Sir Robert
Peel's death on 2 July 1850, following a fall from his horse, provoked a wave
of statue raising across the country, only paralleled later by the plethora of commemorations first of Prince Albert, and later of Queen Victoria.
The Peel statues have been identified by historians of 19th century sculpture
as the true beginning of the phenomenon known as statue-mania. This may be attributed to his having won
respect across the political spectrum. The Repeal of the Corn Laws, ostensibly
a response to the Irish Famine, had brought appreciable benefits to the working
class. Whilst repeal was disadvantageous to the larger landowners, both they
and the more affluent middle class felt beholden to Peel for his measures to maintain
law and order, first as Home Secretary and then as Prime Minister, at a time
when extension to the franchise was exciting expectations, which those in power
were determined not to allow to get out of hand. Occuring so soon after Marochetti's
arrival in England, the opening of the opportunity to compete for Peel memorials
was an obvious challenge to him to enter the lists with native artists. In the
end it was to turn out to be his nemesis. The only Peel statue he succeeded in having put up, the one in Westminster (see separate entry), was removed soon after Marochetti's death by order of Parliament.
The first
town to which he appears to have offered his services in providing a design for
a Peel statue was Leeds. The Archive of the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds holds
three letters from Marochetti from October 1850, one to the Mayor, one to an unidentified
correspondent, and a third to George Hyde, chairman of the Peel statue committee.
To the mayor he wrote of his success with the Glasgow Wellington statue, going
on to explain that "in consequence of it I acquired some friendship here
and determined to establish myself in this country. Naturally my ambition is to
contribute as much as is in my power to the erection of public monuments". He was evidently informed that he would be
permitted to compete with other sculptors, and in response to this, informed
George Hyde that he would send in his design forn a Peel monument by 30
November. Whether he did or not, Leeds eventually chose William Behnes from a
shortlist, in which the runners-up were Baily, Noble and Spence (Leeds
Intelligencer, 14 Dec. 1850). In all, we are told by another paper (Manchester
Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 14 Dec. 1850), there were a
total of twenty eight designs. We do not know whether this included one by Marochetti,
though it seems likely that it did.
Bury in
Lancashire was Peel's birthplace, and the first public meeting to promote a memorial
was held there just over a week after the statesman's death. Marochetti was one
out of the eleven eminent sculptors who were asked by the committee to present
designs. The committee subsequently admitted further competitors, principally to
accommodate some more local sculptors and architects. In the end 20 sculptors
and architects submitted entries, many of them more than one, and when
these were exhibited at Bury Town Hall, the authorship of all the works
exhibited was acknowledged. The winner of the competition, judged on 25 Feb.
1851, was E.H. Baily, who had entered 5 different designs. Marochetti who had
entered two designs had the honour of being the sole contender with Baily, and
in the run-off the voting went in favour of Baily by twenty votes to thirteen.
There are two
descriptions of the Marochetti entry which seemed to garner the most support. According
to the Manchester Times (12 Feb. 1851): "The model designed by Baron
Marochetti has a pedestal circular in plan, approached by three steps. The top
cornice is supported by eight ornamental trusses, and the whole surmounted by a
figure of Sir Robert, habited in a surtout coat, with one hand a little
extended in the attitude of delivering an address, drapery being thrown over
the left shoulder". The description in the Manchester Courier and
Lancashire General Advertiser (15 Feb. 1851) was more colourful, and
mentions his second entry: "Baron Marochetti's statuette was delayed on the
way, and was not added to the collection until Saturday; another, also delayed,
has been added this week, but we have not seen it. The pedestal of the one on
view we admire; and we agree in the opinion, that there are very few points
about it that will be liable to damage from the hands of rough boys. It is circular
in plan, with a slight platform above it supported on brackets. The figure is
less successful; there is a heavy weight of the folded cloaking thrown on the
left arm, which positively overhangs the pedestal, and has no balance on the
other side, so that poor Sir Robert is always in danger of 'going off the
side', to adopt a Lancashire expression".
(for a
general account of the Bury Peel statue, see T. Wyke and H. Cocks, Public
Sculpture of Greater Manchester, Liverpool, pp.250-253. There are
references in this account to a Peel Memorial Committee Minute Book,
held in the Bury Archives)
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