Montagu Monuments, St Edmund's Church, Warkton, Northants

The Montagu Monuments are four stunning marble statues in the unlikely setting of Grade I listed St Edmund's Church in Warkton, Northamptonshire. The Statuary assemblages commemorates four members of the same family (the Montagus from nearby Boughton House). Two were created by Louis Francois Roubiliac, however the pictured statues (for Lady Mary Montagu, Duchess of Montagu (1712 - 1775)) are by Peter Mathias Van Gelder (circa 1742 - 1809) erected in Warkton in 1781. The monument shows the distress witnessed by the representative figures of the Distressed Woman, Widows and Orphans, who were championed and supported by Mary throughout her life in many charitable acts, which are summarised in the tribute, by Henry Lyte, on the column, which includes: "No wonder then, if o'er thy Urn - Poor Orphan Babes and Widows mourn, - Heav'n gains a holy Saint tis true, But They have lost their MONTAGU". The Angel attempts to ease the grief by pointing skywards, indicating the place in heaven to where the Duchess had gone

1781 Assemblage Distressed Edmunds Grief Lyte Mathias Montagu Northamptonshire Orphans Sep16 Statuary Tribute Widows

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