War Memorial Sculptor

The War memorial was proposed in 1919 and completed in 1922 as a civil Parish Council initiative. 

Parish records of June 23rd 1921 says that there is a delay due to the sculptor being ill. And on 7th February 1922 Mr Wright of the Nurseries on Dore New Road was to be responsible for the upkeep of the garden around the Memorial. 

Mark Kessell said: 

The sculptor was an uncle to my half-brother. Basically, there is a lath and plaster full-sized copy – ninety years old now and not too damaged- that was used by the granite stone cutter, as a guide or template. In Cornwall there is a difference between a stone-mason and a stone cutter. 

They had different skills for different tasks and the Dore statue was carved by a humble workman named William Francis. He was employed by E Spargo & Son, who owned the quarry at Trevone, near Falmouth. This firm must somehow have obtained this commission from someone or organisation in Dore. It would have taken a year to complete. 

E Spargo must have supplied drawings for the plaster copy which I believe was made at an Art College near Sheffield. The completed plaster statue was sent by rail to Penryn Station and then on to Mabe, where the granite statue was then carved from a single piece of granite. 

It is not easy to carve granite. Truro Cathedral is little more than 100 years old but was not constructed entirely from granite. A lot of soft Bath stone was used for easier carving. 

Source: e-mail 22nd March 2010. 

Listed Building status : DoE List PRN No 38/813
Vicarage Lane – War Memorial at junction with Savage Lane. Grade II