Monument to John Woollett
| 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: | 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: | 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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