Monument to Arabella, Duchess of Dorset
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | B2110 Withyham Road |
| Town: | Withyham |
| Parish: | Withyham |
| Council: | Wealden District Council |
| County: | East Sussex |
| Postcode: | TN7 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Inside building |
| and in: | Religious |
| Access is: | Private |
| Location note: | The Sackville Chapel, north east corner of the Parish Church of St. Michael and All Angels |
| In the AZ book: | East Sussex |
| Page: | 13 |
| Grid reference: | M8 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
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Makers
| Name : | Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey |
| Role: | Sculptor |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | Lady Mary Sackville, Countess of Plymouth and Lady Elizabeth Sackville, Countess De La Warr. |
| Construction period: | 1825 |
| Installation date: | 1825 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Earl De La Warr |
| Description: | Set against a dark grey marble background is a sculptural relief under a canopied top depicting the kneeling and weeping figures of the two daughters of Arabella, Duchess of Dorset. They support themselves with their left arms against a draped urn. |
| Signatures: | Signature to eastern side of monument, carved letters:
CHANTREY. SC. |
| Inscription: | TO THE MEMORY OF ARABELLA DIANA DUCHESS OF DORSET, THE HOURS OF HER LAST ILLNESS WERE FEW AND HER DEATH SUDDEN, BUT HER SORROWING DAUGHTERS HAD THE CONSOLATION OF KNOWING THAT SHE WAS NOT UNPREPARED TO MEET IT, FOR IN HER WAS ALL THE PIETY OF A CHRISTIAN EXTENSIVE CHARITY TO THE INDIGENT AND CONSTANCY IN EXERCISING THE DUTIES WHICH ADORN AND RENDER HAPPY DOMESTIC LIFE. SHE DIED AUGUST 1ST. 1825 IN THE 58TH. YEAR OF HER AGE. |
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Classification
| Categories: | Sculptural, Funerary, Commemorative |
| Object type1: | Sculpture |
| Object type2: | Relief |
| Subject type1: | Figurative |
| Subject type2: | Portrait |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Whole monument |
| Material: | White and dark grey marble |
| Height (cm): | 285 |
| Width (cm): | 160 |
| Depth (cm): | 36 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 22/02/2008 |
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History
| History: | Arabella Diana Cope (1768 -1 August 1825) was the daughter of Sir Charles Cope and Catherine Bisshopp. She was the widow of John Frederick Cranfield Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset (25 March 1745 – 19 July 1799) and later married Lord Whitworth. Her two daughters, who commissioned the monument, were Lady Mary Sackville, Countess of Plymouth (30 Jul 1792 - 20 Jul 1864) and Lady Elizabeth Sackville-West, Countess De La Warr (11 September 1795 - 9 January 1870).
The Sackville Chapel was added to the church by Richard Sackville 5th Earl of Dorset (16 September 1622 – 27 August 1677). On 16 June 1663, the whole church was largely destroyed after a lightning strike. The heat generated was so great that even the bells melted. The original Sackville monuments were completely destroyed. The church was rebuilt but did not reopen until 1672 and the rebuilding of the Sackville Chapel was not completed for another eight years. The chapel is unusual in that it does not come under the jurisdiction of the Bishop but is privately owned by the 11th Earl De La Warr, who is patron of the church. The church was given a Grade I listing because of the monuments. (Source: ‘The Sackville Chapel’) This entry is included in the database with kind permission and support from Countess De La Warr. |
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References
| Source 1 : | |
| Title: | 'The Sackville Chapel' |
| Type: | Book |
| Author: | Countess De La Warr, & Innes-Smith, Robert. |
| Publisher: | English Life Publications Ltd. Derby. |
| Source 2 : | |
| Title: | 'Historical Notices of the Parish of Withyham in the County of Sussex, With a Description of the Church and Sackville Chapel' |
| Type: | Book |
| Author: | Sackville-West, Reginald Windsor. |
| Page: | 58-100 |
| Publisher: | John Russell Smith. London. |
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Photographs
Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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