Plaque

Holly Lodge wall - B

Erection date: 1819

Inscription

This wall the property of Thos. Coutts Esq. 1819.

Site: Holly Lodge (4 memorials)

N6, Holly Lodge Gardens

These plaques seem to relate to the maintenance and changing ownership of the grounds of "The Holly Lodge". The house (which was between Holly Lodge Gardens and the Holly Terrace section of Highgate West Hill) was built in 1798.

'The Story of Holly Lodge' by Margaret Downing, March 2009, has: "{George} Smart built Holly Terrace ... and below it an unpretentiously pretty villa set in its own 41 acres, two rods and four perches of garden and meadows, and named Holly Lodge (on the site now of 2 and 3 Holly Lodge Gardens)... Sir Henry Tempest bought the lease of the villa in 1808, then sold it two years later to the popular actress Harriot Mellon..."

Harriot had met the wealthy but married Thomas Coutts in 1805 and it seems probably that he bought the house for her. When they married in 1815 they used it as their summer residence, spending winters at their house in Stratton Street. Coutts died at the house in 1822. Harriot remarried to a man much younger than her and in her will left the Coutts fortune, including Holly Lodge, to one of Coutts' descendent but arranged for her husband to to have the use of Holly Lodge for his lifetime. So it was only on his death in 1849 that Holly Lodge became the home of Baroness Burdett-Coutts.

On her death in 1906 it was put on the market, but failed to sell, even with the magnificent development opportunities it offered. Her widower, William, continued to live there and it was after his death in 1921 that it was finally broken up and sold, 1922-3.

At her state funeral in 1906 the Baroness's coffin carried two wreathes: the Queen's lilies and her husband's posy of sweet herbs from "the garden on the hill".

Since the lower two plaques, C & D are identical we have replaced one of their photos with a close-up of the lovely gates.

For a very good description of Holly Lodge do see the Downing publication. and for more on the story of the banker, the actress and the inheritance, see our page for Angela.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Holly Lodge wall - B

Subjects commemorated i

Thomas Coutts

Banker. Born Edinburgh. With his brother, James, came to London and worked in...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Holly Lodge wall - B

Also at this site i

Holly Lodge wall - A

Holly Lodge wall - A

We know Churchill built walls himself as a hobby but we think Angela probably...

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Holly Lodge wall - C

Holly Lodge wall - C

The above stone was removed from the north wall of the estate orchard to its ...

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Holly Lodge wall - D

Holly Lodge wall - D

The above stone was removed from the north wall of the estate orchard to its ...

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Nearby Memorials

Peter the Great plaque

Peter the Great plaque

SE8, Deptford High Street, 146, Salvation Army Charity Shop

http://www.emancipationofthedispossessed.com/pdfs/guidedwalk.pdf 

2 subjects commemorated
Lord Soper

Lord Soper

EC3, Byward Street

Soper spoke here every Wednesday afternoon from 1927 until 1998, three weeks before his death.

1 subject commemorated
Bow Church

Bow Church

E3, Bow Road, 230

In our photo the plaque can be seen to the left of the door.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
PP - 3H - Rabbeth

PP - 3H - Rabbeth

EC1, Edward Street

This garden acquired its name due to its popularity as a lunchtime garden with workers from the nearby General Post Office (long gone). ...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Two I’s Coffee Bar

Two I’s Coffee Bar

W1, Old Compton Street

City of Westminster Site of the 2i's coffee bar (1956 - 1970), birthplace of British rock 'n roll and the popular music industry. Rober...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators