St George's Church Memorial Cross, Deal

Heritage listing

Details The memorial stands in front of St George’s Church (Grade II*-listed) on Deal High Street. It takes the form of a 3m tall granite Celtic cross, with a wheel-head cross set on a tapering shaft. The arms of the cross are decorated with interlace patterns carved in relief, and a central boss surrounded by 12 small hemispheres. The front face of the shaft is divided by horizontal bars into three sections. The uppermost section is a blind panel. The middle section bears the Tisdall arms carved in relief. A bronze of the Victoria Cross, hanging from a wreath, is mounted on the lower section. Encircled by the wreath is a bronze of the reverse side of the University of Cambridge’s Chancellor’s Medal for Classical Learning. The form of the wreath mirrors the wreath depicted on the medal, decorating the base of a statue of Athena. The heraldic achievement of Deal is carved in relief near the base of the rear of the shaft. Below this a dedication in applied metal lettering reads IN PROUD & LOVING MEMORY/ OF THE MEN WHO FROM/ THE PARISH & CONGREGATION/ OF ST GEORGE’S DEAL/ HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR COUNTRY The shaft is set on a tapering plinth, on which are recorded dedications and names in applied metal lettering: (East face) AD · GLORIAM · DEI/ TO THE BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL MEMORY OF/ ARTHUR WALDERNE ST CLAIR TISDALL, V.C./ SUB LIEUT. R.N.V.R/ SCHOLAR OF TRINITY COLLEGE (B.A. DOUBLE 1ST CL. HON.)/ & CHANCELLOR’S GOLD MEDALLIST IN THE/ UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE/ SON OF REV. W. ST. C. TISDALL, D.D./ VICAR OF ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH, DEAL,/ & OF MARIAN (NÉE GRAY) HIS WIFE/ BORN JULY 21, 1890, KILLED FIGHTING GALLANTLY/ IN THE ATTACK ON ACHI BABA, GALLIPOLI,/ MAY 6, 1915 (North face) ALSO OF HIS BROTHER/ JOHN THEODORE ST. CLAIR TISDALL./ LIEUT. 1ST THE KING’S (LIVERPOOL) REGT./

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.