John Bell
Monument to James Montgomery, 1860
Cathedral Precinct
bronze on stone plinth

Description:
Bronze statue of James Montgomery, 'The Christian Poet', cast by the Coalbrookdale Iron Company. The monument carries a conventional inscription, recalling Montgomery's associations with the religious life of Sheffield in the early nineteenth century, also verses written by Montgomery.

Commission:
Public Subscription, the money raised through Sheffield Sunday Schools.

Comment:
People in Sheffield still remember singing his hymns when they attended Sunday School. When these photographs were taken the photographer was approached by a passerby who spoke highly of Montgomery's work, and also stated that this memorial was important and relevant to her.

About the artist:
John Bell (1811-1895) was the sculptor of the Guards Crimean Monument in Waterloo Place, London, which was also erected in 1860.