Sculpture

sculptural group 3 - Beatty

Erection date: 21/10/1948

Site: Trafalgar Square fountains - Jellicoe and Beatty (4 memorials)

SW1, Trafalgar Square

Jellicoe and Beatty had each, at different times, been commander of the Grand Fleet in WW1 and had died within 5 months of each other, which explains why their memorials are conjoined, almost duplicates of each other. Each consisting of: a new central fountain; two water-jet-producing bronze sculptural groups; a sculptural bust. All these elements to be placed in one of the pair of large cusped quatrefoil-shaped basins, designed by Charles Barry and installed in 1845 as part of the original design of the Square. Jellicoe's memorial was to occupy the basin to the west and Beatty's that to the east. There is also a central plaque in the ground.

Each basin already had a central fountain, but by January 1940 these had been sent to Canada and replaced with the current vase-shaped fountains designed by Lutyens. Initially the busts, adorned with lions and anchors, were to be on the central fountains. This was changed so that the busts were actually erected on plinths against the north wall of the Square: Beatty, Jellicoe.

The four sculptural groups were also ready by 1940 but their installation was delayed by WW2 and took place in 1948. Each group involves tailed humanoids, otherwise called mermen, merwomen and merchildren, cavorting with dolphins and sharks. Examining these one learns that the mer-kingdom has an odd approach to hair-styling.

The two bronze groups in the Jellicoe basin are by Sir Charles Wheeler. Those in the Beatty basin are by William McMilllan.

Our source for much of this information is the magnificent work 'Public Sculpture of Historic Westminster: Volume 1' by Philip Ward-Jackson.

London Traveller has 1845 drawings and 1908 photos of the Square showing the basins with their original fountains and explains that new fountains were made necessary in the 1930s for technical reasons. That site reports that the original fountains are now in Regina, Saskatchewan, and in Confederation Park, Ottawa, the latter acting as a memorial to Lieutenant Colonel John By.

The Jellicoe and Beatty memorial was inaugurated on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1948.

Our photos of the sculptural groups are numbered west to east.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
sculptural group 3 - Beatty

Subjects commemorated i

Earl Beatty

Admiral. Born Nantwich. The youngest non-royal to become Rear Admiral since N...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
sculptural group 3 - Beatty

Created by i

William McMillan

Born Aberdeen, Scotland. During the WW1 he was awarded the British and Victor...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
sculptural group 3 - Beatty

Also at this site i

sculptural group 1 - Jellicoe

sculptural group 1 - Jellicoe

Of the 4 this is the west-most sculpture.

Read More

sculptural group 4 - Beatty

sculptural group 4 - Beatty

Of the 4 this is the east-most sculpture.

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Chinese lions

Chinese lions

W1, Gerrard Street

{On the plaques attached to the brickwork, the right-hand one being in English:} This plaque is presented with much pleasure by China Tr...

1 subject commemorated, 13 creators
Edwin Lutyens - SW1

Edwin Lutyens - SW1

SW1, Apple Tree Yard

The relief sculpture, by Stephen Cox, is called 'Figure Emerging', and was inspired by the sculptures of gods at the cave temples in Indi...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
sculptural group 2 - Jellicoe

sculptural group 2 - Jellicoe

SW1, Trafalgar Square

Jellicoe and Beatty had each, at different times, been commander of the Grand Fleet in WW1 and had died within 5 months of each other, wh...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Whitechapel Threads sculpture

Whitechapel Threads sculpture

E2, Bethnal Green Road

The artists worked with the Rope Makers Guild to produce this image of two skeins of intertwined ropes or threads, referring to the local...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
War memorial - Walworth Square

War memorial - Walworth Square

SE17, Wansey Street, Walworth Square

This depicts an anonymous 12-year-old youth standing on a giant, fallen ash tree. The inscription is a line from a WW2 poem by Hamish Hen...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators