Overview
St Michael Cornhill War Memorial is Richard Goulden's powerful 1920 tribute to people working in the City parish who served in the First World War. More than 2,000 office workers volunteered and at least 170 died. A bronze Saint Michael protects children while beasts destroy one another, turning the church's patron saint into a clear picture of protection, violence and hoped-for peace.
Why it was made
The united parish raised the memorial because the dead were generally buried overseas and local families and workmates needed a place to mourn. It recorded service connected with the offices of St Michael Cornhill and two absorbed parishes.
People and events
Sculptor Richard Reginald Goulden, himself a wartime Royal Engineer, designed the bronze group. A. B. Burton cast it, and Lord Mayor James Roll unveiled it on 1 November 1920 during a service led by the rector.
How it worked
Saint Michael raises a flaming sword above two fighting beasts and a group of children. The design contrasts destructive strife with protected life and brotherhood. An inscription gives the scale of volunteering and known deaths rather than listing every name outside.
What remains
The bronze group and Portland-stone pedestal remain attached to the church porch. The names are preserved separately inside on a roll of honour. The outdoor memorial is protected at Grade II* with the Grade I church.
Why it mattered
The monument records the war's effect on a daytime business community as well as permanent residents. Its imagery explains what those losses meant to survivors, and its exact numbers preserve the size of service and death within one working parish.
History checked 15 August 2026 against the named sources below.
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