The Joseph Sturge memorial, located at the border of Birmingham and Edgbaston in England, is a testament to the life and work of the English Quaker, abolitionist, and activist Joseph Sturge (1793-1859). The monument was unveiled on June 4, 1862, before a crowd of 12,000 people and has been grade II listed since June 8, 1982. The statue shows Sturge posed as if he were teaching, with a hand resting on a Bible to symbolize his strong Christian faith.
He is dressed in a coat favored by contemporary Quakers. The memorial also features two allegorical female figures representing Peace and Charity. Peace holds a dove and an olive branch, symbolizing innocence, and Charity offers comfort to two Afro-Caribbean infants, representing the fight against slavery. The monument is made of Portland stone and its inscriptions include the words ‘Charity, Temperance, and Peace’ and Sturge's name and date of death.
In 1925, the monument was moved to its current location and a bronze plaque was added to tell passersby about Sturge. The inscription reads: ‘He labored to bring freedom to the Negro slave, the vote to British workmen, and the promise of peace to a war-torn world.’
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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