Newbury Abbot Trent

Newbury Abbot Trent
Born	14 October 1885 London, England
Died	2 August 1953 London, England
Nationality	English
Field	Sculpture
Training	Royal College of Art and the Royal Academy Schools

Newbury Abbot Trent (14 October 1885 – 2 August 1953) was an English sculptor and medallist.

Biography

Newbury Abbot Trent was born on the 14 October 1885 in Forest Gate in the East End of London the son of a coach builder William Trent.

His talents were recognised by Thomas Armstrong, the curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum, when he came across the young boy sketching in the museum. Armstrong persuaded the Trents to allow him to adopt Newbury and allow his artistic skills to develop. Armstrong’s own son had recently died at the same age as Newbury.

With the Armstrong's backing Trent studied at the Royal College of Art and the Royal Academy School. He worked as both a sculptor and medallist and was responsible for sculptural work on many war memorials. He was also used by Gaumont Cinemas to embellish many of their cinemas with reliefs and was to join a distinguished group of sculptors when asked to do work on the new Adlephi building in The Strand.

Newbury became an Associate of the Royal Academy and worked from a studio at No.1 Beaufort Street in Chelsea London where he died on the 2 August 1953. His cremation took place at Putney Vale Crematorium.^[1][2][3]

Works

His works include:

1.The bronze angel on the monument to Edward VII known as “The Peace Statue” on the boundary between Brighton and Hove in Sussex. The exact location is between Brunswick Lawns and the Esplanade and opposite Brunswick Terrace. The builders were William Kirkpatrick Limited and the founders A.B.Burton of Thames Ditton. Trent’s bronze figure represents “Peace” and involves a draped, winged, female figure standing on a globe. The left hand holds an orb and the right hand is raised and holds an olive branch. The globe is supported by dolphin-like figures. The statue stands on a stone pedestal with bronze plaques on each side. The bronze plaque on the north face involves a relief portrait of the King with the words “EDWARD VII 1901–1910”. On the west face the coat of arms of Brighton and Hove is featured in bronze with lettering beneath on scrolls “FLOREAT HOVA”. The bronze plaque on the south face is inscribed “IN THE YEAR/1912/THE INHABITANTS/OF BRIGHTON AND HOVE/PROVIDED A HOME FOR/THE QUEEN’S NURSES/AND ERECTED THIS MON-/UMENT IN MEMORY OF/KING EDWARD VII/AND AS A TESTIMONY OF/THEIR ENDURING LOYALTY.” Finally the plaque on the east face is inscribed “IN DEO FIDEMUS”. This monument was unveiled on the 12 October 1912 by The Duke of Norfolk, E.M.,K.G.,Lord Lieutenant of Sussex.^[4]

Edward VII statue in Hove

2. Two bas-relief panels on either side of the Wilton Road entrance of the Apollo Victoria in London. He also produced a relief paying homage to the movies and movie stars and this is on the main foyer staircase. Below we see some close-up photographs of the external reliefs

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3. For the Gaumont Cinema on the King’s Road in Chelsea he produced two Art Deco style panels which depict “The Awakening of Science to the Force of the Elements” and “The Harvesting of the Elements in the Film”. Also on the facade of the building there is a bas-relief head of W. Friese-Green with masks of comedy and tragedy on either side.^[5][6] See photographs below.

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  The mask of Comedy.

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  The mask of Tragedy

4. Murals in the lower foyer of the Carling Apollo Theatre in Hammersmith. This is now a popular live music venue but was a Gaumont Cinema.

5. Two panels on either side of the entrance doors to the Adelphi building in John Adam Street.London. These depict scenes of industry.^[7] See image below.^[8]

One of two reliefs on Adelphi entrance by Newbury Abbot Trent

6. The War Memorial in St Baldreds Church on the Dirleton Road, North Berwick, Lothian, Scotland. This commemorates Aubrey Blackwood Porter, a Lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry who was killed in action in France in 1915. This involves a metal plaque mounted on marble with a relief portrait at the top and the Highland Light Infantry badge at the bottom.^[9]

7. The New Barnet War Memorial on Station Road in New Barnet. The memorial features a 109-foot high bronze figure representing “Victory” and a carving in stone over the western panel shows the victory of the “British Lion” over the “German Eagle”. This memorial remembers the 278 men of New Barnet who gave t heir lives in the Great War. The memorial was unveiled on the 20 March 1921 by Viscount Hampden.

Bronze on New Barnet War Memorial

Carving on New Barnet War Memorial- The British Lion has slain the German Imperial Eagle.

8. The Wallsend War Memorial at Holy Cross overlooking Burn Closes in Wallsend in the Tyne and Wear. A bronze “Victory” figure is at the top of a tapering obelisk. The memorial was unveiled by a Mr.Summers Hunter on the 11 November 1925.

Wallsend War Memorial

9. Reliefs on the Beckenham War Memorial in the High Street of Beckenham in Kent. This memorial remembers the 707 men who were killed in the 1914–1918 conflict and the 300 men of Beckenham who died in the 1939–1945 war as well as 330 civilians who died in the same war. One relief features St George slaying the dragon and the other shows a phoenix rising from the ashes. The memorial was unveiled on the 24 July 1921 by Sergeant, B. Hanscombe.

10. The Wanstead War Memorial in Wanstead High Street. Features a bronze winged “Victory” figure, half draped carrying four palm leaves and wearing a laurel wreath on her head. The memorial is inscribed “MEN OF WANSTEAD / WHOM THEIR NEIGHBOURS / HEREBY COMMEMORATE / HERE NUMBERED AMONG / THOSE WHO IN THE / GREAT WAR / AT THE CALL OF / KING AND COUNTRY / LEFT ALL THAT WAS / DEAR TO THEM / ENDURED HARDSHIP / FACED DANGER AND / FINALLY PASSED OUT OF / THE SIGHT OF MEN BY / THE PATH OF DUTY AND / SELF SACRIFICE GIVING UP / THEIR OWN LIVES THAT / OTHERS MIGHT / LIVE IN / FREEDOM / LET THOSE WHO COME AFTER / SEE TO IT THAT THEIR / SACRIFICE WAS NOT IN VAIN / 1914–1918 / AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE / MEN AND WOMEN WHO LAID / DOWN THEIR LIVES / IN THE 1939–1945 WAR / WE WILL REMEMBER THEM” Remembers the 192 Wanstead men who lay down their lives in The Great War

11. The Ilford War Memorial in Ilford War Memorial Gardens, Eastern Avenue, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex. Here Trent sculpted a soldier in full kit and shown presenting arms. A Celtic Cross rises above the soldier. Unveiled on the 11 November 1922 by HRH Princess Louise Duchess of Argyll and Lt.General Sir Francis Lloyd.^[10] See photograph below.^[11]

The soldier on Ilford War Memorial

12. The Tredegar War Memorial in Bedwellty Park, Tredegar, Wales. Also features a soldier holding rifle in “present arms” position. Unveiled by Lord Tredegar on the 14 December 1924. A casket containing a roll of honour of those who died has been placed in Bedwellty House.

Tredegar War Memorial

13. The bust of Stanley Baldwin (1867–1947), Prime Minister, 1923, 1924–9 and 1935-7 in the Palace of Westminster.

14. Various stone panels depicting street scenes at 3 St James' Square. See photographs below.

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  Knife grinder at work

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  A woman sells lavender accompanied by child.

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  People buying fruit from barrow

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  Town Crier

15 Figures on the old Odeon Cinema in Cheltenham. See image below.^[12]

relief on Cheltenham Cinema

15. The “Angel of Peace” in Bath. See image below.^[13]

”Angel of Peace” in Bath.

16. Figures on the Gaumont Cinema at 707 High Road, North Finchley. Sadly the cinema was demolished several years ago and it is not known whether Newbury Abbot Trent’s work was saved.^[14]

17. Bronze busts of Stanley Baldwin and Archbishop Davidson in Sir Herbert Baker's War Memorial Building in Harrow School.

References

1. ^ http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Trent%2C_Newbury_Abbot_(1885-1963)_Sculptor.National Archives article
2. ^ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:BYzkKMKqkcEJ:www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp62003/newbury-abbot-trent+Newbury+Abbot+Trent&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk. Trent’s portrait by Bassano in The National Portrait Gallery
3. ^ http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib1_1219181050. Further details Newbury Abbot Trent’s life
4. ^ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6LuNobBqR8cJ:publicsculpturesofsussex.co.uk/object%3Fid%3D60+%22newbury+abbot+trent%22&cd=20&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk. Details of monument and of Edward V II’s association with Brighton and Hove.
5. ^ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:wtYS6n5BWWwJ:www.myspace.com/chelseacinema/blog/215375051+newbury+abbot+trent&cd=33&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk.
6. ^ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4p4tSxmFXoEJ:cinematreasures.org/theater/14894/+Newbury+Abbot+Trent&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&source=www.google.co.uk.
7. ^ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-505186-the-adelphi-1-11-westminster.
8. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnlinwood/181090105/.Photograph courtesy John Linwood
9. ^ http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.53677/fromUkniwmSearch/1. Details on the United Kingdom War Memorial website.
10. ^ http://www.memorialgardens.moonfruit.com/#/newbury-a-trent/4524912253.
11. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelhut/3536291881/. Courtesy Chris Guy/pixelhut.
12. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigcorp/3369077124/?reg=1&src=comment. Courtesy Tim Chance.
13. ^ http://www.flickr.com/photos/chalkstream/3473056508/. Courtesy Jim Ebdon.
14. ^ http://cinematreasures.org/theater/29620/. Article on this cinema.

Persondata
Name	Newbury Abbot Trent
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	14 October 1885
Place of birth	London, England
Date of death	2 August 1953
Place of death	London, England