Vernon March

Born 1891
Died 11 June 1930

Active: 1907 - 1930

Country of birth and death: England

Sculptor

Born in Sutton, Yorkshire. Son of George Henry March (born c.1843 in Sutton, Yorkshire). He worked as a seed crusher (oil miller) in Yorkshire and then as a builder's clerk when the family moved to London c.1900. Eight of the March children became artists, and three of them sculptors (Sydney, Elsie and Vernon). The other artist siblings were Edward (1873-1941), Percival (born c.1878), Frederick (born c.1881), Dudley (1885-1962) and Walter (born c.1889). They lived and worked for most of their careers at the family home of Goddendene in Kent. The Marches, including their mother, Elizabeth, and father, George Henry, are buried at St. Giles Church, Farnbough, Kent. The grave is marked by a bronze statue by Sydney March, dating from 1922.

In January 1926, Vernon won the competition to design the National War Memorial of Canada in Ottawa. His winning design was for a memorial arch surmounted by Peace and included a large group (twenty-three figures) representing the eleven branches of the Canadian forces engaged in the First World War. Work on the memorial began in 1926 under the auspices of Canada's Department of Public Works. However, Vernon died of pneumonia in 1930 before completing the commission. Six of his siblings, including Elsie March, finished the large figure groups by 1932. The family are said to have cast the bronzes at Goddendene. In 1937, after the memorial groups had been shown in London, they were transported to Ottawa and the memorial arch was constructed. The unveiling ceremony took place on 21 May 1939.

In a catalogue entry for a bust of Harry Beasley by Elsie March owned by the British Museum, Aileen Dawson notes a sale of 168 lots comprising pictures, watercolours, drawings and sculpture by six members of the March family: Edward, Sydney, Henry (1879-1962), Elsie, Dudley and Vernon which was held at Sotheby's, Belgravia, on 2 August 1982.

This record includes information supplied by Claire Garrett. The details of the bust of Harry Beasley and the information about the March family compiled by Aileen Dawson can be found at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/search_object_details.aspx?objectid=31695&partid=1&searchText=elsie+march&fromADBC=ad&toADBC=ad&numpages=10&orig=%2fresearch%2fsearch_the_collection_database.aspx¤tPage=1 (accessed 8 February 2012) There is further information about the National War Memorial of Canada in Ottawa at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_War_Memorial_%28Canada%29 (accessed 8 February 2012)

Wealth at death: £1,772 7s. 2d.
Probate date: 19 August 1930

Citing this record

'Vernon March', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib6_1250677094, accessed 01 Oct 2023]

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