Memorial Title

Derbyshire Martyrs

Summary

Derbyshire War Memorials: a description of a war memorial plaque to Derbyshire Martyrs at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Derby.

Images

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Further images may be available on request.

Locations

Last known location:
St Mary's Roman
Catholic Church
Bridge Gate
Derby

Nearest postcode:
DE1 3AU

NGR:
SK 35119 36785
(From online digital mapping.)
(Map opens in new window.)

Location details:
Bridge Gate was a main road destroyed in the 1960s for the construction of St Alkmund's Way, part of the inner ring road. It survives as a footpath between the southern ends of Arthur St and Darley La and the church and associated buildings are the only premises fronting it. The church may also be reached from King St via the footbridge over the ring road. The plaque is mounted at the southern end of the east aisle.

Type

Overall type: Plaque.

Overall condition: Fair. The inscription is legible and the memorial is cared for.

Description:

A brass plaque on an oaken backboard. The upright oblong plaque has an incised border comprising a rope or cord twined round a flory cross at the head and sprays of foliage at the foot. The incised inscription is in upright gothic lettering coloured black, partly in capitals and partly in sentence case. The maker's name is incised at the right foot. The plaque is inlaid into a plain oblong oaken backboard which also bears a narrow plaque at the foot with information on the provision of the memorial.

Glossary

Components:

Component	Material	Height	Width	Depth	Condition
Main plaque	Brass	755	505	-	Fair
Supplementary plaque	Brass	25	565	-	Fair
Backboard	Oak	835	585	25	Fair
Dimensions in millimetres ±5mm unless stated otherwise.

Inscription

Main plaque:
DERBYSHIRE MARTYRS In honour of the Blissful Martyr, BLESSED RALPH SHERWIN, PRIEST, (Born at Rodsley, near Longford, Derbyshire,) who suffered for the Catholic Faith / at Tyburn on December 1st., 1581. Beatified on December 9th., 1886, by Pope Leo XIII. Also, to the eternal memory of the VENERABLE MARTYRS, NICHOLAS GARLICK, Priest, (Born at Dinting, Glossopdale,) ROBERT LUDLAM. Priest, RICHARD SYMPSON, Priest, who suffered for the Catholic Faith on the East side of St. Mary's Bridge, Derby, on July 24th., 1588. Their respective Causes were sanctioned by Pope Leo XIII. on December 9th., 1886.
Supplementary plaque:
This Memorial was erected by the Catholics of Derbyshire, A.D. 1904.
Bottom right margin of main plaque:
John Hardman & Co. Birmm.

Conflicts and people named:
Conflict	Religious intolerance. (See explanation in Comments below.)	Totals
Number died	4	4
Number served and returned	0	0
Total names	4	4

Administration

Custodian: Presumed to be the church managers.

Local authorities:
From 19th Century: Derby County Borough Council (Derby Corporation)
From 1974: Derby District (later Borough and from 1977 City) Council and Derbyshire County Council.
From 1997: The unitary authority has been Derby City Council.

History

1904: The plaque was made by John Hardman & Co of Birmingham, manufacturers of ecclesiastical fittings, and installed in the church.

20th June, 1952: The church was listed Grade II*, Heritage List for England number 1215808.

November 1991: The church lies within the Strutts Park Conservation Area first designated in that month.

7th June, 2017: The memorial was surveyed by Roy Branson. It was in fair condition and well cared for.

References

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Comments

This unusual memorial does not conform with conventional definitions of a war memorial, but it is considered to be similar in philosophy to many that are accepted. The four martyrs were executed by the government of their own country for exercising beliefs which conflicted with the political objectives of the state. This is similar to the circumstances applying to soldiers executed during WW1 and to holocaust victims prior to WW2, both of which are the subject of recognised war memorials. It is also similar in that the victims were unarmed civilians, similar to such examples as Nurse Edith Cavell and Captain Charles Fryatt, although they, of course, were executed by an enemy government. Furthermore, if ignored, the details of this memorial would be denied a wider audience. For these reasons the memorial is included here amongst those of more conventional commemorations.

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