Have you noticed how William Huskisson Statue gazes downward in reflection? This isn’t just a pose. It speaks to a life filled with contemplation and a rather unfortunate end.
Welcome to Pimlico Gardens. Here we stand before the William Huskisson Statue. It is a memorial to a significant British statesman and financier.
William Huskisson lived from 1770 to 1830. He earned the reputation as the first financier of the age. He also met a dramatic end. Huskisson was struck by Stephenson’s Rocket. This made him an early casualty of the railway age.
The William Huskisson Statue before you is not the only one. The sculptor John Gibson created three versions. He insisted on Roman dress. Gibson thought it fitting for both subject and sculptor. Eliza Huskisson encouraged Gibson. She wanted this second version to be a closer likeness than the first.
This marble statue dates back to 1836. Eliza Huskisson commissioned it from John Gibson. The statue captures Huskisson in a Roman toga. Notice his right shoulder and part of his chest are exposed. His feet are adorned with sandals. His left hand is raised across his chest. In his right hand, he holds a scroll.
Behind him is a broken column. The worn inscription reads Opus Ioannis Gibson. The plinth is also marble. It bears the inscription William Huskisson Statesman Born 1770 Died 1830.
Originally, this version was intended for the Liverpool Customs House. Instead, it found its home at the Royal Exchange London in 1848. Since 1915, it has graced Pimlico Gardens.
Gibson made the first statue in 1833. By 1834 the marble statue was in place in the mausoleum. It was specially designed by John Foster Jnr in St James’s Cemetery. Subscribers complained that the statue could not be seen satisfactorily. Gibson suggested moving it to the Liverpool Customs House. Mrs Huskisson offered to pay for a second version. She liked the idea of commemoration at the Customs House. Her husband had strong connections with it.
Gibson altered details in this second version. Mrs Huskisson suggested some changes to the face. She wanted to create a closer likeness. Gibson supervised the installation of the statue within the Customs House in 1844. However, he was not satisfied with its intended location.
Mrs Huskisson presented the statue to Lloyds of London. It was placed in their offices at the new Royal Exchange London in 1848. She also offered a third version in bronze. It was to be placed outside the Liverpool Customs House. The bronze statue was erected on the north side of the Liverpool Customs House. It was unveiled in 1847. It was taken from the second marble version.
Lloyd’s gave the second marble version to the London County Council in 1915. The London County Council erected it in Pimlico Gardens. The first marble statue was vandalized in 1968. It was taken from the mausoleum. It now belongs to the National Museums Liverpool collections. The Liverpool Customs House was demolished after the Second World War due to bomb damage. The bronze statue now stands at Duke’s Terrace Liverpool.
William Huskisson was born in Worcestershire. He received an unorthodox education in Paris. He served as private secretary to the British ambassador. He saw the early events of the French Revolution. The experience exerted a lifelong influence on his political views. Huskisson served twice as joint secretary to the Treasury. He rose to President of the Board of Trade.
A keen advocate of free trade, Huskisson worked for reform of the Corn Laws. He was also a champion of Catholic emancipation and parliamentary reform. Huskisson was first elected as MP for Morpeth in 1796. He represented several constituencies. He succeeded his friend George Canning as MP for Liverpool in 1823.
On September 15 1830, Huskisson attended the opening ceremony of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. He had promoted this project. During a stop at Parkside, he fell into the path of Stevenson’s oncoming Rocket engine.
So, as you stand before the William Huskisson Statue remember the statesman. Remember the advocate. Remember the man who met his end in a way that helped usher in a new era.