Summary

A monument to Montague Arthur Bertie, 7th Earl of Abingdon (1836-1928). Designed and carved by Eric Gill.

Description

A gravemarker and funerary monument to the 7th Earl of Abingdon (1836-1928). Designed and carved by Eric Gill.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.

The rectangular area of the grave plot is defined by a headstone, footstone and raised curb with a flat top and raised square sections to each corner. Headstone and footstone have a segmental, arched top with small scrolls to each end. The south face of the headstone is carved with a high relief of Christ on the cross and the tomb chest has a flat top and faceted sides with inscriptions lettered in Gill Perpetua for the 7th Earl (1836-1928) on the west face and Gwendoline, Countess of Abingdon (1865-1940) on the east face.

History

Eric Gill, a Catholic convert, initially trained as an architect under WD Caröe, but abandoned this to become a monumental stone mason and letter cutter. While based in Wales he designed his famous typefaces: Perpetua (1927) and Gill Sans (1928). The commission from the Bertie family for Lord Abingdon's monument appears to date from immediately after Gill's move from Wales to High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, in October 1928 since he made two drawings for the headstone on 8 November 1928 (see SOURCES, Collins).
Lord Abingdon was a landowner who lived at Wytham Abbey, Berkshire. He was High Steward of Abingdon and Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire and a Justice of the Peace. His military career culminated in him being appointed Honourary Colonel of the Royal Berkshire Militia.

Reasons for Listing

The monument to the 7th Earl of Abingdon, in the churchyard of the Church of Our Lady and St Edmund, Abingdon is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* the monument is a good example of early C20 funerary art by the noted artist Eric Gill including sculpture and lettering designed by him which shows the development of his style;
* it has undergone little if any alteration.

Recommended Books

• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)