Originally produced for UHI in fulfilment ofĀ History of the Highlands and Islands PGDip.
Sir Thomas Browne 1605 ā 1682 is known for his works on science, religion, and medicine. Browne studied medicine at Padua, Montpellier and eventually graduated in Leiden receiving a medical degree in 1633, thereafter settling in Norwich, Norfolk in 1637 where he practised medicine until his death in 1682. Today the former site of Browneās house is marked with a plaque giving brief overview of his life and works. The house no longer stands in its original form and the plaque is not immediately obvious being nestled between Pret a Manger and Thorntonās chocolatiers, but the city of Norwich has done much more to commemorate the life of Browne, and arguably one of its most successful and renowned citizens.
Browneās body was laid to rest in the nearby church of St Peter Mancroft, but unfortunately for him the skulls of famous men were popular in the nineteenth century! Browneās skull had been stolen from his coffin in 1840 and sold to a physician, who in 1847 presented it to the nearby Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. His skull was finally returned to his body in 1922. The chief physician at the hospital at the time was Sir Peter Eade (1825-1915), and was one of the leading figures behind the hospitalās refusal to return the skull. In September 1897 a committee formed and agreed that a statue of Browne should be erected at the top of Haymarket. The statue is larger than lifesize and depicts him deep in thought, pondering a shattered piece of burial urn. The urn in question was the subject of his 1658 work Hydriotaphia. In 1905 the statue was eventually erected, and it still stands in its original location today ā looking towards the physicianās former home.
Yet frustratingly for those who may be interested to learn more about Browne there is little information available around the statue. It occupies a busy part of the city centre, and is easily overlooked ā particularly as the memorial is not at eye level. Furthermore it is not the easiest location in which to appreciate the figure. What may have once been a clear area of the city, and formerly a grass area, is now concrete, and filled with an installation which also commemorates Browne. The installation was commissioned in 2005, and still the story is not a straightforward one. Originally the design was for the main market site of the city, but with market traders unhappy with this the artists were asked to create a piece for the Haymarket site. What resulted from the project is a series of street furniture intended to make an empty area of land into a more enjoyable space, whilst also creating a nice place to sit and relax within the city centre. The sculptures are intriguing and definitely raise questions for the public ā they are all based on the works of Browne, with some pieces containing the names of his works.Ā The sculptures are arranged in a pattern known as a āquinconceā or āquincunxā, a five-pointed diamond shape which Browne believed existed throughout nature. However without prior knowledge they make very little sense, and there is little information available in the vicinity for those to wish to find out more. The plinth of the statue gives a brief overview of his life, but the works do not, at first glance, tie together. They feel entirely separate.
Unfortunately the site is not used as intended. While it is used by busy shoppers and those just wishing to take a break from a hectic day it is usually occupied by groups of the cityās homeless. The street furniture offers a site of refuge for those who have nowhere comfortable to go, and also it is used as the base for charities who offer food provision for those in need. This has come under criticism from local councillors who see the site as a āhotspot for crime, drugs, street drinking, and anti-social behaviourā (Eastern Daily Press, 28th June 2018) ā yet as long as people continue to be in need there will be a use for the street furniture beyond its original purpose.
Thomas Browneās memorial has been the subject of many controversies ā beginning with the splitting of his coffin plate and subsequent theft of his skull. Although it is not Browne himself who is the subject of the current controversies it is his memorial site which is raising issues. Memorials are a site of public remembrance, and the sites where the general public come into contact with history. They are prompts to discover more about a person or event, and in the case of Sir Thomas Browne they can have fascinating story behind them.
Statue of Sir Thomas Browne and St Peter Mancroft Church pictured behind.
A rare quiet moment on Haymarket showing the street furniture. Notice the can of lager left behind on a table?
A site dedicated to Sir Thomas Browne http://www.sirthomasbrowne.org.uk/
āConcerns raised over handouts to rough sleepers in centre of Norwichā Eastern Daily Press, http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/haymarket-homeless-food-services-1-5581093
Recording Archive for Public Sculpture in Norfolk & Suffolk http://www.racns.co.uk/sculptures.asp?action=getsurvey&id=307
[Images all authorsās own]
Ā Sir Thomas Browne ā A Man ofĀ Controversy? Originally produced for UHI in fulfilment ofĀ History of the Highlands and Islands PGDip. Sir Thomas Browne 1605 ā 1682 is known for his works on science, religion, and medicine.
