Bid for removal of blue plaque in Chichester for sculptor who abused his daughters

Eric Gill (1882-1940) was a sculptor, typographer and artist, born in Hamilton Road in Brighton, briefly lived in Chichester during his teenage years.

West Sussex County Council posthumously placed a commemorative plaque in memory of Eric Gill on the wall of 8 North Walls in Chichester to mark the 100th anniversary of Gill living at nearby 2 North Walls.

He lived there from 1897-99. He never lived in Chichester again but had close associations with the city all his life.

In 1989, Gill’s personal diaries were published by biographer Fiona McCartney, where Gill had detailed sexual abuse of his daughters as children, incestuous relationships within his family and sexual harassment of staff.

This has led more recently for calls for his works to be removed from public buildings.

West Sussex County Council received a request in 2022 to remove the plaque in light of Eric Gill’s alleged history of abuse.

And it seemed the council agreed with the request, as it has applied for planning permission to Chichester District Council for the removal of the plaque.

In the planning application, West Sussex County Council said: “The County Council recognises that Gill was a talented artist of importance but considers that his history of abusing is not compatible with the County Council’s children’s social care responsibility, which is an absolute priority for the County Council, nor with the accepted norms and values of our society.

"The County Council therefore seeks permission to remove the blue plaque but would retain the plaque at the nearby West Sussex Record Office.

“The Council considered whether some sort of contextual information should be attached to the plaque but did not consider this suitable as a solution, considering it more proportionate to remove the plaque from public view and save it at the Record Office as a place for cultural archives relevant to the area.

“If the plaque remains in place, given the continuing public interest in the backgrounds to public figures who may be commemorated, there appears to be a risk of the plaque being damaged, stolen, or forcefully removed with risk of damage to the stonework to which it is attached.”