“Christ in Majesty" on the Merton Park War Memorial, by Nathaniel Hitch

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Merton Park War Memorial

Sculptor: Nathaniel Hitch (1845-1938)

Architect: Henry Philip Burke Downing (1865-1947)

Erected 1921

Stone

Outer wall of St Mary the Virgin Churchyard

Junction of Church Path and Church Lane, Merton Park, London SW19

This tall cross stands prominently at a junction in the conservation area of the early garden suburb, Merton Park, at the edge of St Mary's churchyard and diagonally opposite the former school buildings on the other side of Church Lane. It incorporates at the top the figure of Christ in Majesty, carved by Nathaniel Hitch. [Commentary continues below.]

Photograph, commentary and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL, or cite the Victorian Web in a print document. Click on the image for a larger picture.]

The inscriptions are: "LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS," and "IN MEMORY OF THE MEN OF MERTON WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE WAR 1914- 18," with the words "AND IN THE WAR 1939-45" added later.

Hitch's name as sculptor is given in the church guidebook's chronology (Green 16); he would have been in his mid-seventies” by this time. The memorial is, in fact, better known for its architect: "Burke Downing was a significant local architect in the arts and crafts style, and this is a good example of his work at its most severe." The same source continues, "As well as a telling memorial to the local men who gave their lives, this monument has exceptional grouping with the listed Church of St Mary ("War Memorial, Merton").

Bibliography

"Architects and Artists: D-E." Sussex Parish Churches (for Downing). Web. 3 January 2013.

Green, Lionel. St Mary the Virgin Merton Park: A Guide and History. Available at the church. Print.

"War Memorial, Merton." British Listed Buildings. Web. 3 January 2013.

Last modified 3 January 2013