Royal Sussex Memorial
| 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: | Cavendish Place |
| Town: | Eastbourne |
| Parish: | Eastbourne |
| Council: | Eastbourne Borough Council |
| County: | East Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN21 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Road or Wayside |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | Junction of Elms Avenue and Cavendish Place, opposite the Pier |
| In the AZ book: | East Sussex |
| Page: | 161 |
| Grid reference: | M6 |
| 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
| Company/Group : | A.B.Burton, Thames Ditton |
| Role: | Foundry |
| Name : | William Goscombe John |
| Role: | Sculptor |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | ?The Regiment |
| Construction period: | 1906 |
| Installation date: | 1906 ca. |
| Unveiling date: | 07/02/1906 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Eastbourne Borough Council |
| Object listing: | Grade II*: particularly important and of more than special interest |
| Listing date: | 17/05/1971 |
| Description: | Two stepped granite octagonal base, set in junction of road, pink granite obelisk in 2 sections, bronze plaques on all sides. SW and NE sides have pictorial reliefs of soldiers in action. SE and NW faces have inscribed plaques. Surmounted by a statue which represents a young officer of the 2nd. Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, clad in the uniform worn prior to the Indian Mutiny and has a drawn sword downward facing in his right hand, his left hand is resting on his hip. The uniform is of the Bengal Regiment, one of the old regiments of the East India Company. ? Canon/column behind at his feet. |
| Signatures: | Sculptural relief facing NE, bottom left:
W. GASCOMBE JOHN ARA Sculptural relief facing SW, bottom right: W. GASCOMBE JOHN ARA Statue base facing SW: A.B.BURTON. FOUNDER. THAMES DITTON. Statue base NE: W. GASCOMBE JOHN Sc. 1906 |
| Inscription: | On sash: ROYAL.SUSSEX.REGIMENT Underneath sash: TO.THE HONOUR.AND.GLORY. OF THE.OFFICERS.NON-COMMISSIONED. OFFICERS.AND.MEN.OF.THE.2NDBAT- -TALION.ROYAL.SUSSEX.REGIMENT. FORMERLY.107.REGIMENT.BENGAL. INFANTRY.WHO.LOST.THEIR.LIVES. DURING.THE.SERVICE.OF.THE.BATT- -ALION.ABROAD.IN.MALTA.EGYPT. AND.IN.INDIA.FROM.1882.TO.1902. AND.IN.SPECIAL.MEMORY.OF.THE.CA- -MPAIGNS.IN.WHICH.THE.BATTALION. TOOK.PART.THE.BLACK.MOUNTAIN. EXPEDITION.OF.1888.AND.THE.TIRAH. CAMPAIGN.OF.1897-98.THIS.MEMORAIL. HAS.BEEN.ERECTED.BY.THEIR.COMRADES. Regimental badge underneath inscription. On NW face of top plinth, bronze plaque. On sash: 2ND ROYAL.SUSSEX.REGIMENT Underneath sash: ROLL.OF.OFFICERS.NON.COMMISSIONED.OFFICERS.AND MEN.WHO.DIED.WHILE.THE.BATTALION.WAS.ON.FOREIGN TOUR.OF.SERVICE.FROM.21.JULY.UNTIL.11.DEC.1902 Followed by names of fallen. Regimental badge underneath inscription. |
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Classification
| Categories: | Roadside / Wayside, Sculptural, Military, Commemorative, Free Standing |
| Object type1: | Statue |
| Object type2: | Shaft |
| Object subtype1: | Obelisk |
| Object type3: | Sculpture |
| Object type4: | Relief |
| Subject type1: | Pictorial |
| Subject subtype1: | Group |
| Subject type2: | Portrait |
| Subject subtype1: | Standing |
| Subject type3: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Full-length |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Sculpture |
| Material: | None |
| Height (cm): | 190 |
| Width (cm): | 90 |
| Depth (cm): | 90 |
| Part 2: | Shaft |
| Material: | Pink granite |
| Height (cm): | 210 |
| Width (cm): | 121 |
| Depth (cm): | 121 |
| Part 3: | Bottom section plinth |
| Material: | Pink granite |
| Height (cm): | 168 |
| Width (cm): | 168 |
| Depth (cm): | 88 |
| Part 4: | Stepped base |
| Material: | Red granite |
| Height (cm): | 305 |
| Width (cm): | 305 |
| Depth (cm): | 27 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Fair |
| Risk assessment: | At risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Surface |
| Condition 1: | Metallic staining |
| Condition 2: | Corrosion, Deterioration |
| More details: | Corrosion to plaques, names of fallen on NW face significantly eroded. Staining to shaft on all sides from the metal plaques. |
| Condition 2 of type: | Structural |
| Condition 1: | Broken or missing parts |
| Condition 2: | Loose elements |
| Condition 3: | Cracks, splits, breaks, holes |
| More details: | NW face, stepped base chipped. NW face, bottom plinth, W corner has a serious crack. SE corner, bottom plinth has a serious crack. Stepped base to the SW, crack on step. NW corner chipped. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 15/04/2007 |
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History
| History: | The statue was unveiled by the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Lietenant of Sussex and a Major of the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Battalion, in the presence of a Guard of Honour of the Royal Sussex Regiment, the Mayor and Alderman of Eastbourne in full robes and a huge crowd of Eastbourne residents. A special train came from Chichester with a special Regimental Guard of Honour.
The uniform is of the Bengal Regiment, one of the old regiments of the East India Company. When the East India Company came to an end the regiment was taken over by the Government and became the 107th regiment which in turn became the 2nd. Battalion. |
| Hard archive file: | Yes |
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References
| Source 1 : | |
| Title: | 'Eastbourne's Historic Street Furniture' |
| Type: | Book |
| Author: | Eastbourne Local History Society. |
| Page: | 15 |
| Publisher: | Eastbourne Local History Society. |
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Photographs
Date: 15/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 15/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Date: 15/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 15/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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