91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Plaque

The Round Table

Inscription

Round Table
The neighbourhood of St. Martins Lane was, in the middle of the Eighteenth century, the resort of 'horsy and fighting men'. The most popular house in the early days being 'Ben Caunts Head' after the Nottinghamshire giant who was at one time the landlord.
It was in these taverns that the fancy regularly met for many years and arranged historical fights including, in October 1805, the encounter between Jim Belcher and the Game Chicken, staged by Earl Grosvenor, Colonel Mellish and Captain Halliday.
The Round Table played its part during these times, putting up the American Champion, John C. Heenan, when he came to contest the belt with the valiant Tom Sayers, the famous Sussex fighter.
The sign of the Round Table indicated during these times that even-handed justice was observed within and that all corners were treated alike.
The present building dates back to 1877 when the area had major redevelopment to provide for a road between Oxford Street and Charing Cross. This reconstruction made available land which was bought and built upon by Sir Charles Wyndham, the famous Actor Manager, and so began the traditions of theatre land with the Wyndhams and Albery Theatres named after the owner and stepson respectively.
In the following years the Round Table has grown closer to the world of theatre and is a welcome meeting place for actors and audience alike.

Site: The Round Table (1 memorial)

WC2, St Martin's Court

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:
The Round Table

Subjects commemorated i

Jim Belcher (or Jem)

Boxer. Won the English heavyweight prize-fighting championship in 1800, retai...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

John C. Heenan

American boxer.  Born New York state.  Not the Archbishop, John Camel Heenan,...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Henry the 'Game Chicken' Pearce

Bare-knuckle prizefighter. Born in Bristol. He fought under the London Prize ...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tom Sayers

Boxer Born Pimlico. Worked as a bricklayer building King's Cross Station. Bec...

91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Show all 6

Nearby Memorials

Savoy - crown

Savoy - crown

WC2, Savoy Court

In 1903-10 the Savoy Hotel was built by Colcutt and Macmurdo. The magnificently Art Deco Savoy Theatre is in the western section. The sho...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Kingston Spiritualist Church - Foundation Stone 3 - Committee

Kingston Spiritualist Church - Foundation Stone 3 - Committee

KT1, Villiers Road, 40

We've heard it said that no one ever puts up a memorial to a committee. Perhaps the rules doesn't apply if the committee are in charge of...

1 subject commemorated, 7 creators
Antonio Canaletto - W2

Antonio Canaletto - W2

W2, Howley Place, 10

This plaque is not genuine. English Heritage have told us that they have, on several occasions, asked the buiding's owners to remove it. ...

1 subject commemorated
Helena Mott

Helena Mott

SE10, Maze Hill, 115

The date on the plaque is the date of Mott's death. The poetry is Mott's own. The plaque is after a design by Rex Whistler, may well have...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Highgate Cemetery - Fire - R13 - Townsley

Highgate Cemetery - Fire - R13 - Townsley

N6, Swain's Lane, Highgate Cemetery

The plot consists of 36 graves acquired by the London Fire Brigade Widows and Orphans Fund (founded in1882 by Massey Shaw, who, probably ...

1 subject commemorated