The War Memorial at Port Sunlight

Image: © Gerald Massey Taken: 2 Aug 2008

Port Sunlight, so named after the famous brand of "Sunlight Soap", is a model village and 'Conservation Area' on the Wirral Peninsula between Lower Bebington and New Ferry. It was the brainchild of Lord Leverhulme, who built the Village to house the employees of Lever Brothers. Its fine war memorial, by Sir William Goscombe John R.A.., lies at the end of a long tree-lined boulevard at the far end of which is the Lady Lever Art Gallery (1922). Lord Lever was anxious to erect a memorial to those from the Port Sunlight area who fell in the Great War. In 1917, he commissioned Goscombe John to translate his dream into reality. The result was a huge stone mound with a central cross representing English village life, surrounded by a series of bronze statues and reliefs with the theme being "in defence of home and country". The project was completed in 1921, and in keeping with all that Lever stood for, the opening ceremony was performed by two Lever Brother's employees. Thus The Times on 5th December, 1921 . . . . "Ex-Sergeant Eames, an old employee of Lever Brothers, who was blinded at the first battle of the Somme, unveiled at Port Sunlight on Saturday a war memorial to 481 members of Lever's and associated companies who fell during the war. Eames was selected by ballot of his comrades for the honour, and he was guided to his position by Private Cruikshank, V.C. The memorial is placed in the centre of the village and is the work of Sir W. Goscombe John. Services were held in all churches in the district and the congregations marched in procession to the memorial. Lord Leverhulme gave an address."

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