Monument: Lincoln's Inn war memorial
War Memorial
Erection date: 1921
{Carved on the left end pier, facing front:}
( I ) D CCCC XIV {1914}
{Carved on the right end pier, facing front:}
( I ) D CCCC XIX {1919}
{Carved along the top of the monument:}
HOSPITIUM SOCIIS
SANGUINEM PRO PATRIA LARGITIS
FILIIS PARENTES
{Translates from the Latin, as: Offer your solidarity in honour of the allied sons who generously gave their blood for their country.}
{On the main façade, at the centre, on a brass plaque, with a shield and wreath at the top, 66 names in two columns of names, alphabetical except for 3 added at the end: Collinson, Vickers and Hadden}
{On each of the piers, facing inwards, there is a brass plaque each with a list of names in alphabetical sequence totalling 35. Each plaque is headed:}
FILII SOCIORUM
{sons of the allies}
{The following additions were made after WW2:
On the main façade, a brass plaque was attached below the central plaque:}
In memory of our comrades of the Inns of Court Regt. who gave their lives in the 1939 - 45 war.
{Two brass plaques were added on the central façade, to either side of the main WWI plaque. These plaques contain a list of 29 names in alphabetical sequence except for the Duke of Kent who heads the list and Little and Cumming who are on an extension to the right hand plaque. Each plaque is headed up:}
1939 - 1945
{On the right end pier, facing inwards, below the existing WWI plaque is a list of 7 names in alphabetical sequence. This plaque is headed:}
1939 - 1945
FILII SOCIORUM
{For the names in the lists see Subjects Commemorated.}
We have never seen so many Cecils, Cyrils and Cuthberts on a war memorial, let alone Jocelyns, Joyces and Evelyns - and we don't think these are women. The names speak volumes about the sort of men these were.
The Roman numerals on the end piers are very interesting (to us nerds). We would expect these dates to start with M, representing 1000 but the front part seems to read "( I ) I )" where the brackets are shaped as forwards and backwards Cs. Now, D can be represented as a I followed by a backwards C and, as everyone knows, D represents 500, and that is how to read the second "I )". But, fascinatingly, (nerrr) the first three characters " ( I )" have to be read quite differently - as a I in brackets - which comes from the Etruscan system and represents 1000. And it is thought that the Roman M comes from this symbol (they sort of look similar) . Aren't you glad you stuck with us?
David Hopkins has provided the Latin translation for us. He points out that the inscription is quite cleverly constructed because the upper and lower lines can be read independently. The upper line in the centre of the memorial conveys the headline SANGUINEM PRO PATRIA LARGITIS, meaning “For those who generously gave their blood for their country” and the lower line along the seating area reads HOSPITIUM SOCIIS FILIIS PARENTES, meaning “Offer your solidarity in honour of the allied sons”. David also visited the site, where he was entertained by the gatekeeper, Richard Vere-Compton, who gave him a leaflet about Lincoln’s Inn and a rendition of a couple of his war poems.
Site: Lincoln's Inn war memorial (1 memorial)
WC2, New Square
