Object Details

Monument to John Woollett

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Location
Makers
General Information
Classification
Object Parts
Object Condition
History
References
Photographs


Author: Anthony McIntosh
Copyright for Photograph:

Creative Commons

Location

Street:Church Square
Town:Rye
Parish:Rye
Council:Rother District Council
County:East Sussex
Postcode:TN31 7HF
Location on Google Map
Object setting:Inside building
and in:Religious
Access is:Public
Location note:Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, affixed to the wall of the north transept
In the AZ book:East Sussex
Page:86
Grid reference:G3
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 : Samuel Manning (the younger)
     Role:Sculptor
Name : John Bacon (the younger)
     Role:Sculptor
     Qualify:and

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General Information

Commissioned by: Woollett family
Construction period:1818
Installation date:1818
Work is:Extant
Owner custodian:Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Rye.
Description:Faces west. A white marble sculptural relief set against a dark marble back slab that is affixed to the wall. The relief sits upon an inscibed white marble plinth. The relief depicts two female figures. The figure to the rear holds the left arm of the front figure and indicates heavenward with the right arm that is raised. Clouds are depicted above her from which emanate rays of light. The figure at the front leans her back against the rear figure, rests her right arm on an anchor and has flowers in her left hand. Behind the two figures is a scrolled plinth that itself has a sculptural relief of a male figure giving a drink to another male figure lying on the ground. On top of the plinth is a bible with a carved inscription from The Acts of the Apostles.
Iconographical description:The figures represent Hope and Benevolence (the figure of Hope to the rear, supporting the figure of Benevolence at the front) (Holloway, William. The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye in the County of Sussex. John Russell Smith. London. 1847)
Signatures:Base of the plinth, left hand side, incised letters:
J.BACON, INVT.

Base of the plinth, right hand side, incised letters:
S.MANNING, FT.
Inscription:Inscription at the base of the sculptural relief, incised black painted letters:

THY GENTLE ARM, BENEVOLENCE, SUSTAINS
OUR FAINTING HOP, THY BALM OUR LIFE REGAINS

Inscription to the plinth, incised black painted letters:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
JOHN WOOLLETT, ESQR.
LATE OF THIS TOWN;
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE XXIIIRD. OF MARCH
MDCCCXIX,
IN THE LXTH. YEAR OF HIS AGE.
HIS LAMENTED REMAINS ARE DEPOSITED
IN THIS CHURCH

Incised letters on the left hand page of the open book of the sculptural relief:

CTS.

Incised letters on the right hand page of the open book of the sculptural relief:

CHAP X.
A juft Man
And one
That
Feared God
VER 22

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Classification

Categories:Sculptural, Funerary, Commemorative
Object type1:Relief
Object type2:Sculpture
Object type3:Marker
     Object subtype1:Commemorative stone
Subject type1:Figurative
     Subject subtype1:Group
Subject type2:Allegorical
     Subject subtype1:Group

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Object Parts

Part 1:Whole monument
     Material:White marble
     Height (cm):255
     Width (cm):115
     Depth (cm):11.5

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Object Condition

Overall condition:Good
Risk assessment:No known risk
Condition 1 of type:Structural
     Condition 1: Armature exposed
     Condition 2: Broken or missing parts
     Condition 3: Cracks, splits, breaks, holes
     More details:Hand missing from raised arm. Cracks to the bottom of the anchor and the ring at the top of the anchor has a piece missing. Chips to the statue’s right foot at the base of the anchor. Cracks to the arched frame. Chips to the plinth where the monument has been secured to the wall with metal pins.
Date of on-site inspection:09/05/2008

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History

History:Woollett was a local solicitor who was a well known and generous benefactor.

Samuel Manning was a pupil of John Bacon the Younger and they later went into partnership as monumental masons. Most of the work was carried out after Bacon had virtually retired and so it was Manning that did most of the designing and carving on the memorials. Much of the success of the business was due to the name 'Bacon' and most of the memorials produced by the firm are regarded as inferior. The Woollett piece is regarded as one of their better memorials however.
(Dictionary of British Sculptors)

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References

Source 1 :
     Title:'The History and Antiquities of the Ancient Town and Port of Rye in the County of Sussex.'
     Type:Book
     Author:Holloway, William.
     Publisher:John Russell Smith. London.

Source 2 :
     Title:'Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851)'
     Type:Book
     Author:Gunnis, Rupert.
     Edition:1968
     Publisher:Oldhams Press Ltd. 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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