91³Ô¹ÏÍø

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

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:
Caxton Hall - foundation stone

Subjects commemorated i

Caxton Hall

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

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

William Lee and F. J. Smith

Architects active in 1882.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

W. & D. McGregor

Builders active in 1882.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Sir Francis Burdett

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

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

John Harris

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

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

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...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

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.

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Caxton Hall - head 2 - Caxton

Caxton Hall - head 2 - Caxton

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

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Caxton Hall - head 4 - unidentified

Caxton Hall - head 4 - unidentified

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

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Nearby Memorials

Cheyne Walk heads - More and Erasmus

Cheyne Walk heads - More and Erasmus

SW3, Cheyne Walk, 15

No inscription remains legible but we believe we've found the painting used as the model for the head on the right and it's Erasmus.  So ...

2 subjects commemorated
Prince of Wales WW2 bomb - lost

Prince of Wales WW2 bomb - lost

SW9, Clapham Road, 294

This image comes from Paradise Memorial Garden. SarfLondonDunc informs that the plaque's absence was noticed  by someone on 18 Nov 2009,...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
John Francis Sartorius

John Francis Sartorius

SW3, Old Church Street, 155

London County Council John F. Sartorius, c1775 - c1830, sporting painter, lived here, 1807 - 1812.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Donald McGill - SE3

Donald McGill - SE3

SE3, Bennett Park, 5

The Guardian archives hold their article about this plaque being erected, and it contains some good saucy jokes, e.g. Judge: "You are pre...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Mary Quant 1 - replaced

Mary Quant 1 - replaced

SW3, Kings Road, 138a

The blue plaque was unveiled by Quant's son Orlando Plunkett Greene in September 2019 and by August 2020 it had been replaced with the pu...

2 subjects commemorated