The Statue of John Laird stands on the west side of Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It commemorates the life of John Laird, a local ship builder, politician and benefactor. The statue was sculpted by Albert Bruce-Joy, and unveiled in 1877 by Lord Tollemache. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
John Laird (1805–74) was a shipbuilder and politician. He was born in Greenock, Scotland, and as a child moved with his family to Liverpool, then in 1824 to Birkenhead, where his father, William, founded a shipbuilding business. [1] John was educated at Liverpool Royal Institution and, after training as a solicitor, joined his father's business in 1828. [2] When William Laird retired in 1839, John became sole partner. He retired in 1861, and the business was continued by his three sons, eventually becoming the major ship building firm of Cammell Laird. During the time that John Laird was working in the company it pioneered the use of iron-cladding of ships, and of steam propulsion for ships. When Laird retired from the business he became the first Member of Parliament for Birkenhead. He was also Chairman of the Birkenhead Improvement Commission, and a member of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, where he played a major part in the completion of Birkenhead Docks. In addition Laird was a benefactor, helping to provide hospitals, churches and colleges in the town. [1]
Following his death in 1874 a public meeting was organised, and it was agreed that a statue should be erected, paid for by public subscription. More than the £2,500 needed for the statue was raised, the remainder being used for social purposes in the town. A competition for the design of the statue was arranged, and the first prize of £150 was won by Albert Bruce-Joy, a young Irish sculptor. The statue was made at the foundry of Robert Masefield and Company in Chelsea. It was unveiled on 31 October 1877 by Lord Tollemache, the occasion being witnessed by between 12,000 and 15,000 people. Originally it stood on the east side of Hamilton Square facing Birkenhead Town Hall, but was moved to the west side of the square in 1925 when the Birkenhead War Memorial was erected. [3]
The figure of John Laird is in bronze, and this stands on a pedestal in granite and stone. The figure is about 3.2 metres (10 ft) high and the pedestal is about 4.4 metres (14 ft) in height. Laird is depicted standing, as if speaking to a meeting, dressed in contemporary dress, including a buttoned coat and a loose overcoat. In his right hand he is holding plans for Birkenhead Docks. On the base of the statue are inscribed the details of the sculptor and the founders. The inscription the pedestal reads as follows. [4]
- JOHN LAIRD
- BORN 14 JUNE 1805
- DIED 29 OCTOBER 1874
The statue was designated as a Grade II listed building on 28 March 1974. [5] Grade II is the lowest of the three grades of listing and is applied to "buildings of national importance and special interest". [6] In March 1877, when the figure of Laird was reaching completion, the Belfast News-Letter praised the fact that he was "represented in the ordinary dress of an English gentlemen", rather than "the senseless costume of the toga", which was fashionable in statues at the time. [7]
Birkenhead is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 88,818.
Birkenhead Priory is in Priory Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It is the oldest standing building on Merseyside. The site comprises the medieval remains of the priory itself, the priory chapter house, and the remains of St Marys church. All three are recorded in the National Heritage List for England, though at different grades.
John Laird was a British shipbuilder and key figure in the development of the town of Birkenhead. He was the elder brother of Macgregor Laird. He was one of the first to use iron in the construction of ships.
The Williamson Art Gallery and Museum is an art gallery and museum situated in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England and houses Wirral's art collection.
The Statue of Richard Grosvenor, Second Marquess of Westminster is in Grosvenor Park, Chester, Cheshire. England. It was designed by Thomas Thornycroft and was erected to commemorate the generosity of the Marquess. The statue was unveiled in 1869, and was paid for by public subscription. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The equestrian statue of Viscount Combermere stands on an island in Grosvenor Road, Chester, Cheshire, England, opposite the entrance to Chester Castle. It commemorates his successful military career, and was made by Carlo Marochetti. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
The Statue of Queen Victoria stands in front of Chester Crown Court in the forecourt of Chester Castle, Chester, Cheshire, England. It was unveiled in 1903, the sculptor was Frederick William Pomeroy, and the statue is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The Boer War Memorial, also known as the South African War Memorial, stands in a prominent position in Queens Park, Crewe, England. It was erected in memory of local soldiers who had served or fallen in the Boer War, and consists of a bronze statue of soldier in uniform standing on a column on a stone plinth. The monument was unveiled in 1903, and contains plaques with the names of those who were lost in the war. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
Macclesfield Cenotaph is a World War I memorial in Park Green, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. It was unveiled in 1921, and consists of a stone pillar and pedestal and three bronze statues. One statue is that of a mourning female, and the others comprise Britannia laying a wreath over a soldier who had died from gassing, an unusual subject for a war memorial at the time. The memorial is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
The Grand Entrance to Birkenhead Park is at the northeast entrance to Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England. It consists of three arches flanked by lodges and is in Ionic style. The entrance was designed by Lewis Hornblower, with amendments by Joseph Paxton, the designer of the park. The park, and its entrance, were opened in 1847. The Grand Entrance is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
Birkenhead War Memorial, or Birkenhead Cenotaph, stands in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England, opposite the Town Hall. It consists of a cenotaph in Portland stone with carved figures and panels in Westmorland stone. The memorial was designed by Lionel Budden, and the sculptor was H. Tyson Smith. It was unveiled in 1925 by Lieutenant-General Sir Richard H. K. Butler. The memorial is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
The Monument to the Mersey Tunnel stands in Chester Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, near the western entrance to the Queensway Tunnel, one of the two Mersey Tunnels carrying roads under the River Mersey between Liverpool and the Wirral. It consists of shaft with a light on the top, and originally had the dual purpose of being a monument and of illuminating the entrance to the tunnel. It was designed by Herbert James Rowse, and was one of a pair, but the monument that was on the Liverpool side of the River Mersey no longer exists. The monument is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The Statue of Ludwig Mond stands outside the entrance to Mond House in Brunner Mond Works, Winnington, Cheshire, England. Ludwig Mond was born in Germany but spent most of his working life in England. He moved to England in 1862 and joined the business of John Hutchinson in Widnes. Wishing to develop a better process for the production of alkali than the Leblanc process, he joined in partnership with John Brunner, who also worked for Hutchinson, to improve the ammonia-soda process, building a factory for this purpose at Winnington. In time the factory became the largest producer of soda in the world. Mond went on to work with other chemical processes, especially those involving nickel. He also became an art collector, bequeathing much of his collection to the nation. His statue was designed by Édouard Lantéri, and was unveiled by Brunner in 1913. It was moved in 1995 to stand next to the statue of Brunner in front of the offices of Brunner Mond in Winnington. The statue is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The Statue of Sir John Brunner stands outside the entrance to Mond House in Brunner Mond Works, Winnington, Cheshire, England. Sir John Brunner was an English industrialist, politician and local benefactor. He joined the alkali manufacturing company of John Hutchinson in Widnes in 1861, eventually becoming the office manager. While working there one of its chemists, Ludwig Mond decided to leave and build a factory to produce alkali by the ammonia-soda process, and Brunner joined him as a partner. The factory was built at Winnington, and in time it became the largest producer of soda in the world. Brunner then took an interest in politics, and was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Northwich, holding the seat for over 30 years. The business had made him a rich man, and he was a generous benefactor in the local area. His statue was designed by Goscombe John, and was unveiled in 1922. It was moved in 1995 to stand next to the statue of Mond in front of the offices of Brunner Mond in Winnington. The statue is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The Boer War Memorial stands in the shopping precinct of Winsford, Cheshire, England. It consists of the statue of a soldier in uniform standing on a plinth, and it was unveiled in 1906. It originally stood on a different site in the town and was moved to its present position in the 1960s. In addition to recording the names of those who were lost in the conflict, it also contains the names of those who survived.
The Statue of Edward VII stands in Kings's Gardens, Stanley Road, Bootle, Sefton, Merseyside, England. It was erected to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward VII and consists of a bronze statue of Edward VII on a granite pedestal. The sculptor was George Wade. The statue was given to the borough by the local Member of Parliament, and stands on land given to the borough by Lord Derby. It was unveiled by Lady Derby in 1904.
The Statue of Queen Victoria stands on the western side of Victoria Square, St Helens, Merseyside, England. It was created after the death of Queen Victoria and given to the town by Colonel William Windle Pilkington, mayor of St Helens in 1902, and a member of the Pilkington glass manufacturers in the town. Pilkington commissioned George Frampton to design it. Frampton used the same model for the figure of the queen for two other statues, but placed it on thrones and pedestals of different designs. The St Helens statue was unveiled by the Earl of Derby in 1905. Originally placed in the centre of Victoria Square, it was moved to a position on the west side of the square in 2000. The statue is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
A Memorial to Queen Victoria stands in Woodhouse Moor, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
Bootle is a town in Sefton, Merseyside, England. It contains 18 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings, Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of the three grades, one is at Grade II*, the middle grade, and the others are at Grade II, the lowest grade. Bootle was a bathing resort in the early 19th century. Between 1860 and 1900 its population increased nearly ten-fold, due to the building of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the extension of the docks. Before this time, the only listed buildings are those relating to a shooting lodge of the Earl of Derby. The main civic buildings, most of which are no longer used for their original purposes, date from the later years of the 19th century. The other listed buildings are churches, buildings associated with the docks, a statue, and a war memorial.
Birkenhead is a town in Wirral, Merseyside, England. Its central area contains 150 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, six are listed at Grade I, the highest of the three grades, six at Grade II*, the middle grade, and the others are at Grade II, the lowest grade. This list contains the listed buildings in the central area of the town, and the other listed buildings are to be found in separate lists.
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