The Crow Stone (London Boundary Stone), Chalkwell, Southend-on-Sea

Summary

The Crow Stone, an 8m granite obelisk dated to 1836 or 1837, marking the eastern boundary of the City of London's conservancy jurisdiction over the River Thames, situated in the estuary tidal zone between Southend-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea.

Description

MATERIALS: the Crow Stone is formed from a single piece of granite.

PLAN: square on plan.

EXTERIOR: an obelisk, about 8m high, with a stepped base. The words ‘God preserve the city of London’ are carved on the stone itself, as are the names of visiting Lord Mayors and the dates of their ceremonial visits. It also bears a square copper plate, attached later by the Port of London Authority, explaining the history of the stone.

History

For centuries the City of London asserted its rights of control over the River Thames. The rights were purchased from Richard I in 1197 and concerned the control of fisheries and tolls along the Thames and part of the Medway. The legal position on the capital's ownership was never clear and the City's jurisdiction was frequently challenged through the years. This led them to put up stones asserting the City of London’s authority and marking the limit of the city’s control. The earliest stones are thought to have been erected in the early post-medieval period but do not survive. A 1746 description of the Conservancy of the Thames mentions that there had been a stone at Southend-on-Sea, but that ‘by some accident it has been lost these several years past’. The earliest surviving stones date from the C18 and were situated at Southend-on-Sea, Staines, and Upnor near Rochester. They are sometimes known collectively as ‘the London Stones.’

Late-C18 and early-C19 accounts tell us that these London Stones were visited by the Lord Mayor of London and other officials on septennial (every seven years) ceremonial visits, to assert the City's jurisdiction over the river. The Lord Mayor and accompanying officials would sail from London in one or more yachts, flying the city’s colours. The voyage would include ceremonies at the stones on both sides of the river, at the Crow Stone and the stone at Upnor.

The ceremonies were held with much pomp and excitement. The Sword of State and the City Colours were laid on the stone. The stone was circled three times, by boat or on foot. Wine and beer was handed out, and after drinking a toast to the City of London some of those present were ‘bumped’ on the stone. Money was thrown amongst the poor and accounts record much desperate scrambling to grab it. During the visits, the Lord Mayor would be honoured with salutes, cheers, and an ‘11-gun salute’ from Royal Naval vessels. The visits were also social events and the Lord Mayor would host dinners and balls at local inns in Southend-on-Sea and Rochester. The ceremonies served to instil the position of the boundaries in the minds of the public.

In 1836 a government select committee criticised the City of London for its laxity in carrying out its duties and recommended that the City should lose its jurisdiction over the Thames. In response, to reassert their rights over it, the City erected three new obelisks: this one between Leigh and Southend, known as ‘the Crow Stone’, and two others at Upnor and at Yantlet Creek in Kent. The new Crow Stone and the new stone at Upnor were positioned near to their C18 versions. The C18 stone at Upnor is still in situ, but the C18 stone from Southend-on-Sea (the ‘old crow stone’) was moved in 1950 to Priory Park in Southend and is listed at Grade II in that location (National Heritage List for England entry 1168708).

The (new) Crow Stone dates from 1836 and sits in the estuary mudflats between Southend and Leigh-on-Sea, in the intertidal zone. It is traditionally known as ‘the Crow Stone’, though the origin of this name is not known.

The City lost control of the rivers to the Crown in 1857 under the Thames Conservancy Act. These stones have therefore become memorials to the points in the river where the boundaries of London's reach extended, and reminders of the excitement and ceremony of the Mayoral septennial customs.

Reasons for Listing

The Crow Stone, an obelisk erected in 1836-1837 to mark the eastern boundary of the City of London’s jurisdiction over the River Thames, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* it is a prominent obelisk of impressive scale which survives intact.

Historic interest:

* as a boundary marker of the City of London's jurisdiction along the River Thames, it is a reminder of the City’s efforts to assert its authority;
* it is associated with the other Grade II listed London Stones at Upnor and at Yantlet Creek;
* it serves as a reminder that this point in the landscape was the location where the excitement and ceremony of the Mayoral septennial customs were experienced.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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