A monument created by Mary Seton Watts was rededicated following conservation work at St Andrew’s Church, Meonstoke.

The tribute to Dorothy Marshall Lawrence was rededicated at a service on Sunday March 12, led by the Rev Canon Anthony Hulbert.

Made from terracotta, the historic monument was first created a century ago by craftswoman and designer Mary Seton Watts.

Conservation work was recently carried out on the piece, which is unusual for Mary’s work but necessary due to damage. This was undertaken by Patricia Jackson, a top conservator, and potter Mick Pinner of West Meon Pottery. The work was made possible by a number of local volunteers, as well as funding from the family, the Pilgrim Trust and ChurchCare.

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The piece features four angels, and to celebrate the occasion the church was decorated with paper angels made by the school children of Meonstoke CofE Infant School, as well as photos of the family. Amongst the congregation were members of the family, some of whom had travelled from Kent and Suffolk, as well as the conservator.

A talk was given by Hilary Calvert about the artist, Mary Seton Watts, who founded the Compton Potters’ guild in 1898 and also designed and built the Watts Mortuary Chapel in Compton, Surrey.

Angela Peagram, church warden at St. Andrews’s, said: “We are thrilled that this beautiful work of art has now been brought back to its former glory, as a fitting tribute to Dorothy Lawrence, thanks to the painstaking work of the conservator and the skills of the potter.”