England Expects...

This is a part of the sculpture at the back of Liverpool's town hall. It was the first public art work in Liverpool and was designed by Matthew Wyatt, sculpted by Richard Westmacott and unveiled in October 1813. One might be forgiven for thinking that it was to serve as a reminder of the horrors of slavery and its significance in the building of Liverpool. In fact it is part of a sculpture commemorating Nelson's victories. The full inscription reads "England expects every man to do his duty" and there are four chained French prisoners around the base. But William Roscoe, who was a prominent campaigner against slavery, was a major donor to this work, so that it is indeed reasonable that the sculpture should also be seen as providing us with a reminder of the horrors of slavery.