Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (1769-1852)

Biography

Wellington was renowned as one of the leading military and political leaders of the nineteenth century. He made his early reputation in India, becoming famous as the British commander during the Peninsular War and achieving immortality due to his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo.

He had a very eventful life which included:

• Early Indian Campaigns, 1797-1803, including his first victory as Major General at the battle of Assay, 23 September 1803.
• Chief Secretary for Ireland, 1807-1808
• Served as the commander in chief of the Anglo-Portuguese army during the Peninsular war, 1808-1814.
• Successful campaigning in Spain leading to the liberation from Napoleon, 1812-1814.
• Commanded British forces at the battle of Waterloo, leading to the defeat of Napoleon (18th June 1815).
• Prime minister, 1828-1830.
• Elected chancellor of Oxford University, 1834.
• died at Walmer Castle in the afternoon of 14 September 1852 following a stroke early that morning.
• His burial at St Paul's Cathedral on 18 November was the occasion for probably the most ornate and spectacular funeral ever seen in England.

Context

The statue was unveiled by Queen Victoria when she opened the Leeds Town Hall in 1858. It was re-sited from the Town Hall in 1937 and placed near Hyde Park Corner in Leeds, where it remains today.

The reception of this statue over time has dramatically changed due to the Duke’s ties to imperialism on the Indian subcontinent. Even though he is most well-known for the defeat of Napoleon, it is important to not overlook his Indian campaigns, which not only established his military reputation, but also helped to sustain colonial rule and the exploitation of the people of India. In recent times, the statue’s boots have been graffitied red to represent the blood shed due to imperialism.

The statue

Date Erected:
Erected in 1854 but not unveiled until 1858, which coincided with the opening of the Town Hall

Artist:
Carlo Giovanni Battista Baron Marochetti (1805 - 1867)

Commissioned / funded by:
£1500 raised by the leading citizens of Leeds in the wake of Wellington’s death.

Format and materials:
Bronze, with a polished granite pedestal and square section with cornice and plinth.

Location:
Currently resides on the South-east corner of Woodhouse Moor, Moorland Road

Description:
The statue pictures the Duke of Wellington in full military outfit, standing with his right arm on his hip and his left arm holding a plumed hat.

Sources

• British Library. THE LEEDS MERCURY. Thursday, Sept. 9, 1858. Issue: 6844.
• Gash, N. (2011). Wellesley [formerly Wesley], Arthur, first duke of Wellington. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Historic England. (2021). STATUE OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON ON SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WOODHOUSE MOOR.
• Ward-Jackson, P. (2008). Marochetti, (Pietro) Carlo Giovanni Battista, Baron Marochetti in the nobility of Sardinia. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

[Image by 'Chemical Engineer' via Wikimedia Commons]