Location: In the gardens of Wentworth Castle, Stainborough, (Nearest road: Stainborough Lane). The monument is at the top of a steep avenue between trees which leads on to the folly, Stainborough Castle, built at the higest point of the estate.
Description: An obelisk set on a square pedestal. There was originally a bronze disc on top of the monument but this is now missing. The original inscription was cut in marble, there has corroded so badly that a duplicate sandstone inscription has been set into the pedestal beneath it.
Inscription: The original inscription was cut in marble, this corroded so badly that a duplicate sandstone inscription has been set into the pedestal beneath it: TO THE MEMORY OF THE / RT: HON. LADY MARY / WORTLEY MONTAGU / WHO IN THE YEAR 1720 / INTRODUCED INOCULATION / OF THE SMALL POX / INTO ENGLAND FROM TURKEY
Commission: Erected by William, 2nd Earl of Stafford, who met Lady Wortley Montagu in Italy before he attained his majority. As the inscription records it was built to commemorate the introduction of inoculation against smallpox into England by Lady Mary .
A bill for work, presented to the Earl on 21 June 1746 by Joseph Bower, detailed a range of items relating to the construction of the Temple near to the East Façade of the house. However it also included an item: "For 885 feet on the fouerteen Collum meshuered from the top of the first Shaft to ye top of ye Collum at 6d pr foot". The amount for the column was £22 2/6d out of a total bill for the quarter of £35 5/6d this being settled on 19 July 1746. An additional bill of 4/4d, dated 29 December 1745, for "Joseph Bower 1 day setting ye Jurn stright Upon ye oblisk by ye Castle" appears on a succeeding page [1] This last item appears to refer to the bronze disc on the monument, alas now missing.
Comment: It is similar to Queen Anne's Obelisk at Rockley Lodge, Stainborough and that at Birdwell.
References: [1] Extracts from the Wentworth Castle Estates Records. p.95-7
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