Newbury Abbot Trent (14 October 1885 – 2 August 1953) was an English sculptor and medallist. Trent studied at the Royal College of Art and Royal Academy Schools, where he became an associate. His works include reliefs, statues and other forms of sculpture. Many of his most notable works are war memorials in England, Scotland and Wales.
Background
Newbury Abbot Trent was born in Forest Gate in Essex on 14 October 1885. He was one of eleven children of Walter F. Trent who was a builder and ship fitter by trade.Newbury Abbot Trent, Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951 website, University of Glasgow; accessed 22 July 2024.Newbury Abbot Trent (1885-1953), The Victoria Web website; accessed 22 July 2024. His relative was the cinema architect William Edward Trent.<ref
When Newbury was about eleven years old, the painter and arts administrator Thomas Armstrong recognised his artistic talent when he discovered the boy drawing at the South Kensington Museum. Armstrong, whose own son had died at about the same age, persuaded Newbury's parents to allow him to adopt the boy and bring him up as an artist. Trent received early tuition at an art school at West Ham. In 1894 he gained an art scholarship to the Royal College of Art, where he studied for five years. In 1900 Trent entered the Royal Academy Schools.Notable Londoners, an Illustrated Who's Who of Professional and Business Men (1922), London: London Publishing Agency, page 15; accessed 22 July 2024.
In 1902 Trent was awarded a commission in open competition for a memorial to King Edward VII at Brighton and Hove. Other major commissions during his career included the recumbent effigy of Dean Pigou in Bristol Cathedral and war memorials at New Barnet, Beckenham, Wanstead, Ilford, Tredegar and Wallsend.
Trent married (Phyllis) Hilda Ledward who was the daughter of the sculptor Richard Arthur Ledward (1857–90) and sister to Gilbert Ledward (1888–1960). They had two daughters: Margaret (Peggy) and Jennifer 1917–2002, who both trained as architects.
Trent became an Associate of the Royal Academy and worked throughout his life from a studio on Beaufort Street, Chelsea, London.
Trent made many friezes and bas relief panels for various cinemas in the Gaumont group. His relative William Edward Trent was the chief architect for Gaumont. At least seven Gaumont cinemas designed featured sculptural works by Trent (New Victoria Cinema, Westminster, London (now the Apollo Victoria Theatre) 1930; Gaumont Palace, Hammersmith (now the Hammersmith Apollo), 1932; Gaumont Palace Theatre, Taunton (now Mecca Bingo) 1932; Gaumont Palace, Cheltenham, 1934, now demolished; Gaumont Palace, King's Road, Chelsea, London (now the Curzon Chelsea Cinema) 1934; Gaumont Palace, Doncaster 1934, now demolished; and Gaumont Theatre, North Finchley, London, 1937, now demolished.
Newbury Abbot Trent died on 2 August 1953. His cremation took place at Putney Vale Crematorium.Newbury Abbot Trent, National Portrait Gallery website; accessed 22 July 2024.
Works
List of works The following is a partial list of Trent's work, other than war memorials. (See W. E. Trent for a partial list of the cinemas for which Newbury Abbot Trent provided sculptures, friezes and plaques.)