Fountain

Viscount & Viscountess Southwood - St James's

Inscription

{On the front:}
Viscount Southwood
{On the back, left:}
To the memory of Viscountess Southwood, whose ashes rest here. 1865 - 1951.
{On the back, right:}
To the memory of Viscount Southwood, whose ashes rest here. 1873 - 1946.

The ashes of both Southwoods are in the memorial at the top of the steps.

The labels behind the cherubs read: "Not drinking water" and "Our sculptures have been 'coded for keeps' with UV permanent marker". These unsubtle labels, the nearby industrial-sized garbage bins and the ugly caravan permanently parked behind all but ruin this attractive memorial. Southwood paid for the laying out of this garden which was designed by Richardson. The sculptures are by Hardiman who also made the statue of Peace which stands in the garden.

Site: St James's Church Garden (4 memorials)

SW1, Piccadilly

Looking at the cafe picture:
- The war damage plaque is on the wall that you can just see on the left.
- On the right you can see one of the four cherubs belonging to the Southwood fountain.

The wooden memorial would be seen in the photo of the Southwood fountain, were it not for the green caravan drop-in.

This former graveyard was opened as a garden, funded by Viscount Southwood, in 1946 by the Queen Mother.

On a visit in about 1998 we found a small hand-made memorial in amongst the plants, to Taffy, a tramp who had made the garden his home and had recently died. When we went back some years later with our camera this, not surprisingly, had gone so we sadly cannot include it here. 2012 - Discovering London (dead link) have a picture of Taffy's sign plus one for Mackerel the Rectory Cat.

2022: Watching the 1952 film, The Last Page, we recognised this garden as the location for an assignation for two of the characters (at about 1.5 hours in, on the TV version of the movie). The space looked fresh and clear of all the clutter that was there when we last visited.

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:
Viscount & Viscountess Southwood - St James's

Subjects commemorated i

Julius Salter Elias, Viscount Southwood

'Fairlight' in Wood Lane, Highgate, was built in 1908 for Julius Elias. who w...

Read More

Viscountess Southwood

Alice Louise Collard was born in 1865 in Hackney, the daughter of Charles Sto...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Viscount & Viscountess Southwood - St James's

Created by i

Alfred Frank Hardiman

Sculptor.  Born 17 Orde Hall Street. The statue of Lord Haig is his best know...

Read More

Sir Albert Richardson

Architect. Born London. Our picture shows him as 'professor' in 1956.  Apart ...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Viscount & Viscountess Southwood - St James's

Also at this site i

St James's Church Garden opening

St James's Church Garden opening

Mary of Nazareth by Sir Charles Wheeler P.R.A., presented in 1975. This gard...

Read More

St james's Garden - people of London - wood

St james's Garden - people of London - wood

The garden on this bomb-damaged site was given by the late Viscount Southwood...

Read More

St James's war damage

St James's war damage

This church, built by Sir Christopher Wren, consecrated on July 13th 1684, da...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Philip Twells horse trough

Philip Twells horse trough

EC1, West Smithfield

{On the side facing the garden:} In memory of Philip Twells, M. P., for the City of London, May 8 1881. {On the side facing the road:} M...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Central London District Schools Water Fountain

Central London District Schools Water Fountain

W7, Westcott Crescent, Hanwell Community Centre

The (non-working) water fountain is located in a small garden next to the Hanwell Community Centre.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Victoria's trough

Victoria's trough

EC2, Finsbury Square

The "C F K" is extremely difficult to decipher, we read it more with our fingers than our eyes.

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Charles Walker & Lady Graham

Charles Walker & Lady Graham

EC1, Northampton Square, Northampton Square Garden

Compare this memorial with the one in Wilmington Square.

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Silver Jubilee fountain

Silver Jubilee fountain

SW1, New Palace Yard

Funded by private donations from MPs and unveiled by the Queen. 26 foot high, made of galvanised strips of steel, painted black, with a s...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators

Previously viewed

A. R. Pickett

A. R. Pickett

Man of East or West Molesey who died in WW1.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
PP - 3K - Yarman

PP - 3K - Yarman

EC1, Edward Street

The surname was actually Jarman, and the woman that Mrs Jarman tried to save was not her mother, but her mother-in-law.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Jenner statue

Jenner statue

W2, Kensington Gardens, Italian Garden

This statue was unveiled by Prince Albert in 1858 in Trafalgar Square. It was moved to Kensington Gardens (the first statue erected here)...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
A. E. Darby

A. E. Darby

Bethnal Green Borough Engineer/Architect in 1922, 1926, 1937.

Person, Architecture, Engineering, Property

4 memorials
D. F. Cameron

D. F. Cameron

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial