Object Details

Royal Sussex Memorial

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Location
Makers
General Information
Classification
Object Parts
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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:SE face of top plinth, bronze plaque
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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