Moving a masterpiece

Come behind the scenes and see how one of the largest monuments in the Abbey was relocated.

The memorial – to William Murray, Lord Mansfield – is made up of 95 individual pieces of carved Italian marble and weighs a total of around 29 tonnes. Watch as it is moved back to its original position in the north transept, from where it was relocated in the 1930s to free up space.

Murray was born in at Scone Abbey in Perth in March 1705. He served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1756-88 and played a decisive role in ending slavery in England with his judgment in the case of James Somerset, which found that slavery had no basis in common law.

Murray died in 1793 and was buried in the Abbey. The memorial was dedicated close to his grave in 1801. It was executed by the sculptor John Flaxman, and Murray’s figure is based on a portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Murray is depicted wearing judicial robes and holding a parchment scroll. He is flanked by the figures of Wisdom and Justice.

The memorial was moved to a new position in the north transept in 1933 but has now been painstakingly dismantled and re-erected by specialist conservators.

The work is part of our preparations for opening The King Charles III Sacristy - a new building which will transform the welcome we offer our visitors. The Sacristy is being constructed adjoining the north side of the church, and the relocation of the memorial will allow access into the new building from the transept.

Our thanks to sculpture conservators Lynne Humphries and Joe Jones, stonemason Matt Blake, and all those involved in the project for their care and expertise in returning the memorial to its original home.