Archibald Knox (1864-1933) Commemorative Plaques

Cresswell describes Knox's work and life as an enigma. in that his underlying inspiration and motivation remain elusive. Unique amongst artists and designers Knox designed many memorial stones, nearly all on the Isle of Man and all inspired by, though seldom copies of, the Manx carved cross slabs and especially of the interlaced patterns found on many. Knox was also an Anglo-Catholic and some of this comes across, especially in his use of the 'sacred heart' motif for many of the 'O's in the lettering - it has been remarked that the lower the church of the those memorialised the more hearts Knox gave them ! It is interesting that apart from that for uncle John Knox he produced no designs for any close members of his family.

Most of the memorials are in Douglas, either at New Braddan cemetery or in the Borough cemetery; they are generally easy to identify being very distinctive both in design and lettering. However, though the Island is free from industrial pollution, the wind and rain of some 70 or more years has left some of the stones in less than pristine condition.

Knox worked mainly with Thomas Quayle, stone mason and sculptor, and his stonemasons (Quayles son and grandson were all masons). Knox's first memorial was for the daughter of Thomas Quayle and was apparently sculpted by Thomas Quayle himself who left the various panels for members of the family.

The exact number of Knox designed memorials is not known - it is thought to be about 36; some designs have been challenged by Miss Annie Knox (niece) and Tim Quayle (grandson of Thomas) as not by Knox. The Manx Museum has a 1964 collection of photographs, some with annotation attributed to Annie Knox or Tim Quayle - the deterioration in the last 40 years is quite marked.

(In order of inscription - not necessarily design or execution)

	Thumbnail Image (on CD_ROM click thru for larger image)			Location (grave)
1896		21st June.	Catherine Louise Quayle Now quite badly weathered	New Braddan (S2/4378).
1899		18th April.	Dorothy Gell (dates from 1921 - 1899 commemorates death of a child)	New Braddan. (S3/4212)
1899		15th May.	Robert Gell Identical in design to that of Dorothy Gell - the two stones are side by side.	New Braddan. (S3/4212)
1900		26th May	Nina (Jane Isable) Moughtin (Shaw nee Moughtin). The first of a small group of wheel/ring headed crosses (Moughtin, Beale, Liberty & Dawsey)	New Braddan.
1901		10th September.	James Beale. The lettering does not appear to be designed by Knox - however it is set in a panel with typical Knox outline.	New Braddan.(S3/4552)
1903			William Twigg Hale (not on list but surely lettering is Knox's) Tim Quayle is recorded in a annotation on the reverse of a set of photographs in the Manx Museum as saying 'Definitely not Knox'	New Braddan
1904		25th March.	David Kewley Dawsey. The lettering was originally picked out in Indian Red - apparently Knox's preferred colour.	New Braddan. (S3/5366)
1912		25th September.	Catherine Skillicorn.	Onchan Parish. (in old section far corner - needs cleaning and some TLC) Apparently the stone was picked, almost at random, by members of the family as it had been cut (but not lettered) without a specific client in mind.
1914		10th March. .	Margaret Lace.	Old Marown - a large flat tomb to the south of the church in a small but very overgrown yard (good shoes necessary + tolerance to nettles !). Weathering and location make it very difficult to appreciate
1914		24th March.	John Millar Nicholson. A non-Quayle stone	Borough Cemetery.(G 49/50)
1915		3rd December	Phillip Henry Cannell.	New Braddan (S3/4167)
1917		13 Mar	John Knox The stones form a sort of tray around the grave, the cross is on the head end,the lettering on the left hand side can be barely made out and proved impossible to obtain a small photograph in which any lettering was visible	Lezayre (near far wall, centre of yard)
1917		11th May.	Sir Arthur Lazenby Liberty. (on reverse of cross)	Lee Cemetery, Buckinghamshire (to south of Lee New Church in a small private section of graveyard)
1917		31st December.	Peter Milne.	Borough Cemetery. (D 21 along path)
1918		2 January	Joseph & William Lace (sons of Margaret Lace) (not in list but surely lettering is Knox's)	Marown (New)
1919		24th January.	Charles Michael Parkinson.	Borough Cemetery.(G 74)
1920		14th June.	Margaret Adela Thomason.	Onchan Parish. (central part of yard not far from church porch)
1921		20th April.	Jane Ashburner. The lettering is now almost impossible to read - thought to be the least successful of Knox's designs	Borough Cemetery. (L 61)
1924		19th September.	Robert Knox. (the Knox designed lettering, top rh, is obscured by the regilding work - the other lettering post dates Knox's death.	New Braddan. (S3/3786)
1925		24th April.	Jane Christian Callister.	Borough Cemetery. (M 254)
1925		22nd October.	John Collister.	Borough Cemetery. (G 124)
1929		17th November.	Kennaugh, William, Robert.	New Braddan. (S3/3441)
1930		5th December.	Katherine Douglas.	Borough Cemetery. (NE 233)
1931		31st August.	Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine	Kirk: Maughold.
1933		22nd February.	Archibald Knox. The stone was originally designed for one of the Quayle family but apparently there was a family disagreement and following Knox's sudden death it was thought appropriate to use one of his designs for his own grave.	New Braddan. (S3/3506)
1940		22nd February.	Canon John Quine. Unlike the other designs it is angular - Annie Knox claims that it was actually Quine's own design (though as Quine was a great friend of Knox, the latter may have had a hand). Tim Quayle however is on record as saying that Knox personally drew the design direct onto the massive slate (it is probably the largest memorial on the Island)	Lonan
1942			Mary Agnes & Letitia Kelly The stone is badly weathered and the design is barely visible (presumeably the lettering, though in the style of Knox, was done after his death)	New Marown (west yard).
1945		28th November.	Richard Lace.	Borough Cemetery. (ND 91)
	?		William Edward Callister.	Originally in Onchan ? No longer on Island.

War Memorials - all date 1919-1921

	G.P.O. Staff War Memorial.	Post Office, Regent Street, Douglas.(currently 2004 temporarily removed whilst building work in progress - to be replaced 'shortly') (thanks to IOM Post for photo)
	Kirk Michael War Memorial.	Kirk Michael.
	Lonan and Laxey, 2 War Memorials.	All Saints, Laxey.
	Onchan Parish War Memorial. .	Onchan
TBA	Manx Advocates War Memorial.	Douglas Court House.
	St Barnabas's Church R.O.H.	Entrance Foyer St George's Church, Douglas (original church demolished)
	St. Thomas's Church War Memorial.	Douglas
	St. Matthew's Church War Memorial. (The lettering is by Knox but now virtually unreadable)	Douglas
	St. Ninian's School War Memorial	Douglas.
	Roll of Honour for the Scholars of St. Ninians. Illuminated Manuscript.	St. Ninian's School, Douglas.

Other Commemorative Work

1902-3	Commemorative plaque for the visit of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Sulby Bridge	(no longer extant).
1902-1919	Lord Raglan. Plaque.	Onchan Parish Church.
1914-1915	The Deers Cry. Illuminated manuscript.	Manx Museum.
1930	T. E. Brown. Centenary plaque.	Manx: Museum.

References

Yvonne Cresswell Designs and Beliefs set in Stone pp147/161 in S Martin Archibald Knox London: Artmedia (ISBN 1-902889-02-9) 2001

Kate Turner The Memorial Work of Archibald Knox on the Isle of Man - thesis for Chelsea College of Art 1987 - Manx Museum MD15155

Edith Quaggin The Memorial Designs of Archibald Knox n.d.[?1997] - A-level course work - Manx Museum MS09947


		A. Knox

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley , 2004