General Gordon’s statue

at Gordon’s School

“This statue was erected Curiosity aroused at Khartoum in 1904. Removed and presented to the School in 1959” A cloudless and warm I read the inscription on the Khartoum, including sunny summer’s afternoon statue’s plinth. [See left]. dunkings in the Thames teasingly invited me outside My, it wasn’t meant to be estuary and the River Nile, for a walk in the nearby here. and the reason it now heathland. In my walk, resides peacefully in the stretching further than I enquired at school grounds of Gordon’s normal, I found myself reception to learn a little of School. gazing up at a statue of the statue’s history, and General Gordon seated on was politely directed to the How intriguing. But where a camel. school library. to begin to learn more of its history, should I begin with Standing imposingly in the There the Librarian pointed General Gordon himself, corner of the games field at to the wall behind her, on the reason for the statue, Gordon’s School, the statue which were photographs of about the sculptor, or the is perfectly placed to catch the statue at its previous statue’s journeys and river the light of the late evening home in Khartoum, and dunkings? Well, that’s the sun. many short notes on its order I’ve followed. journey from London to

General Gordon: a revered military hero

Charles Gordon was born It was in his adventures in Gordon and his army on January 1833, in China that he first came to earned a soubriquet each, Woolwich, the son of Major- public prominence. In July 'Chinese' Gordon, and the General Henry Gordon, an 1860 Gordon joined the ‘Ever-victorious army’. officer in the Royal Artillery. British force in China Gordon was rewarded with Following his father into the where, now a Captain, he honours and promotion to army, he chose the Royal spent two years as Chief Lt Colonel. Engineers where his Royal Engineer. With aptitude for map making special government At home the public mostly and planning military permission he joined the viewed the British Army as fortifications was suited. As Chinese Emperor’s service, a rough and drunken lot. a young Lieutenant, Gordon and successfully led Gordon ’s clear headedness took part in the siege of Chinese troops to and evangelical Christian Sebastopol in the Crimean extraordinary exploits belief’ s made him into a folk General Gordon hero. Like many of our War, afterwards working during the Taiping In the 1870’s empire builders, it was by with various boundary Rebellion of the 1860's, force of personality and commissions to draw the transforming a peasant determination that he boundaries between Russi a guerrilla army into a accomplished so much. and Turkey. disciplined fighting force.

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Good works in Gravesend

After China, Gordon He also fought to end the These good works are returned to spend six years slave-like working remembered to this day in at Gravesend to improve conditions of boys on the Gravesend. In 2005, on the th the defensive fortifications Thames. 120 anniversary of his along the River Thames, death in Khartoum, the Gordon started quietly including the modernisation Mayor of the local council, helping the poor and needy. of the New Tavern Fort at their annual service of He changed two rooms of remembrance for the “He is best remembered During this time another his home at Fort Ho use into General, unveiled a plaque side of Gordon’s complex classrooms with the second for his generosity and h is on his statue in personality was in room doubling at times as struggle to give the Gravesend’s Gordon evidence. His strong an almshouse. His charity Memorial Garden. benefits of education to Christian belief showed in work continued, and he the poor of this town.” his sympathy for the rented a small house in suffering of the poor. In this East Terrace for older Gordon applied much effort children to gain a chance of Words on the plaque to alleviating child poverty. higher education.

Egypt and the Sudan

While working in Europe regard of the ruler of Egypt . brief to sort things out and to improve access to the Returning to Britain just oversee the evacuation of River Danube, Gordon once in those six years, he Khartoum. made influential contacts ended his tour of duty as With typical energy, Gordon which led, in 1874, to his governor-general of the set about evacuating appointment as Governor of entire Sudan. In 1880, ill women, children a nd the the Equatorial Provinces of and exhausted after years sick and organised Egypt, where he was of work, he returned to Khartoum's defences. The tasked to establish a line of Britain considering his work government rejected most posts throughout the done. of his requests for military region, promote peace For the next few years support. among local tribes, and to Gordon, by now promoted halt slave traffic. Khartoum was put under to Major General, had little siege for 317 days, during In six years Gordon’s respite. Recognised as an which time Gordon earned determination and resolve accomplished problem- hero status at home. brought peace to the tribes solver he travelled to China, of the Nile valley, mapped India, and Africa on various On 26 January 1885 the much of the upper Nile, missions. garrison, too exhausted to fought the slave traders, make proper resistance, fell In 1884, Gordon return ed to opened-up river to a sudden assault and the Sudan to quell a communications, and General Gordon, with most popular Islamic uprising. He created secure defensive of his force, was killed. was appointed Governor - military posts. In doing all General by the British The British relief force this he earned the highest Government and given a arrived two days later.

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A nation mourns and wants memorials “A brave soldier who fell at his post; happy is At the news of Gordon’s Gen. Gordon’s safety. If General Gordon. he to have fallen; his death, there was uproar. anything befalls him , the At the express wish of sufferings are over!” Prime Minister Gladstone result will be awful”. Queen Victoria, and ignored the repeated Gladstone’s popularity and supported by public urgings of the press, public, Maj-Gen Rudolf von Slatin premiership was badly subscription, Gordon Boys’ and Queen Victoria to get on hearing the news while damaged by the affair, the Home was established as relief forces to go to the aid a captive of the Mahdists public viewing Gladstone as the National Memorial to of General Gordon. On having neglected military General Gordon, with learning of his death, they affairs which, along with building beginning shortly naturally all blamed Prime other failings, caused his after his death. Minister Gladstone for government to fall later that dithering and not sending It wasn’t until 11yrs later year. support in time to save their that General Kitchener, a now martyred warrior-saint. There was a national day of friend of Gordon and a mourning on the 13 th March fellow Royal Engineer, Queen Victoria, for whom 1885. National Memorials avenged Gordon’s death by Gordon was reputed to be and enduring monuments leading an army to her favourite General, were all the rage and met a recapture the Sudan, writing to Gladstone during worthy cause in the desire culminating at the Battle of the siege at Khartoum, said, to commemorate the heroic Omdurman in 1898. “The Queen trembles for deeds and death of

Memorials to the General

Questions were asked in school of realistic sculpture , Meanwhile, the Corps of Parliament in the summer was chosen over that of Royal Engineers of 1885 about a permanent artists of the earlier commissioned their own memorial to General classical tradition. memorial from the sculptor Gordon. The House voted Edward Onslow Ford, to be Describing the statue, an initial £500 to the erected at their home at Thorneycroft wanted an Commissioner of Works Brompton Barracks. imposing figure of Gordon towards a sum of £4000 for to suit the Square’s It’s understandable that a bronze statue of the surroundings, he said, “The Onslow Ford would want to General, to be placed in whole aspect of the statue I depict Gordon riding a Trafalgar Square. General Gordon by wanted to be resolute, camel, as it was well known Hamo Thorneycroft The committee overseeing solitary, but not sad”. that General Gordon was a the memorial had initially great camel rider. In one of Unveiled early in 1888, this considered a hospital in his letters he states it was statue, which is 10ft 6in Port Said, Egypt. This was only by hard camel riding high, now sits on the abandoned in favour of a that he held his position Embankment opposite the statue. Hamo Thorneycroft, and respect among the Ministry of Defence. an artist chosen of the new people in Sudan. .

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Sculpting a camel The Pall Mall Gazette worked for two summers.” Onslow Ford said, “It was interviewed Edward Onslow fortunate that one of the Difficulties he successfully Ford in his studio in March camels in the Zoo was overcame were it being 1890, where he said of exactly the sort I wanted – made on a small scale for General Gordon’s statue a highly bred Sudan camel, portability, and then that, “I’ve been at work such as used by officers of enlarged in the studio, also upon it more or less for two the Camel Corps. A camel the restlessness peculiar to years”. of this sort stands some 6 camels when not lying ft. 3in. high.” He said depicting the camel down, and the rapidity with Edward Onslow Ford had taken most time. “I did which it changes its coat it at the Zoo, in wax and during the seasons.

The unveiling

th On 19 May 1890 the Inspector General said that General of Sudan with his Prince of Wales unveiled the origin of the idea of medals on his breast, and the statue of General putting up this memorial by rattan in hand, with the Gordon in the square of subscription among the camel wearing the Brompton Barracks, engineering corps was as a appropriate head gear - Chatham opposite the mark of respect to a late single guiding chain and the Royal Engineers’ Institute, distinguished comrade. traditional leather Sudan and facing the Crimean water bottle. The statue represents Arch. Statue of General Gordon General Gordon in his at Brompton Barracks, The Royal Engineers’ official dress as Governor- Chatham

The Morning Post and public subscription Amidst the talk of raising failed to relieve the siege of the arrangements, Lord memorials, even in the year Khartoum, and who later, Glenesk negotiated with the “[thank] the readers of of Gordon’s death, were as head of the Egyptian sculptor, securing a replica the Morning Post for impassioned pleas for Army, recaptured Sudan in of Onslow Ford’s statue of carrying out the idea I some form of monument in 1898 from the forces that Gordon seated on a camel. Egypt and Sudan, had killed General Gordon started some time ago...” He arranged for the site in particularly in Khartoum, Kitchener used his close St Martin’s Place, London, the site of his death. Kitchener’s words at the friendship with Lord where the statue could be unveiling of the second cast General Kitchener was Glenesk, proprietor of the seen pr ior to its shipment to of the statue among those urging for a Morning Post newspaper, Khartoum, and he spoke Gordon Memorial at to have the paper appeal movingly at the unveiling, Khartoum. Kitchener, it for funds to erect a statue saying, “we detain it here should be remembered was of Gordon in Khartoum. for a short time before it a young officer who was finds its natural home ..”. Personally undertaking all part of the force sent that

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The journey to Khartoum

Lord Glenesk assumed discharged. The statue was River Nile on its way to responsibility to ship the under water for three tides, Khartoum. An eventful statue to Khartoum. and became thickly coated journey you could say. The with Thames mud.” Cedardene was wrecked in On October 15 th 1902, his February 1903 off the coast newspaper, the Morning “The stout skeleton case .. of Morocco. Post, reported, “A remains intact, however, SS Cedardene’s representative of the and after a plentiful funnel colours of Morning Post visited washing the statue is none Ellerman Lines Millwall docks yesterday the worse for the found the Gordon statue on immersion.” a barge alongside the The report continues, “The Cedardene , which was managing owners [Ellerman sunk in the Thames on Lines] of the Cedardene are Thursday morning as the making arrangements for SS Cedardene result of a collision with a transshipment to their other Built in 1881 in Sunderland Russian vessel.” vessel the Lesbian , which Launched as the Clan Monroe , Clan Line “The Cedardene, after sails for Malta and Changed name in 1899 to Cedardene having been refloated, has Alexandria on Saturday.” 2,108 gross tons returned to her berth and 285 ft long, 37 ft wide, 24 ft depth There are reports that the Two boilers, 300 nautical horse power her cargo is being statue also sank in the

Gordon statue no longer wanted in Sudan

Britain re-established Anglo- An independent Sudan course. Where they will Egyptian rule after victory soon removed both the eventually be placed is over the Mahidi in 1898. statues of Gordon and being considered. ” The Sudan was now run by Kitchener and placed them a governor-general in temporary storage. appointed by Egypt with In answer to a question British consent. about the statues in the The rise of nationalism and House of Commons in the desire to shake off December 1958, the colonial rule in both Egypt Minister replied. ”Her and Sudan was such that by Majesty's Government have the early 1950’s Britain was accepted the offer of the ceded independence to Sudan Government to both countries. present the statues of General Gordon and Lord In 1954 the governments of Kitchener to them and the Egypt and Britain signed a statues will be brought to treaty guaranteeing Sudan the United Kingdom in due independence on 1 January General Gordon’s statue at Khartoum, 1956. pictured in 1936

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A suitable site found for the statue In January 1959, the elsewhere about the Chatham.” Minister of Works for the disposal of these statues.” government was asked a “Both bodies have made question about “providing His answer continued, definite applications and possible sites for the statues “After careful consideration have offered to meet the of Gordon and Kitchener the Government have cost of erection and of whi ch are being brought decided to offer the statue transport within this from Khartoum.” of General Gordon to the country.” Gordon Boys' School at The Minister of Works Woking, and that of Lord replied, “Various Kitchener to the School of Statue of General suggestions have been Military Engineering at Gordon at Gordon’s made in the Press and School General Gordon’s statue finds a home

Gordon’s School record of had fallen off in transit, and distinguished company of

“forever gazing down on its return says, “The statue were still inside the case.” over 1,500 people, arrived at Chatham docks, including a representative the boys he loved so “The plinth, designed and along with that of from the Sudanese well.” made by the Brookwood Embassy. Kitchener’s statue. The Necropolis Company was statue arrived at the school ready by 4 th May. The plinth In Khartoum for 55 years, The words of Brigadier on 2 nd April 1959.” was presented to the the statue now resides Nottingham, Gordon “The firm who originally school by Lady Huddleston, peacefully at the corner of School Commandant, cast the statue in 1902 was wife of the Governor- the games field at Gordon’s spoken at the unveiling engaged to unpack the General of Sudan in 1940 School, West End. ceremony statue and repair it.” to 1947.” “They found a lot of minor The unveiling ceremony, on th damage, but fortunately 14 May, 1960, was attended by a large and most of the broken parts

The inscriptions on the plinth On the front of the plinth is side the words, “ This Statue presented in memory of the inscription, “Charles Was Erected at Khartoum Major-General Sir Hubert George Gordon”. In 1904. Removed and J. Huddleston, G.G.M.C., presented to the School In G.G.B., C.B,. D.S.O., On the left side of the 1959.” M.C., who served the plinth, the words, “Born Sudan for 28 years and Woolwich 28 th January And on the base of the right was Governor -General 1833, killed Khartoum 26 th side of the plinth the words, 1940-47.” January, 1855 ”; on the right “This plinth has been

Sources: Gordon’s School, The Royal Engineers Museum, Lord Glenesk and the Morning Post by Reginald Lucas, Lloyd’s Register, 19 th Century British Library Newspapers, Queen Victoria: a biographical companion by Helen Rapport, The Gordon Heritage by Lt Col Derek Boyd, Gravesham Borough Council, The Independent, Historic Hansard, and Wikipedia

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