monument had been made in 1899. It was created by
George Frampton Sir George James Frampton, (18 June 1860 – 21 May 1928) was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combinin ...
, and consists of a bronze robed figure standing on a stone
pedestal A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...
. Its inscription records that Rathbone founded the
district nursing District nurses work manage care within the community and lead teams of community nurses and support workers. In the United Kingdom, the role requires registered nurses to take a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved specialist practitione ...
movement, and the forerunners of the Universities of
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
and
North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
. The Gladstone Monument is to the memory of W. E. Gladstone, a former
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
, who was born in Liverpool and who died in 1898. The monument dates from 1904 and was made by
Thomas Brock Sir Thomas Brock (1 March 184722 August 1922) was an English sculptor and medallist, notable for the creation of several large public sculptures and monuments in Britain and abroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His mo ...
. It consists of a bronze figure of Gladstone holding books and a roll of parchment, standing on a stone pedestal containing carvings of female figures representing Truth and Justice. The Balfour Monument commemorates
Alexander Balfour Alexander Balfour (2 September 1824 – 16 April 1886) was a Scottish people, Scottish merchant and founder of the Liverpool shipping company Balfour Williamson. Early life Balfour was born in Leven, Fife, Leven, Fife, as the eldest of thre ...
, businessman and philanthropist who died in 1886. The monument dates from 1889, was sculpted by
Albert Bruce-Joy Albert Bruce-Joy (21 August 1842 – 22 July 1924) was an Irish sculptor working in England. His original surname was Joy but he became known under his hyphenated name Bruce-Joy later in life. He was the brother of the painter George W. Joy. B ...
, and consists of a bronze figure on a stone pedestal. The Lester Monument is to the memory of Canon Major Thomas Lester who died in 1903, and who founded charities for children in Liverpool. It was made by George Frampton, erected in 1907, and depicts a bronze figure holding a child, standing on a stone pedestal. The Nugent Memorial commemorates James Nugent, a
Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' re ...
who worked with child welfare. The monument is dated 1906, was created by
F. W. Pomeroy Frederick William Pomeroy (9 October 1856 – 26 May 1924) was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works. He became a leading sculptor in the New Sculpture movement, a group distinguished by a stylistic turn towards na ...
, and consists of a bronze figure in the attitude of
blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with doctrines of grace, grace, Sacred, holiness, spiritual Redemption (theology), redemption, or Will of God, divine will. Etymology and Germani ...
, and a ragged boy, both standing on a stone pedestal decorated with a bronze wreath. The Forwood Monument is to the memory of Sir Arthur Forwood, a local businessman and politician, who died in 1898. The monument was erected in 1903, was made by George Frampton and, again, is a bronze figure on a stone pedestal. Also in the gardens is a monument commemorating the service of the
King's Regiment The King's Regiment, officially abbreviated as KINGS, was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on 1 September 1958 by the amalgamation of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) which had been raised in 168 ...
in the
South African 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 ...
. It is dated 1905 and was sculpted by Sir W. Goscombe John. It is in white stone with a bronze wreath, and includes the figure of
Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...
, military objects, standing soldiers, and a drummer boy. Also listed at Grade II are the stone walls and the gate
piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
surrounding the gardens. They date from 1904 and were designed by Thomas Shelmerdine.


Gallery of Monuments in St John's Gardens

File:Alexander Balfour statue, St John's Gardens, Liverpool.JPG, Statue of
Alexander Balfour Alexander Balfour (2 September 1824 – 16 April 1886) was a Scottish people, Scottish merchant and founder of the Liverpool shipping company Balfour Williamson. Early life Balfour was born in Leven, Fife, Leven, Fife, as the eldest of thre ...
, by
Albert Bruce-Joy Albert Bruce-Joy (21 August 1842 – 22 July 1924) was an Irish sculptor working in England. His original surname was Joy but he became known under his hyphenated name Bruce-Joy later in life. He was the brother of the painter George W. Joy. B ...
, plinth designed by
Alfred Waterhouse Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was an English architect, particularly associated with Gothic Revival architecture, although he designed using other architectural styles as well. He is perhaps best known for his designs ...

(1889; Grade II) File:Statue of William Rathbone, St John's Gardens, Liverpool 1.jpg, Statue to William Rathbone, by
George Frampton Sir George James Frampton, (18 June 1860 – 21 May 1928) was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combinin ...

(1899-1900; Grade II) File:Forwood monument, St John's Gardens.jpg, Statue to Arthur Forwood, by
George Frampton Sir George James Frampton, (18 June 1860 – 21 May 1928) was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combinin ...

(1903; Grade II) File:Gladstone statue St John's Gardens Liverpool.jpg, Memorial to
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
, by
Thomas Brock Sir Thomas Brock (1 March 184722 August 1922) was an English sculptor and medallist, notable for the creation of several large public sculptures and monuments in Britain and abroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His mo ...

(1904; Grade II) File:King's Regiment Monument 2019.jpg, Monument to the
King's Regiment The King's Regiment, officially abbreviated as KINGS, was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division. It was formed on 1 September 1958 by the amalgamation of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) which had been raised in 168 ...
, by
Goscombe John Sir William Goscombe John (21 February 1860 – 15 December 1952) was a prolific Welsh sculptor known for his many public memorials. As a sculptor, John developed a distinctive style of his own while respecting classical traditions and forms o ...

(1905; Grade II) File:Wellington's Column.jpg, Front of the Monument to the King's Regiment, by Goscombe John
(1905; Grade II).
Wellington's Column Wellington's Column, or the Waterloo Memorial, is a monument to the Duke of Wellington standing on the corner of William Brown Street and Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for Englan ...
in the background. File:Liverpool Kings Regiment Statue Back.JPG, The back of the Monument to the King's Regiment, by Goscombe John
(1905; Grade II) File:JamesNugent.JPG, Statue to James Nugent, by
F. W. Pomeroy Frederick William Pomeroy (9 October 1856 – 26 May 1924) was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works. He became a leading sculptor in the New Sculpture movement, a group distinguished by a stylistic turn towards na ...

(1905; Grade II) File:St John's Garden.jpg, Side view of the Statue to James Nugent, by
F. W. Pomeroy Frederick William Pomeroy (9 October 1856 – 26 May 1924) was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works. He became a leading sculptor in the New Sculpture movement, a group distinguished by a stylistic turn towards na ...

(1905; Grade II) File:Monument to Major Lester, St John's Gardens, Liverpool - DSC00950.JPG, Statue to Canon Major Thomas Lester, by George Frampton
(1907; Grade II)


See also

*
List of public art in Liverpool The city of Liverpool has a greater number of public sculptures than any other location in the United Kingdom aside from Westminster. Early examples include works by George Frampton, Goscombe John, Thomas Thornycroft, Charles Bell Birch, Richard ...


References


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