During the long wars with France from 1793-1815, approximately 200,000 prisoners of war were incarcerated in the War Prisons of Britain. Of these, up to 7,000 were held at the prison camp of Norman Cross near Peterborough, where over 1,700 died.
In 1914 the Entente Cordiale Society erected a memorial to these men in the form of a bronze eagle created by the sculptor James Stevenson and placed atop a Doric column opposite the site of the prison. This monument became a well-known landmark for users of the A1 Great North Road which passes nearby, until the memorial was vandalised in 1990; the bronze eagle being stolen.
The Norman Cross Eagle Appeal has been instituted to raise the 30,000 pounds necessary to restore the memorial to these otherwise largely forgotten victims of war.
In 1796 the Transport Board of the Admiralty, who had responsibility for the custody of prisoners of war, ordered the construction of a prison at Norman Cross. It was built of wooden sections made in London and transported to the site where 500 carpenters and labourers worked day and night, seven days a week, to finish the depot within six months.
The first batch of 1,848 French prisoners arrived in 1797. At its peak the prison held 7,000 inmates of many nationalities, but mostly French, Dutch and German, guarded by a garrison of 500 troops drawn from the militia. Over the 17 years in which the prison was operational 1,770 inmates died; over 1,000 of these during an epidemic of enteric fever (probably typhoid) during 1800-1801. The remaining deaths were primarily from diseases such as consumption, dysentery and typhus.
The original site of the memorial was on the west side of the A1 at the edge of a field which is believed to have been the burial ground for the prison. Due to the extensive road developments taking place in the area, it will not be possible to replace the memorial on its original site. It will be replaced near the site of the prison depot at the intersection of the A1 and A15 roads, easily accessible for interested visitors.
The Norman Cross Eagle Appeal Committee has been formed by members of local and national organisations, reflecting not only the interest in the history of Peterborough, but also the heritage of Great Britain and other countries. Societies in France are actively involved to commemorate their countrymen who died at the depot. As a truly international project the Appeal has attracted support from organisations in Europe and North America.
The project has been honoured by His Grace the Duke of Wellington and Lady Lucinda Lambton (author and historian) becoming Patrons of the Appeal, which is soon to be a registered charity. The Appeal Trustees are drawn from the following organisations: Peterborough City Museum & Art Gallery; Friends of Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery; Peterborough City Council; Public Monuments and Sculpture Association; Smye, Holland Associates; the Napoleonic Association; the Napoleonic Society of America; Le Souvenir Francais. The Appeal Committee has been joined by the celebrated animal sculptor Sally Arnup, student of John Skeaping, who has modelled a new eagle to be cast in bronze. The original column will be restored and the new site will take into consideration the security and maintenance of the monument. Among other amenities, an historical interpretation panel will be included to complement the original bronze inscription panels that are still in place at the base of the column.
These plans are dependant on raising the necessary finance for the Appeal. Much valued assistance has been received from individuals, groups and commercial organisations world-wide, but funds are still needed to complete this important project.
We are in the Bicentenary of the wars with France. The restoration of the Norman Cross Eagle will be a fitting memorial to those who died in the service of their country, and a way of telling the story of Norman Cross to future generations. Please help the Appeal with your donation.
All who donate a minimum of £10 will receive a regular newsletter informing them of developments with the project. Please send your donation to:
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
The photograph shows the column prior to its destruction.
NORMAN CROSS
THE SITE
THE FUTURE
The Treasurer
The Norman Cross Eagle Appeal
c/o Peterborough City Museum
Priestgate, Peterborough PE1 1LF
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© Copyright 1996 by First Empire.
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