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Plaque

Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Erection date: 29/3/1882

Inscription

The Town Hall Westminster
This foundation stone was laid March 29th 1882 by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, youngest daughter of the late Sir Francis Burdett Bart., member of Parliament for this City.
John Harris - Clerk to Vestry and District Board of Works
Lee & Smith - architects
W. & D. McGregor - builders

Site: Caxton Hall (12 memorials)

SW1, Caxton Street, 10, Caxton Hall

The foundation stone is low down at the right hand side of the building. Above each of the two statues is a bust, both of the Greek god variety rather than any particular mortal.

The 8 terracotta portraits, numbered left to right, are above the ground floor windows. We have identified 4 with varying degrees of confidence and we think the others probably include: John Locke, Isaac Newton, John Wesley. But with only hair style, facial hair and collars to go on it's just a guessing game. Have a go, bearing in mind that you are looking for men considered laudable in 1882. And dead - we don't think living men were ever honoured in this way.

Sorry our photos are not too good, but then, we have to say, the terracotta portraits are not the best quality themselves, though not as bad as this one.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Subjects commemorated i

Caxton Hall

Originally designed as the Westminster City Hall. It was associated with the ...

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William Lee and F. J. Smith

Architects active in 1882.

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W. & D. McGregor

Builders active in 1882.

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Sir Francis Burdett

Born Derbyshire. Inherited the baronetcy from his grandfather. Married an hei...

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John Harris

Clerk to Vestry and District Board of Works, Westminster, 1882.

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Created by i

Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts

One of the great Victorian philanthropists who sought to rid London of its sl...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Also at this site i

Caxton Hall - head 1 - Milton

Caxton Hall - head 1 - Milton

But look at head 8 too, that's also a candidate for Milton.

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Caxton Hall - head 2 - Caxton

Caxton Hall - head 2 - Caxton

Normally both Chaucer and Caxton are shown with full beards but the facial ha...

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Caxton Hall - head 4 - unidentified

Caxton Hall - head 4 - unidentified

Possibly John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester. His hat is spot on (possibly sta...

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Nearby Memorials

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Robert Hooke - Monument Street

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Tower of London execution site - c.1910

Tower of London execution site - c.1910

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This image came from Twitter via Londonist, and from the children's clothes must be about 1910. 2020: Terje Hartberg contacted us via Tw...

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Sir Frederick Treves

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