Stone Sermons: Monuments, Memory and the 'Mexico' Disaster

                                                Souvenir Newsletter of the North West Research Group of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society, December 1986 Frank Kilroy Collection, Lancashire Archives As a slight diversion writing a chapter for my PhD, I thought I'd add another post to my blog. The chapter is about the centenary commemorations of the Mexico disaster in 1986, which is a great way to consider the continuing relevance of the monument and how the disaster was framed almost a century later. Most of my comparisons go back to the unveiling of the Mexico monument on 23 May 1888, but I am also thinking about the immediate aftermath of the disaster in December 1886. In 1986 a committee was established by the local RNLI including Frank Kilroy, the Lifeboat Operations Manager for Lytham St Anne's, and author of The Wreck of the "Mexico" , first published in the centenary year. The specific aims of the committee, expressed in a newsletter from the North West Researc

'Life Boat Monument, St Anne's on Sea', Wyndham Series Postcard, 1902 One thing that continues to fascinate me about William Birnie Rhind's Mexico Monument is the depiction of an ordinary man as the focal point of a piece of civic sculpture. In present times, with a now established interest in local history and 'history from below', we are much more used to seeing working-class heritage and the lives of ordinary people celebrated in sculpture.* For example, we have a recently unveiled monument to Wigan miner s or, closer to home,  The Shrimper  in Lowther Gardens in Lytham. Miners' Monument (2021), Steve Winterburn, Wigan However, when the  Mexico  Monument was unveiled in May 1886 it would have been highly unusual to see an ordinary man, or for that matter, even an ordinary seaman or soldier, as the focal point of a piece of statuary in Great Britain. One of the few examples might be considered to be Rhind's memorial to the Black Watch, unveiled in 1887

 A piece of writing I completed for my PhD before Christmas looked at the work of the Sculptor William Birnie Rhind. In the process of researching and writing this  I found it very interesting to consider the  Mexico Monument in relation to public monuments  in other towns and cities in the closer vicinity and across Lancashire in 1888. An Edwardian Postcard of the Mexico Monument As you might expect, the major cities of Manchester and Liverpool had several public statues by the early nineteenth century and, when the Mexico Monument was unveiled, Manchester had prominently placed monuments to Robert Peel, John Dalton, the Duke of Wellington, James Watt, Prince Albert, Richard Cobden, Oliver Cromwell and James Fraser, Bishop of Manchester. Similarly, Liverpool contained monuments to Nelson, Wellington, George III, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. Nelson Monument, Liverpool https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nelson_Monument,_Liverpool_6.jpg   The only monument the neighbouring tow

Yesterday I spotted a news item about Jenners department store in Edinburgh. The building, on a prime site on Princes Street, is currently run by Frasers Group PLC who hold the trading rights to the Jenners name but have decided to withdraw from leasing the site. This has sparked fears that, along with the immediate job losses, there may not be a department  store on the site for much longer, although the current owner of the building, Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, states that he intends to continue to lease the building for this use. This news caught my eye as William Birnie Rhind was responsible for the statuary on the current building which was officially opened in 1895. It is a good illustration of how he gained significant commissions for architectural as well as monumental sculpture during his working life. Jenners, Princes Street, Edinburgh. Wikimedia Commons The first incarnation of Jenners was opened in 1838 as Kennington and Jenner. It was established by Charles Ke

 I have not been able to find time to add much to the blog recently as I have been focussing on writing for the PhD, but I thought I would add another short piece at the close of the year. It is particularly relevant as we have just passed the 134 th anniversary (9-10 December) of the Mexico Disaster. December 1886 would have been a particularly difficult time in the environs of St Anne's, Lytham and Southport as bereaved families tried to come to terms with the loss of loved ones and breadwinners, and communities mourned whilst local leaders instigated fundraising efforts for those families. Lytham Times , 15 December 1886 This year’s anniversary is obviously not a significant number, but it was nonetheless remembered on the 'St Anne's Past' and the 'Southport of Yesterday' Facebook sites. There are also moves to have more significant commemorations next year for the 135 th anniversary. Evidently the events of December 1886 still have resonance for many in bo

 A significant area of my research has been and will continue be the sculptor of St Anne's Mexico monument William Birnie Rhind. Whilst not generally considered to be in the major league he does have a considerable reputation as a talented and prolific artist, particularly in Scotland where he lived and obtained most of his commissions. The figure for the Mexico Monument in the Studio of William Birnie Rhind, 1888 Red Rose Collections , Lancashire County Council At the time of securing the commission for the Mexico monument, Rhind was establishing his reputation working in partnership with his father, John, on numerous public commissions in Scotland from their Edinburgh-based firm. As he was applying for the work at St Anne's, he was working on another solo project for a monument to the Black Watch Regiment which was unveiled in Aberfeldy in November 1887.  Black Watch Memorial, Aberfeldy https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_watch_monument_Aberfeldy.jpg I am not sure