Simeon Monument
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51°27′20″N 0°58′10″W / 51.45563°N 0.96948°W | |
Location | Reading, Berkshire |
---|---|
Designer | John Soane |
Material | Portland stone |
Height | 25 feet (7.6 m) |
Completion date | 1804 |
Restored date | 2007 |
The Simeon Monument, also known as the Soane Obelisk, the Soane Monument and the Simeon Obelisk,[A] is a stone structure in Market Place, the former site of the market in Reading, Berkshire. It was commissioned by Edward Simeon, a Reading-born merchant who became extremely wealthy as a City of London trader. Edward Simeon's brother, John, was a former Member of Parliament for Reading who had lost his seat in the 1802 elections to the parliament of the newly created United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, since which time the family had been engaged in ostentatious spending locally in an effort to gain support among the town's voters.
Although
Simeon commissioned local architect John Soane to design a suitable structure. Soane designed an unusual triangular structure, 25 feet (7.6 m) high and built of Portland stone. It had no official unveiling or opening ceremony, but the stonework was complete by September 1804. The structure was immediately controversial, denounced within weeks of its opening as "a paltry gew-gaw thing without use, or name", built by Simeon to promote himself rather than for the public benefit. In early 1805 Simeon donated an annuity of 3% interest on £1000 to pay for the lamps on the obelisk to be lit in perpetuity.
By 1900 a
In 2005, Reading Borough Council agreed to landscape Market Place and to renovate the Simeon Monument. The now-disused toilets and other structures around the monument were removed, and the monument itself was restored to its former condition.
Background
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Reading_Market_Place_1795.jpg/290px-Reading_Market_Place_1795.jpg)
The town of
Market Place in Reading was a large triangular piece of open land, surrounded by shops,[5] which since the twelfth century had been the site of Reading's market.[6] The Borough Corporation maintained the area, in return for a tax of one pint of corn from each sack sold.[7] While the outdoor market in Market Place had traditionally specialised in dairy produce, meat and poultry, the sale of these items had been moved to a nearby purpose-built market hall in 1800, leaving Market Place dealing with trade in grain, fruit, vegetables and "colonial or manufactured articles"; Reading was considered one of the cheapest places in the country to buy imported and manufactured items.[7] By the early nineteenth century, around 200 wagons of produce would arrive in Reading on busy market days.[7]
Although Reading had introduced street lighting in 1797, this system did not use lamp posts and instead consisted of oil lamps attached to the walls of buildings.[8] As a consequence, open areas such as Market Place remained unlit other than around their edges.[8]
John Soane
Edward Simeon
Edward Simeon (c.1755–1812[10]) was a Reading-born merchant, who became extremely wealthy as a City of London trader.[10] From 1792 he was a director of the Bank of England.[10] Although he lived in London, in Salvadore House on White Hart Court,[10][B] he maintained links with Reading.[10] His 1792 wedding took place there,[10] and he regularly donated clothing to the poor children of the town.[1] The Simeon family were prominent in the town; John Simeon, brother to Edward, was the Recorder of Reading and a Tory politician who had been elected MP for the town in the 1796 British general election, lost his seat in the 1802 election to the parliament of the newly created United Kingdom, and successfully regained the seat in the 1806 general election.[11][12] John Simeon was a controversial and reactionary figure who opposed the poor being taught arithmetic or writing,[13] and following his defeat in 1802 the Simeon family had been engaged in ostentatious efforts to curry favour with the approximately 300 men who were entitled to vote in Reading's elections.[11][14][C]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Edward_Simeon_by_William_Beechey.jpg/170px-Edward_Simeon_by_William_Beechey.jpg)
Concerned about the appearance of the Market Place and the congestion caused by traffic passing through it, Simeon wrote to Lancelot Austwick, the Mayor of Reading, on 24 January 1804:
It has very often struck me that the want of light in so great a public spot as the Market Place was productive of inconvenience which every inhabitant and neighbour must experience ... [I] request you will make known my desire of erecting at my own expense an obelisk in the centre of the Market Place protected with iron railings and spurs or curb stones to resist the heaviest shock of a waggon. The obelisk to have four lamps—to invest in the name of the M&B[D] such a sum as will defray for ever the expense of lighting the same during the period when the other lamps are lighted. The erection will contribute largely to prevent the confusion which now prevails with the wagons on market days by obliging the drivers to take a regular line. The architect will be directed to present the proposed plan and carry the same into immediate effect.[1][10]
Austwick approved Simeon's plan, and John Soane was approached to design an obelisk with the dual purpose of acting as an obstruction to prevent wagons driving across Market Place, and holding four lamps to illuminate the area.[1]
Design and construction
Soane's initial design was based on an unbuilt
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Reading_Market_Place%2C_Dighton_1807.jpg/290px-Reading_Market_Place%2C_Dighton_1807.jpg)
In May 1804 the Borough Corporation approved Simeon and Soane's scheme, although the proposed metal pinecone was replaced with a pinecone in carved stone,
[23]Erected
and Lighted for ever
at the expence of
Edward Simeon Esqr.
As a mark of affection
to his Native Town
A.D.1804.
Lancelot Austwick Esqr.
Mayor.
On the remaining two sides are bronze works, one consisting of the arms of Simeon, the other showing a crowned head surrounded by four uncrowned heads. The corner columns bear carved fasces.
Completion
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Market_Place%2C_Reading%2C_c._1875.jpg/220px-Market_Place%2C_Reading%2C_c._1875.jpg)
There was no unveiling ceremony for the monument and the date its lamps were first lit is not recorded, but the stonework was complete by the time Soane inspected it on 3 September 1804.
During the planning and construction of the monument, Edward Simeon had commissioned what he described as "a variety of experiments ... to produce the most effectual and brilliant light".[13] On 17 January 1805, with the monument now in place, he wrote to George Gilbertson, the Mayor of Reading, advising that:
The preference has to be given to burners containing 2 tiers of lights, 3 above and 4 below, each burner containing 36 threads of cotton, so that the 3 lamps are to give a light equal to 27 of the town lamps – as fully explained in the contract with Mr Owen who lights the town lamps – annual charge for lighting and cleaning the lamps £22-5-6.[H] I enclose the bank receipt for £1000[I] 3% – transferred to the mayor and Corporation. Ordered E. Simeon be presented with the freedom of this borough.[13]
The lamps themselves, along with their supports, were supplied by John Neville of Fleet Street in London.[22] Neville died before being fully paid for the lamps and supports, and Simeon neglected to pay his heirs. On 18 August 1809, following Neville's death, his brother threatened to attach a second plaque to the structure reading "Edward Simeon Esq, of Salvadore House Accepted from William Neville of Fleet Street £20.9s.7d[J] as a small donation towards the expense of erecting his obelisk in commemoration of his name for the work and expenses attending the same performed by his late brother John Neville 416 Strand London".[27] In January 1810 Soane and Simeon each paid half of the outstanding sum to William Neville; Neville returned both cheques, requesting that Simeon donate his share of the sum to a local charity in Reading and that Soane keep his share to do with as he wished.[27]
While some welcomed the erection of the obelisk, others questioned its use and practicality, and were sceptical of Simeon's motives in funding it.[28] Some felt its design was inappropriate, and as early as September 1804 an anonymous correspondent to the Reading Mercury described it as "A spruce pedestal of Wedgwood Ware, where motley arms and tawdry emblems glare", and sarcastically referred to the monument as "the eighth wonder of the world".[25][K] John Man, describing Market Place in his 1810 A Stranger in Reading, wrote that:
Nearly in the centre is a large stone lamp post, if such it may be called, of a triangular form, to correspond, I suppose, with that of the Market-place, but of what order of architecture, I was not able to discover; some of the ornaments however are British, some Roman, and some Egyptian. The base, or pedestal, is, as you may conclude from its shape, divided into three compartments, in one of which, composed of the same kind of gingerbread work I mentioned before, are the town arms, consisting of five maidens' heads placed lozenge wise, the middle one crowned, the others ornamented with garlands of flowers; but I was informed by a great antiquary, who resides here, that this was not correct, the original arms having been five maidens' heads, veiled as nuns, and not in the meretricious dresses they are here represented; as to the middle one being crowned, he says, it was only introduced in compliment to Queen Elizabeth, who was a great benefactress to the town, and consequently might very well now be omitted. In another compartment are the arms of the founder, and in the third an inscription on a brass plate, recording the time of its erection. The three facets, or corners of the base, are ornamented with what I at first mistook for bundles of sticks or fagots, with a woodman's axe thrust into the ends of each of them; but the same learned gentleman assured me, that they were intended to represent to fasces and axes usually carried before the Roman Consuls, in token of their supreme power; if so they are certainly not appropriately introduced here, as the Corporation have only a delegated, not a supreme power; they may whip, but not behead an offender: I would therefore recommend that the axes be taken away, and the fasces left, as being all that is classically necessary to represent that degree of power the Corporation really possess. On the pedestal is raised a triangular shaft, with the facets ornamented in the Egyptian style, and surmounted at the top with something like an acorn. At each corner of the pedestal is a large lamp, for the maintenance whereof, for ever, I am told, the founder has funded a sufficient sum of money in annuities, under the management of the Corporation. It is surrounded by a handsome iron railing, and may, upon the whole, be called a pretty, rather than a correct, design for a lamp post.[29]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Market_Place%2C_Reading%2C_1887.jpg/220px-Market_Place%2C_Reading%2C_1887.jpg)
Although Man disliked the Simeon Monument, he was nonetheless an admirer of Soane, whom he described in the same book as "one of London's first architects ... whose numerous works, in the city [London], and other parts of the kingdom, are convincing proofs of his superior abilities, in a line which has yet to boast of very few masters".[30]
The structure was never officially named, and since its erection has been referred to as the "Simeon Monument", "Soane Monument", "Simeon Obelisk" and "Soane Obelisk" interchangeably. As it was built to illuminate the market and divert the flow of traffic, rather than to officially commemorate any person or event, it is not strictly a monument; as it is a triangular rather than a square structure, it is not technically an obelisk; it was commissioned by Simeon and designed by Soane.[1] Its listing on the National Heritage List for England describes it as the Simeon Monument,[19] as does Soane's biographer Dorothy Stroud,[31] while Adam Sowan's A Mark of Affection (2007) describes it as the "Soane Obelisk", on the grounds that "[Soane's] greater fame has no doubt saved it from demolition, and obelisk ... is what Simeon asked for".[1]
Later developments
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Market_Place%2C_Reading%2C_looking_northwards%2C_17_June_1907.jpg/220px-Market_Place%2C_Reading%2C_looking_northwards%2C_17_June_1907.jpg)
Edward Simeon died on 14 December 1812 in Highgate, "cut off prematurely with a peculiar and distressing malady".[10] He left £4715 (about £380,000 in 2024 terms[21]) to local causes in his will.[32] The £1000 annuity at 3% which Edward Simeon had gifted in 1805 for the maintenance of the lamps proved more than was needed to keep the lighting operational following the conversion of the lamps to cheaper gas lighting in the 1840s and was unnecessary after the lamps were removed in 1911.[32] In 1883 Simeon's bequest was transferred to the Official Trustee, with the dividends continuing to be used to pay for gas to the lamps.[10] The surpluses were diverted to other local causes such as illuminating Market Place's clock.[32]
In the mid 1840s, Neville's oil lamps were replaced by cheaper gas lamps, supported by heavier brackets;
Dilapidation and renovation
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/A_Picture_of_a_Southern_Town-_Life_in_Wartime_Reading%2C_Berkshire%2C_England%2C_UK%2C_1945_D25319.jpg/220px-A_Picture_of_a_Southern_Town-_Life_in_Wartime_Reading%2C_Berkshire%2C_England%2C_UK%2C_1945_D25319.jpg)
In 1956 the monument was
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Simeon_Monument_in_its_broader_context.jpg/220px-Simeon_Monument_in_its_broader_context.jpg)
Although Soane's designs had become unpopular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and most of his buildings had been demolished or significantly altered,[36] following his championing by Nikolaus Pevsner from the 1950s onwards attitudes began to slowly change.[37] In 2005, following pressure from the Soane Monuments Trust, Reading Council agreed to landscape Market Place, removing the now-disused toilets and their airshaft and other structures surrounding the obelisk, and commissioning Julian Harrap to restore the monument itself.[38] Following works costing a total of approximately £60,000 (£15,000 of which was provided by the Soane Monument Trust),[M] the renovated monument was unveiled on 18 December 2007.[20] By this time, the monument was the last surviving structure in Reading to have been designed by Soane.[36][N]
Footnotes
- ^ All four names are in common use. The structure was commissioned and funded by Simeon and designed by Soane.[1]
- ^ Salvadore House, itself partially designed by Soane, was on White Hart Court, near present-day St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate. Windsor (1993) states that it was demolished in 1875 during the construction of Bishopsgate railway station,[10] but that was some distance further north and was built at a much earlier date; the station in question was actually Liverpool Street station which is also located on Bishopsgate.
- ^ In the event John Simeon and Charles Shaw-Lefevre were the only two candidates to stand for the two seats in the constituency in the 1806 election.[11] Despite his brother running unopposed, Edward Simeon nonetheless is alleged to have bribed all those who voted in 1806 for John Simeon alone with two hams, and those who voted for both candidates with one.[13]
- ^ Mayor and Burgesses.[1]
- ^ Soane's design for the Norwich Market scheme is undated, and it is possible, albeit unlikely, that he used his discarded Reading design for Norwich.[15]
- ^ Pinecones were a symbol of the tree of life and of eternity.[18] The Monument's listing on the National Heritage List for England erroneously describes the pinecone as a pineapple.[19]
- ^ John Monck was a Whig who eventually succeeded Shaw-Lefevre as one of Reading's two Members of Parliament.[13]
- ^ About £2,300 in 2024 terms.[21]
- ^ About £103,000 in 2024 terms.[21]
- ^ About £2,000 in 2024 terms[21]
- ^ The same anonymous correspondent was highly critical of Edward Simeon, accusing him of "taking the Pretty Dears of Reading to the races in his carriage", "importing a cargo of thimbles to be fitted on the fingers of the fair with his own hands", and "opening a warehouse to supply the town with articles of merchandise without the middle-man's profit, to the great loss of the wholesale dealers".[25]
- ^ Sowan (2007) gives a date of 1975 for the relocation of the market from Market Place to Hosier Street,[35] while Reading Museum gives a date of 1973.[6]
- ^ About £120,000 and £30,000 respectively in 2024 terms.[21]
- ^ A house at 14 St John's Road, Reading, has also been attributed to Soane, but there is no evidence to support the claim.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sowan 2007, p. 2.
- ^ Cameron 1961, p. 64.
- ^ Ditchfield, P.H.; Page, William, eds. (1923). "A History of the County of Berkshire: The borough of Reading: The borough". pp. 342–364. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
- ^ Phillips 1980, pp. 84–89.
- ^ Man 1810, p. 40.
- ^ a b c "View of Corn Market, Obelisk and St Lawrence's Church Coloured engraving by W.H Timms - 1823". Reading: Reading Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ a b c Sowan 2007, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e Sowan 2007, p. 4.
- ^ Stroud 1984, p. 151.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Windsor 1993, p. 274.
- ^ a b c d e f Sowan 2007, p. 10.
- ^ Stooks Smith 1973, p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e Sowan 2007, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d Miller, Keith (19 July 2003). "Making the grade: Simeon Obelisk". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ a b c Sowan 2007, p. 6.
- ^ a b c Windsor 1993, p. 275.
- ^ Sowan 2007, pp. 6–8.
- ^ a b c d e f Sowan 2007, p. 8.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1113534)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ a b c Moore, Ben (19 December 2007). "A monumental achievement for Reading". London: BBC News. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ a b Sowan 2007, pp. 8–9.
- ^ Sowan 2007, p. 1.
- ^ a b Sowan 2007, p. 9.
- ^ a b c Windsor 1993, p. 281.
- ^ Sowan 2007, pp. 11–12.
- ^ a b Windsor 1993, p. 278.
- ^ Sowan 2007, p. 12.
- ^ Man 1810, pp. 40–43.
- ^ Man 1810, pp. 126–127.
- ^ Stroud 1984, p. 267.
- ^ a b c d e Sowan 2007, p. 16.
- ^ a b c d e f Sowan 2007, p. 17.
- ^ Sowan 2007, pp. 16–17.
- ^ a b Sowan 2007, p. 18.
- ^ a b Sowan 2007, p. 22.
- ^ Sowan 2007, p. 21.
- ^ Sowan 2007, p. 20.
Bibliography
- Cameron, Kenneth (1961). English Place Names. Oxford: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-713473-78-9.
- Man, John (1810). The Stranger in Reading in A Series of Letters from a Traveller to his Friend in London. Reading: Snare and Man.
- Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
- Sowan, Adam (2007). A Mark of Affection: The Soane Obelisk in Reading. Reading: Two Rivers Press. ISBN 978-1-901677-51-5.
- Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844-1850]. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
- ISBN 0-571130-50-X.
- Windsor, Alan (1993). "The Simeon Monument in Reading by Sir John Soane". In Bold, John; Cheney, Edward (eds.). English Architecture Public & Private: Essays for Kerry Downes. London: Hambledon Press. ISBN 1-85285-095-7.
External links
Media related to Simeon Monument at Wikimedia Commons