Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project
Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879)
Region ID | BM | |
Work ID | 411 | |
Manual Reference | WOwfKIxx002 | |
Type | Statue | |
Title | Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879) | |
Sculptor | Brock, Thomas | |
Date of design | 1879-1881 | |
Year of unveiling | 1881 | |
Unveiling details | 26 June 1881 | |
Road | Vicar Street | |
Precise Location | Junction of Vicar Street and Exchange Street | |
A to Z Ref | 141 E3 | |
OS Ref | SO832766 | |
Postcode | ||
Work is | Extant | |
Listing Status | II | |
Duty of Care | unknown - work is monitored by District Council | |
Commissioned by | Rowland Hill Committee | |
Notes | ||
A larger than life size statue of Rowland Hill standing with his right hand tucked into his waistcoat armhole. He is dressed in a Victorian frock coat and bow tie and his academic gown is on a pillar behind him. | ||
The idea of a commemorative statue was first accepted at a public meeting at the Vine Inn on 10th November 1876 when it was mooted by the proprietor Mr Phipps. Sir Rowland was 80 years old and living in the town. A committee of nine was appointed with Mr A W Beale as Honorary Secretary. This committee met 124 times in the next five years raising a total of £1,710 19s 0d. Seven sculptors submitted models to the open competition and Brock was chosen. The statue was unveiled on Wednesday 22nd June 1881, the Prince of Wales was invited but declined to attend. A time capsule was buried beneath the statue and was found to contain : 'a document recording the circumstances under which the statue was erected, copies of the Kidderminster Shuttle, Times and Sun, copies of Birmingham Post and Birmingham Gazette, copies of the London Times, Daily Mail, Standard and Telegraph, a set of coins of the realm, including a mitre, a number of American coins and stamps, a full set of English stamps, a postcard of each quality and a postal wrapper' (1) | ||
Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879) was responsible for the Post-Office Reform in 1937, bringing in pre-paid stamps with the Penny Black in 1840. He received many awards, including the Gold Medal of the Society of Arts and the Freedom of the City of London. He was made secretary to the Post Office in 1854 and was knighted in 1860. On his death he was buried in Westminster Abbey. | ||
circa | ||
raw year | 1881 | |
Condition | Good | |
At risk | No known risk | |
Inscriptions | SIR ROWLAND HILL K.C.B./ Born at Kidderminster 1795./ Buried in Westminster Abbey 1879. / TO HIS CREATIVE MIND AND PATIENT ENERGY/ THE WORLD IS INDEBTED/ FOR THE/ PENNY POSTAGE/ INTRODUCED 1840. (on the front) Erected by/ 200,000/ subscribers/ throughout/ the three kingdoms, / the colonies/and the continents/ of Europe and America/ 1881. (obverse side) There are three brass plaques attached to the plinth. (1) refers to a civic ceremony held in 1995 to commemorate the bicentennial of his birth. (2) refers to a ceremony held 1 May 1990 to mark the 150th anniversary of the introduction of uniform postage (3) refers to a ceremony held 22 June 1881 to record the resiting of the statue | |
Signatures | T.BROCK Sculpt/LONDON 1881 on pillar behind left leg of statue and supporting his university gown | |
Elements
Element Details
Part of work | Material | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
Statue | Sicilian marble | 2.45m high x 1.1m wide x 1.1m deep |
Pedestal | Cornish grey granite | 3.3m high x 1.9m x1.5m |
Assessment of Condition
Surface Character
Detail | Comment |
|---|---|
Biological growth | Moss, also blackened by air pollution, especially in the folds of the garments and on hair and face |
Structural Condition
Structural Condition | Comment |
|---|---|
Broken, missing parts | Roll of parchment in left hand is broken |
Vandalism
Vandalism | Comment |
|---|---|
Graffiti | very slight, on pedestal |