91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Bust

01 Croydon - Edmund Halley

Site: Whitgift and others (17 memorials)

CR9, Katharine Street, Croydon Public Library

Built in 1892 by Charles Henman Jr. this heavily decorated complex of buildings makes up Croydon's Town Hall. The building and the roundels are covered at . Each of the five bays of the frieze carries three portrait roundels. The names, wreathed in either oak or laurel leaves, are given along the tops of the windows just below the pediments, listed here left to right. Ornamental Passions assumes they are all the work of Edwin Roscoe Mullins who did other work on this part of the building.

You would have thought that by 1892 the spelling of Shakespeare would have been sorted out. But this is not the first time we have seen it as "Shakespere" on buildings around this date. Perhaps it was a nod to the fashion for historical romanticism. Of course, in the 16th century, spelling had not settled down, to the extent that Shakespeare himself was inconsistent. His marriage certificate (necessary because at 18 he was under-age) has his name spelt as Shagspeare, accidentally, we are sure.

Archbishop Tillotson takes pride of place at the centre of these portraits. He was born almost 30 years after Whitgift's death and, like Whitgift, became Archbishop of Canterbury. Other than that we can find no reason for his honoured presence here.

Improbably, "Croydon" derives from the Anglo Saxon for "Crocus Valley" (ref: )

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
01 Croydon - Edmund Halley

Subjects commemorated i

Dr Edmond Halley

Astronomer. born Haggerston, London. Correctly predicted the return of a come...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
01 Croydon - Edmund Halley

Created by i

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
01 Croydon - Edmund Halley

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Dickens bust - SW1

Dickens bust - SW1

SW1, Parliament Street, 48, Red Lion Inn

These two busts are above the second floor bay windows, Dickens on Parliament Street, Chaucer on the return in Derby Gate. The building ...

1 subject commemorated
Lenin - Holford Gardens - bust

Lenin - Holford Gardens - bust

WC1, Holford Gardens, Bevin Court

This memorial was given to the people of Finsbury by the Russian Embassy in London and unveiled on Lenin's birthday. We understand that i...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Guildhall - Whittington statue

Guildhall - Whittington statue

EC2, Guildhall Yard, Guildhall

Dick stands in front of a milestone showing he is in Highgate (3 miles from London) with his cat rubbing up against his torn leggings, an...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Warrington Hotel - Handel bust

Warrington Hotel - Handel bust

W9, Randolph Avenue, Warrington Hotel

The busts are on the Randolph Avenue elevation, at first floor level. We've numbered them left to right. The listing text mentions the bu...

1 subject commemorated
Kensington Library - Caxton

Kensington Library - Caxton

W8, Philimore Walk, Kensington Central Library

The library, by E. Vincent Harris and opened in 1960, is the building to the south, the left of our picture. The Library Time Machine mus...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator