Mermaid Sculpture in The Guild of Students Builidng - The University of Birmingham - Edgbaston, Birmingham, U.K.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Mike_bjm
N 52° 26.972 W 001° 55.615
30U E 572926 N 5811579
A stone mermaid sculpture in the entrance lobby area inside the Guild of Students Building at the University of Birmingham.
Waymark Code: WM12G66
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/21/2020
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 2

A stone mermaid sculpture in the entrance lobby area inside the Guild of Students Building at the University of Birmingham which was formally part of the facade of the University building in Edmund Street in the city centre.

The plaque on the wooden plinth on which the sculpture is displayed gives the following information about the Mermaid:

'THIS STATUE WAS PART OF THE FACADE OF
THE UNIVERSITY BUILDING IN
EDMUND STREET, BIRMINGHAM.
(DEMOLISHED IN 1962) WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY
THE MASON SCIENCE COLLEGE. FOUNDED IN 1875.
THE MERMAID WAS THE MOTIF ADOPTED BY
SIR JOSIAH MASON. THE FOUNDER.'


The Mason Science College building on Edmund Street in Birmingham was designed by Jethro Cossins and opened on 1 October 1890. (visit link)

Mason Science College was the predecessor of the University of Birmingham which received its Royal Charter in 1900. The last University departments vacated Edmund Street in 1961 are were relocated to the University's Edgbaston Campus. The building remained empty and unused until 1962 when it was demolished. The Mermaid Statue from the facade was however rescued.

"Sir Josiah Mason came from modest beginnings and created his own heraldic crest which includes our mermaid with mirror and comb along with a two-headed lion.

Mason was a self-made millionaire through various industrial concerns (most famously the manufacture of pen-nibs). He was a great philanthropist and he founded an orphanage and alms houses in Erdington – where the boys wore lion pins and the girls, mermaid pins.

He then established Mason Science College in Birmingham city centre in 1875. The College was the precursor of the University of Birmingham, which received its Royal Charter on 24 March 1900.

During the establishment of the University, the General Purposes Committee ensured that the mermaid and the two-headed lion were preserved in the University’s crest when they made the official application to the College of Arms."

This article goes on to say that:
"Arthur Charles Fox-Davies’ A Complete Guide to Heraldry states that he borrowed his symbols from unrelated Masons. It appears that he never sought consent to use the lion or mermaid for his family crest. He also neglected to apply to the College of Arms for permission to use these symbols for the crest of Mason Science College."

(visit link)

Possibly this could be the source:
"MASON (Hunningford, co. Huntingdon). Or, a lion ramp. with two heads az. Crest - A mermaid with comb and glass ppr."
An entry from 'The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time by Bernard Burke and John Burke

The Or (Yellow or gold) lion rampant (a lion depicted in profile, and erect, resting upon its left (sinister) hind-paw) and the mermaid with a comb and glass ppr. (glass proper = a mirror) and two of the heraldic elements on the University of Birmingham's shield and not just the lion which is shown as Sir Josiah Mason's shield.

'A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm.' (visit link)

'The helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest.' (visit link)

To differentiate his arms, Sir Josiah seems to have changed the colour of the Escutcheon from azure (blue) to gules (red).

"The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically it has been regarded as the "king of beasts."

An information board close to the new display gives the following information about Sir Josiah Mason.

'Sir Josiah Mason
Sir Josiah Mason founded the Mason Science College in Birmingham in 1875. His vision was to advance the study of science and provide Birmingham with a local workforce that could fuel the city of 1,000 trades through the industrial revolution. The College was the precursor and nucleus of the University of Birmingham as we know it today.’
(visit link)

The Guild Building is open to the public at the following times:
Term Time
Monday 08:00 – 21:00
Tuesday 08:00 – 22:00
Wednesday 08:00 – 21:00
Thursday: 08:00 – 22:00
Friday: 08:00 – 21:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 20:00
Sunday 10:00 – 20:00

Vacation
Monday – Friday: 08:30 – 17:00
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: 'Unknown'

Figure Type: Fantasy creature

Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: 'Unknown'

Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 'Unknown'

Materials used: Stone

Location: Inside the Guild of Students Builidng at University of Birmingham in Edgbaston.

Visit Instructions:
Please upload at least one photo you have personally taken of the sculpture and tell us a little about your impressions of the piece. Additional photos are always appreciated.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Figurative Public Sculpture
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
Poole/Freeman visited Mermaid Sculpture in The Guild of Students Builidng - The University of Birmingham - Edgbaston, Birmingham, U.K. 06/19/2019 Poole/Freeman visited it