“Memorial to Charles William Mitchell (1855-1903)” by Sir George Frampton, R.A., P.R.B.S. (1860-1928)

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Memorial to Charles William Mitchell

Sir George Frampton

Post-1903

Carved stone, bronze

South aisle of St. George's Church, Jesmond

Charles William Mitchell (1855-1903) was the only son of shipbuilder and munitions-manufacturer, Charles Mitchell, the benefactor of St. George's. [Commentary continues below. Click on the image to enlarge it; mouse over the text for links.]

Photograph, formatting and text by Jacqueline Banerjee

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Mitchell was an artist who had collaborated with the architect of St George's, T. R. Spence, for example, in designing some of the figures in the chancel mosaics (see Moat 171). Indeed, the church website says that he "contributed much to the interior design." As with the memorial to Mitchell's father, which is on the wall of the north aisle, there is no no representation of the man himself, but symbolic figures in bronze on the carved stone (see Pevnser et al. 509). These represent (probably) charity at the top, holding two infants, and art and literature on either side of the medallions, which are inscribed with Mitchell's name and dates. Despite the text inscribed above the medallions "The Souls of the Righteous are in the Hands of God"), the church website finds the memorial "almost blatantly secular." Be that as it may, its classical simplicity is appealing, even if it is not as striking as the one to the artist's father.

Related Material

Bibliography

Moat, Neil. A Theatre for the Soul: St George's Church, Jesmond: The Building and Cultural Reception of a late-Victorian Church. Newcastle University: Doctoral thesis, 2011. Web. 17 October 2015.

Pevsner, Nikolaus, and Ian Richmond. The Buildings of England: Northumberland. 2nd ed., rev. John Grundy et al. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.

"South Aisle." St. George's Church website. Web. 17 October 2015.

Created 17 October 2015