Richard Andrews
The Richard Andrews Memorial East Park
Richard Andrews is often referred to as the Dick Whittington of Southampton comparing his journey of rags to riches [although as far as we know Richard did not possess a cat!] He was born at Bishop's Sutton in 1798 and he was to receive the most basic of education at a dame's school. Apprenticed as a wheelwright at an early age, he walked several miles each day to and from his place of work. He married at the age of 20,which in those days was a very early age for a man to support a family. At the age of 21 he decided to walk to Southampton to seek employment. Richard promised his wife that as soon as he was settled he would return to collect her and their child. With the sum of half a crown as his savings [12 and half pence] he started his long journey.
Richard was soon settled in Southampton with his family and after a few years established his own carriage building works in Above Bar. Within 10 years he was employing a 100 man work force and his high quality carriages were often exported to various parts of the empire.
Richard was known as a fair employer and with strong non conformist religious views became known for his philanthropic activities. He decided to enter into politics and became mayor on 5 occassions staring from 1849 for three successive years. He was known for furthering the interests of the town including persuading shipping companies to use the port when bringing overseas visitors to the Great Exhibition in London in 1851.
Andrews' coach building works Above Bar
On his death in 1859 a somewhat unusual problem occurred in that being a former mayor the town council wanted to show their attendance and respect at Southampton Cemetery. Richard was to be buried in a non conformist area of the cemetery but the Town Clerk cautioned against the mayor and sheriff displaying robes of office or carrying the mace as a badge of office. The law prevented this other than at a funeral of the state religion [Church of England]. Councillors disobeying the law could be fined up to £100 on conviction and a lifetime ban from holding a public office. The council members did attend with several hundred mourners but in their plain dress.
The grave is mounted by a large column and rests next to his life long friend Sampson Payne [a road in Freemantle is named after him].
It is not without some irony that Sampson Payne's family got around the difficulty that non conformist burials could not have any civic tribute in that a cameo of Payne with the town coat of arms and two crossed maces are carved onto the memorial.
The council decided to name a park after Richard Andrews [now given the alternative East Park] and the Watts Park similarly named West Park.
A monument was erected [1860] and Richard Cockle Lucas who had completed the Isaac Watts Memorial and the Faith, Hope and Charity [Pearce Memorial] in Southampton Cemetery was quite convinced that he would be favoured. He lobbied several councillors to support him being commissioned. The council however decided to look elsewhere and appointed Benjamin Brain and a grand "wedding cake" design was erected. The limestone pillared base of a a triangular Gothic design however weathered badly and after some years the figure of Andrews was lifted off, the base demolished and the figure replaced at ground level. The majesty and dominance of the figure was now gone and it became a practice for the town's people to refer to it as "Stumpy Dick". In 1971 Southampton Council bowed to public
demand and reinstated the figure onto a plinth, a much plainer and more durable piece of art. The memorial is Grade II listed.
demand and reinstated the figure onto a plinth, a much plainer and more durable piece of art. The memorial is Grade II listed.