Burdett-Coutts Memorial Sundial

Memorial Sundial

This memorial sundial was constructed between 1877 and 1879. It was designed by George Highton of Brixton for Baroness Burdett-Coutts and manufactured by H Daniel and Co, cemetery masons of Highgate, with relief carvings by Signor Facigna.

The monument is built from Portland stone with marble and granite dressings and mosaic detail. The base is red Mansfield stone, and the structure incorporates wrought ironwork throughout.

The memorial takes the form of a tall square shaft in decorated Gothic style, standing on a square plinth and a three-tiered octagonal base. The shaft is flanked by angle colonnettes in pink and grey granite on each side. These rise to trefoil heads with recessed panels containing applied lettering inscriptions.

Four tall, richly-moulded gables surround a crocketed spire with corner pinnacles. The trefoil on the south-west side, which faces the entrance to the gardens, contains a marble plaque beneath a relief carving of St Pancras holding a palm and book. Below this is a marble panel with a two-part inscription: the first comprises the beatitudes from St Matthew V, 3-9 (with verses 4 and 5 in reversed order), and the second is a religious poem of unknown authorship. An iron sundial is positioned in the gable above, bearing the inscription "TEMPUS EDAX RERUM" – time devours all things.

The south-east and north-west sides display relief carvings representing Morning (depicted as a woman with a cockerel upon her head) and Night (a robed figure with a star and crescent moon).

The panels contain lists of names of eminent people once buried in the churchyards. The south-east side lists: Charles Louis Vicor de Broglie (1765), Chevalier d'Eon (1810, French Minister Plenipotentiary), Joseph Francis Xavier de Haslang (1783), Count d'Hervilly (1795, Marshal of France), Paschalis de Paoli (1807, of Corsica), Comte de Pontcarré (1810), Michael Joanned Baptista, Baron de Wenzel (1790, Oculist to the Court of Hungary), Lord Charles Dillon (1741), Lady Dillon (1751), Archbishop Dillon (1806), General Sir Rufance Donkin, KCB, GCH (1841), Miss Frances Doughty (1763, daughter of Sir Henry Tichborne), Guy Henry Marie du Val, Marquis de Bonneval (1863), Rev. Joseph Duncan (1797), Sidly Effendi (1811, Turkish Ambassador to this country), John Flaxman (1826, Sculptor), Sir John Fleetwood (1741), Phillippo Nepomuceno Fontanae (1793, Ambassador from the Court of Sardinia to that of Spain), Francis Pietri Fozano (1838), Claude Joseph Gabriel, Viscount Le Vaulx (1809, Marshal of France), Bonaventura Giffard (1734) and Andrea Giffard (1714), John Ernest Grabe D.D. (1711), Antoine Francoise, Comte de Gramont (1795), Sir John Gurney (1845, formerly Chief Baron of the Exchequer), Samuel Harrison, Musician (1812), The Hon Esme Howard of Norfolk (1728, youngest son of Henry, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, and his wife Margaret, 1716), and Count La Marche (1806, Bishop of Leon).

The north-west side lists: His Excellency Phillip St Martin, Count de Front (1812), Morris Leivesley (1849, 54 years Secretary of the Foundling Hospital), James Leoni (1746, Architect), Count Ferdinand Luchesse (1806, Envoy from Naples), Andres Marshall (1813, Physician), Maurice Margarot (1815) and his wife Elizabeth (1841), Thomas Mazzinghi (1775, Violinist, father of Joseph Mazzinghi the Composer), The Hon. Isaac Ogden (1819), Revd Father O'Leary (1802), Don Joseph Alonzo Ortiz (1813, Consul General of Spain), Stephen Paxton (1787, Musician), Peter Pasqualino (1766, Musician), Madeline Antoinetter Pulcherie, Marquise de Tourville (1837), Señora Doña Maria Manuela Rapacol (1839, native of Cordova), Simon Francis Ravenet (1764, Engraver), Lady Slingsby (1693, an Actress), Sir John Soane, R.A., F.R.S. (1837, Architect of the Bank of England), Jeremiah Le Souef (1837, for 20 years Vice Consul of the United States), Sir Charles Henry Talbot (1798, with his wife and other members of the Talbot family), Sir Henry Tempest (1753), Manoel Viera (1783, Portuguese Merchant), John Walker (1807, Author of the Pronouncing Dictionary), Edward Walpole (1740), Sir John Webb (1797) and his wife Barbara (1740).

The north-east side contains a dedication to those from St Giles churchyard whose graves were disturbed but whose names were not recorded, below which are listed: Rt. Hon. Mary Dowager Lady Abergavenny (1699), Francis Claud Amos (1800), The Hon. Count Arundell (1752) and his wife Ann (1778), Louis Claud Bigot (1803, Minister Plenipotentiary for the King of France in Sweden), Lady Bowyer (1802, relict of Sir William Bowyer, Bart.), William Brett (1828, Artist), Henry Burdett (1736, Goldsmith), Mary Burke (1846, wife of John Burke, Author of "The Peerage"), The Hon. Elizabeth Butler (1823, daughter of Lord Langdale), Rt. Hon. Elizabeth, Countess of Castlehaven (1743, daughter of Lord Arundell), Tiberius Cavalluw (1809, Scientist), The Hon. Amy Constable (1783, daughter of Lord Clifford of Chudley), Catherine Constable (1783), William Cummings (1833, General of H.M. Forces), John Danby (1798, Musician), Alexander Caesar d'Anterroches (1793, Bishop of Condom), and Joseph Cayetano de Bernales (1825, Spanish Merchant) and his wife Elizabeth (1823).

The square plinth has four corner posts linked by foliate ironwork. The Mansfield stone octagonal base comprises three tiers of troughs. The outer face of each tier contains intricate mosaic and relief-moulded panels depicting flowers, foliate symbols and the seasons. The troughs are planted with flowers.

The monument is enclosed by 20th-century cast-iron railings. At the corners are four stone statues: two seated dogs said to have been modelled on Burdett-Coutts's collie, and two lions. Johann Christian Bach's plain pauper's plaque stands on the north-west edge of the railings.