John Martin Monument

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

The John Martin Monument is a tall, spire-like, high Victorian gothic style memorial to the man who founded Shrigley cotton (later flax) mill, and with it a whole village. It was erected in 1871 to designs by Timothy Hevey and stands at the S end of the Clay Road, with the much modernised and now badly dilapidated remains of the former mill to the S, and a bland modern 1960s housing estate to the W. Almost all that was recognisable of the original mill village created by John Martin has been demolished and the monument now stands as the last recognisable remnant of a once thriving industrial community.

The monument is gothic in inspiration and typical of its era in its complex infusion of details. To its base there is an octagonal colonnade with eight polished red granite columns with floral capitals in badly worn light coloured sandstone, and high bases in similar sandstone and granite. The octagonal plinth below the colonnade has a granite trim and tiled inset (with fairly recent looking tiles). The plinth rests on a base of granite steps, also in octagonal formation, around which there is a fairly recent looking low railing. At each angle of the steps there is a granite plinth which once held a decorative pier, but these have all been removed.

The columns rise to form pointed arches with light and red sandstone voussoirs and linked label moulding with decorative stops. The arches are contained within light sandstone ‘gables’ with moulded verges and decorative (ceiling boss-like) stops. Some of the verges have been broken at the apex [?did they once have finials]. Every second gable has a small carved pictorial roundel in light cream sandstone, but most of these are now broken. The gable verges are linked by a projecting sandstone course below which there is another course in red sandstone with griffin-like gargoyles at each angle, now badly broken.

Above the level of the gables there is a square tower capped with a spire. The tower is in light sandstone with occasional bands of red sandstone. The base of the tower is battered with moulded decoration to the edges. At each face the tower has two flying buttresses with small roundels thereon and tall spire-like caps with finials. Some of the caps have been broken off either totally or partially. The flying buttresses support full height angle buttresses.

The lower half of each face of the tower has a triple pointed arch opening with two small grey granite colonettes with floral capitals. Directly above these is a projecting course. Each face of the upper half of the tower has a large roundel opening, all of which once held clock faces, but are now louvered. Directly above these is a projecting course in red sandstone with gargoyles to the angles. Above this course there is a small gable to each side with a moulded verge with crocket-like moulding and small roundels to tympanums. Between each gable there used to be a corner pier, but most of these have been broken off.

Behind and above the gables rises the spire, which has crocket moulding to angles, moulded finial and metal weather vane.

Within the ground level colonnade is a thick octagonal centre pillar, which splays into a ceiling. This pillar is in light sandstone with red sandstone quoins and thin ¾ columns to angles whose bases merge with the pillar’s chamfered plinth. There is a decorative course in red sandstone just below ceiling level, with the ceiling itself in light sandstone with moulded ribs. To the N side of the pillar is a tall-ish church memorial-like moulding in light sandstone with a gabled top with cross finial. This which was apparently originally a drinking fountain is now badly damaged and has lost much detailing (it appears to have once had side colonettes). Its central panel is now blocked up with altogether unsuitable breeze blocks.

In recent years this monument has suffered at the hands of vandals and the elements. As a result much detail has been lost with many gargoyles, piers, roundels and finials broken and the stone badly worn in places. Moreover recent ‘repairs’ and alterations such as the blocking up of the drinking fountain, the tiling to the base, the repositioning of railings and the removal of the clock faces have in many respects downgraded its appearance even further. Ultimately, however, the changes and damage to the structure itself is only half the story, for in many respects, this monument’s greatest loss has been the demolition of its 19th century surroundings.

Historical information

The small village of Shrigley owes its existence to the man to which this monument is dedicated, John Martin. Martin was the son of a Belfast merchant who in 1824 built the large six storey Cotton (weaving) mill around which the village grew. The original mill, which was one of the largest in Ireland when completed, burnt down in 1845 and was replaced by Martin with a flax-spinning mill. As a token of their thanks for his work, the local population resolved to commemorate Martin (while he was still alive) by erecting a clock tower and drinking fountain in his honour. Thus, in 1870 a competition was held and a year later the monument built to the winning design by Belfast-born architect, Timothy Hevey. John Martin himself died in 1876.

The monument originally stood at what was the heart of the village, with the mill gate just to the south and the workers’ houses just to the north. After 1939 (after lying idle for nine years) the mill complex was adapted for use as a leather tanning factory, with most of its component buildings either demolished or greatly altered. By the 1990s much of these had largely been abandoned and had fallen into decay. Between 1968 and 1972 all of the workers’ houses were demolished and a new modern estate built further to the west.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/1B/336 p.33 First valuation, Killyleagh, 1834. [Valuation of Martin’s original mill and the workers’ houses.]
2 PRONI OS/1/3/24 OS map, 1st ed. 1834, Co. Down 24. [This map shows Martin’s original mill and the workers’ houses.]
3 PRONI OS/6/3/24/2 OS map, 1st rev., 1859, Co. Down 24.
4 PRONI Second valuation, Killyleagh, 1861. [In print in PRONI search room and Linen Hall Library.]
5 Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast News-Letter’ 29th December 1870.
6 PRONI D.1978/1 Legal papers relating to the Martin family, c.1878.
7 PRONI D.1255/17/3 & 5 Memorandum and articles of association, correspondence, copy deeds and briefs etc. all relating to the Shrigley flax mill, c.1900-20.

Secondary sources
1 E.R.R. Green ‘The Industrial Archaeology of Co. Down’ (Belfast HMSO 1963), pp.10-11, 31.
2 C.E.B. Brett ‘Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the Towns and Villages of East Down’ (UAHS Belfast 1973), pp.42-3.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Substantial High Victorian monument by Timothy Hevey, with octagonal colonnade surmounted by square tower and spire, erected in 1871 to commemorate John Martin, the builder of Shrigley cotton mill and surrounding mill village. The monument, which originally incorporated a clock and drinking fountain, is very typical of its type with its harsh infusion of various stones and exuberant gothic detailing. But with the abandoning of the mill complex and the total demolition of the surrounding (largely 1820s-40s) workers’ houses, it has been left isolated and prone to neglect and vandalisation as well as the ravages of the elements. Thus, in recent years, the smashed clock faces have had to be removed, the original rusted railings replaced, and the drinking fountain filled in with breeze blocks. Much of the detail in terms of finials, gargoyles, piers and roundels is broken or missing and the light coloured sandstone (of which the monument is largely constructed) is badly worn in places.