This site celebrates the life and work of sculptor John
Cassidy (1860 - 1939).
The design model for the memorial - picture courtesy of Skipton Library.
The overall architectural design was by the Manchester-based architect James Henry Sellers (1861-1954). Sellers designed a number of memorials in which a stone column is topped by a winged victory, such as those at Mere, Cheshire (since destroyed) and Failsworth, Lancashire.
His design for Skipton is the largest of his memorials located so far, and the most complex in the development of its Neo-Classical geometric form, from its tri-lobe base to the three sided shaft with dished faces and fluted angles. It is also the only one of his column memorials located so far to incorporate an additional and significant sculpture, Cassidy's figure of a man breaking a sword.
(Thanks to Stuart Evans of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London, for this information.)
To free the site for the memorial,
the statue already there, of Sir
Matthew Wilson, Bart (1802-1891) of Eshton Hall, Skipton's first
Member of Parliament, was relocated.
Sir Mathew had the unusual pleasure of being present at the unveiling of his own statue - such a commemoration is usually reserved until after the death of the subject.
This picture (courtesy of Skipton Library) shows the work in progress: the scene reminds us somehow of Rodin's famous work 'The Burghers of Calais.' To quote from the excellent SkiptonWeb site:
Sir Mathew had the unusual pleasure of being present at the unveiling of his own statue - such a commemoration is usually reserved until after the death of the subject.
This picture (courtesy of Skipton Library) shows the work in progress: the scene reminds us somehow of Rodin's famous work 'The Burghers of Calais.' To quote from the excellent SkiptonWeb site:
'Sir Mathew
struck a dashing
figure in national politics ... being elected twice to parliament, and
on both times being thrown out for what appears to be vote-rigging!
However, back he came, at the grand old age of 83, to be elected MP for
the Skipton Division in 1885.
'Sir Mathew's statue was erected in 1888, at the top of the High Street where now stands the War Memorial, and at the time of its unveiling there was huge controversy as to whether the statue should ever have been contemplated at all. It seems Sir Mathew's friends wanted to mark his life-long service to the Liberal cause by having a statue of the prominent politician placed within the High Street. Very commendable, except that many in the town - while perhaps not adverse to the idea were certainly 'agin' paying for it. To get around this problem, the statue was paid for by his Bradfordian cronies and with no cost going to the local taxpayers the statue duly arrived.'
'Sir Mathew's statue was erected in 1888, at the top of the High Street where now stands the War Memorial, and at the time of its unveiling there was huge controversy as to whether the statue should ever have been contemplated at all. It seems Sir Mathew's friends wanted to mark his life-long service to the Liberal cause by having a statue of the prominent politician placed within the High Street. Very commendable, except that many in the town - while perhaps not adverse to the idea were certainly 'agin' paying for it. To get around this problem, the statue was paid for by his Bradfordian cronies and with no cost going to the local taxpayers the statue duly arrived.'
Today, the Wilson statue stands further down the High Street, surrounded by stalls on market days.
Inscriptions on the bronze plaque:
1914 - 1918
THESE WERE THE BRAVE UNKNOWING HOW TO YIELD
WHO, TERRIBLE IN VALOUR, KEPT THE FIELD
AGAINST THE FOE AND HIGHER THAN LIFE'S BREATH
PRIZING THEIR HONOUR, MET THE DOOM OF DEATH
AND NOW THEY REST PEACEFUL, ENFOLDED IN THEIR COUNTRY'S BREAST
1939 - 1945
Links and references
UK National Inventory of War Memorials - Skipton
There are 38 War Memorials listed in the town of Skipton - mostly withing buildings, as erected by various organisations to commemorate their members.
Wales Wales and Rawson
Skipton architects who were in charge of the 1995 restoration of the monument
Skipton Town Council
SkiptonWeb
Old pictures from the Rowley Collection
Skipton Library
Skipton, or Skipton-in-Craven, is
a very pleasant market town in North Yorkshire, noted for its castle. At the top of the
High Street stands the town's War Memorial.
At a meeting on 22 March 1920 the selection of a War Memorial Monument was made by the town's War Memorial Committee; Cassidy was commissioned to execute and erect the Monument at a cost not exceeding £3,000. Over 370 Skipton men lost their lives in the 1914-18 war. The monument was unveiled on 8 April 1922. The triangular limestone pillar, about 20 feet (six metres) high, carries a bronze figure of 'Winged Victory' and at the base is a nude man modelled in the act of breaking a sword.
The sword-breaker.
At a meeting on 22 March 1920 the selection of a War Memorial Monument was made by the town's War Memorial Committee; Cassidy was commissioned to execute and erect the Monument at a cost not exceeding £3,000. Over 370 Skipton men lost their lives in the 1914-18 war. The monument was unveiled on 8 April 1922. The triangular limestone pillar, about 20 feet (six metres) high, carries a bronze figure of 'Winged Victory' and at the base is a nude man modelled in the act of breaking a sword.
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Above we display a selection of
excellent pictures sent to us by Jonathan
Finney. The image will change every eight seconds in you have
Javascript enabled in your browser.
The memorial was given a thorough
clean and refurbishment in 2005, and
we were kindly contacted by Bill
Glaister, from the firm involved in
this work, who has supplied us with these fine pictures.
The sword-breaker.
The memorial in its setting.
From a postcard, circa 1970.
Footnote 2008: Freddie Trueman
The turn of the new century seems to be seeing a revival in the fashion for memorial portrait sculptures: as we write in 2008, an appeal is in progress to create a statue of famous Yorkshire cricketer Freddie Trueman (1931-2006) , to be erected in Skipton and modelled by Graham Ibbeson, one of the country’s most popular figurative sculptors, creator of the statue of Eric Morecambe now to be found in the town of Morecambe. Interestingly, the cost of the final bronze, to be eight feet high, is estimated at £80,000 - £100,000 - allowing for inflation of the currency, not so different from what Cassidy would have charged.
Written by Charlie Hulme March 2008. Updated December 2008.
Footnote 2008: Freddie Trueman
The turn of the new century seems to be seeing a revival in the fashion for memorial portrait sculptures: as we write in 2008, an appeal is in progress to create a statue of famous Yorkshire cricketer Freddie Trueman (1931-2006) , to be erected in Skipton and modelled by Graham Ibbeson, one of the country’s most popular figurative sculptors, creator of the statue of Eric Morecambe now to be found in the town of Morecambe. Interestingly, the cost of the final bronze, to be eight feet high, is estimated at £80,000 - £100,000 - allowing for inflation of the currency, not so different from what Cassidy would have charged.
Written by Charlie Hulme March 2008. Updated December 2008.