The Duke of York's Column

Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square is not only famous nationally, but internationally; one of the icons of London. Yet a few hundred yards away, and not even that as the pigeon flies, stands another, neglected column, this one to a soldier. Yet he also played an important role in the Napoleonic wars, and even has a nursery rhyme commemorating him -
even if not a complementary one!

I first saw him across the rooftops from the canteen in the first building I worked in and at first glance I thought it was Nelson I could see, but quickly realised it wasn't and went in search of him

The column is in memory of the Duke of York, the second son of George III and stands at the top of the Duke of York steps overlooking the Mall.
He was, it's said, his father's favourite son but remained, however, somewhat in the shadow of his flashy elder brother, George, Prince of Wales, especially after the latter became Prince Regent due to the mental incapacity of the King.

As many aristocratic sons did, he made a career in the army and in 1793, the Duke of York was sent to Flanders in command of the British contingent and as a result, his father promoted him to the rank of field marshal, and then Commander-in-Chief. So no nepotism there then!

His arrival at his second field command coincided with a number of disasters befalling the force, and as these military setbacks were inevitable given the Duke's lack of combat experience, the lamentable state of the British army at the time and the intervention of pure bad luck during the campaign; the Prince is perhaps unfairly, pilloried for
all time in the rhyme...

...The Grand Old Duke of York,

The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up.
And when they were down, they were down.
And when they were only halfway up,
They were neither up nor down.

Particularly unfair, as given his experience of the poor performance of the army in Flanders, he carried out many significant structural, training and logistical reforms during his service as the army's commander-in-chief. These reforms contributed to Britain's subsequent successes in the wars against Napoleon.

Another change he made, and one closer to the heart of many a squaddie was the introduction of "Beer money". The nickname was given to an allowance, started in 1800, that was given to non-commissioned officers and soldiers. Actually it was only a penny per day and was a replacement for a daily issuance of beer or spirits while troops were on home
service. The allowance continued until 1873 when it was rolled into the soldier's daily pay. So nothing extra in fact and one wonders if the penny would cover what the soldiers would actually spend on beer in a day!

When he died in 1827, the entire Army gave up a day's wages in order to pay for a monument to the Duke. Accounts vary as to how voluntary this was but that was the source of the money used to raise the column which was started in 1833 and finished a year later.

Inside the column is hollow and a spiral staircase of 168 steps leads to the viewing platform around the base of the statue. This however has been closed to the public for many decades. Though was once open in the afternoons for entry on payment of a fee.

The great height of the column - 123 feet 6 inches (37.64 m) - caused wits to suggest that the Duke was trying to escape his creditors, as the Duke died ￡2 million in debt. (An enormous sum in 1827! )Though I have also heard it said when Nelson's column was built the Navy insisted his column had to be higher as befitted a member of the senior service.

The stonework was designed by B. Wyatt in Aberdeenshire granite, the Tuscan column is topped by  the statue of Duke of York in the robes of the Order of the Garter, sculptured in bronze by Sir Richard Westmacott RA  it weighs in at well over 7 and half tons!!


Well, there he stands still, walked past by many who know little of him, and yet who know the rhyme belittling him. Sadly forgotten though maybe with his reforms, as important in his own way in beating Napoleon as either Nelson or Wellington.

The grand ol' Duke of York, appropriately, at the top of his own little hill of steps.

Laurie Smith

Monument at the Elephant

When I was child I remember being taken by my Mum and Nan to see the new shopping centre at the Elephant and Castle.

I'm not sure why we went, though I think there was something about going to the Green Shied Stamp shop for something, but while we were there we went up to the floor where the actual Elephant and Castle stood inside in the middle of the cross made by the walkways. In those days it was also not painted, just stone.

Well for us living in Peckham there wasn't much to draw us all the way to the Elephant, probably mainly the aforesaid Green Shield Stamp shop, so I never knew it that well until I stated work, when I used to travel through there regularly to get to Westminster or Whitehall on the bus, or get off and onto the underground to go further afield.

It was then I first really took more notice of the giant silver cuboid in the middle of the roundabout. It was quite impressive, but what was it?

It was years later I found out, first that it was a large power substation and later still that it was in that silver box (rather than buried underground as the one in Leicester Square is) because is also has a second purpose – as a memorial.

However, getting back to my Mum a story she told was of her Headmaster, one Mr Crickmer who with an interest in local history told the kids in Scarsdale Road school, about the local area, including one story about Michael Faraday. So what is his story and why is a sub station on a South London roundabout a memorial to him?

Well Michael Faraday was born nearby in 1791 to a Blacksmith and his wife, but was apprenticed not into that trade, but as a bookbinder. Reading gave him an interest in science and soon he applied to Humphrey Davy (inventor of the Davy Lamp) as an assistant. It was here that he got his scientific education and by 1821 he was experimenting with electromagnetism! Working with Davy and William Hyde Wollaston who had both worked on electrical principles and theory, Faraday, went on to build two devices to produce what he called electromagnetic rotation: a continuous circular motion from the circular magnetic force around a wire and a wire extending into a pool of mercury with a magnet placed inside. This work led eventually both to the Electric Motor and later the dynamo.

Faraday also wrapped two insulated coils of wire around an iron ring, and found that, upon passing a current through one coil, a momentary current was induced in the other coil. This is of course the basis of a transformer, the underlying technology used in power transmission, and therefore in power substations. Faraday's iron ring-coil apparatus is still on display at the Royal Institution.

These brief notes can of course not possibly do justice to this man who was responsible for so much more than just some electrical work, but gives a flavour of why this man's memory is commemorated by of all things a power substation. For more information on Faraday's life click here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday

Back at the memorial it is said that when this twenty three metres wide and six metres tall cuboid was built in 1961 nobody really knew what it was. Well 30 odd years later the same was still true as in June 1995, the Evening Standard ran a story with a picture of the box headlined “But what on earth is it?” and this does make me wonder if actually the plan was to save burying the station and it was only later that someone had the wheeze of calling it a memorial.

However I've also read that its architect, Rodney Gordon, intended his design to embody the visionary credentials of our hero. It was originally to be a box of glass which would allow the public to see the transformer which sits within, but fears of vandalism scuppered this idea and with it the clearest link between Faraday’s work and the modern world, so it was that steel replaced glass as the primary construction material.

In 1996 Blue Peter held a competition for children to design a new lighting scheme for the site and in the same year the structure was given grade II listed status. It even has a long dedication in a series if stone plaques set into the ground in front of it – they read ...

“This Stainless Steel Sculpture commemorates MICHAEL FARADAY(1791 – 1867) English Chemist and Physicist Known For His Research Into Electricity and Magnetism Who Lived Locally”

The cuboid's 728 stainless steel panels have stayed very shiny at least from a distance, so it is a survivor and with its listed status will presumably be included into the redevelopment of the site, though, like the Elephant and Castle statue I originally saw in the middle of Shopping Centre, it might get moved around. After all the elephant stood originally on the top of a pub from which the area got its name, and now stands looking at the Metropolitan Tabernacle and has , in it's time been painted bright horrendous pink!

Faraday also moved around of course, and while born locally, died at his Grace and Favour house at Hampton Court on 25 August 1867.

He had previously turned down burial in Westminster Abbey, but he has a memorial plaque there, near Isaac Newton's tomb, but Faraday was actually interred in the dissenters' (non-Anglican) section of Highgate Cemetery.

So next time you're sitting in traffic around the Elephant roundabout spare a thought for the poor blacksmith's son turned good who's work not only helped start you vehicle it also helps light your home.

Laurie Smith