Statue

Edward VI statue at St Thomas's - Scheemaker

Erection date: 22/9/1739

Inscription

{On the front of the plinth:}
This statue of King Edward the sixth, a most excellent prince of exemplary piety and wisdom above his years, the glory and ornament of his age and most munificent founder of this hospital, was erected at the expense of Charles Joye Esquire, the late worthy Treasurer thereof, by the appointment of his will in the year MDCCXXXVII.
Edward VI statue at St Thomas's - Scheemaker

{The back of the plinth carries the same inscription in Latin.}

Low on the left side of the statue:}
P. Scheemakers, Fecit

First erected in the second of St Thomas’s three courts, shown in a drawing here. In 1841 the block separating the first two courts was demolished and in 1847 this statue was erected at the centre of this new court, shown in this lithograph. The hospital moved to Southwark in 1871 and here the statue was first set up in the gardens overlooking Lambeth Palace Road. c.1907 it was moved to back the Thames. In WW2, it was left to brave the bombs, until a near miss in 1940 when it was put into storage. In 1951 it was displayed at the Festival of Britain. By 1955 it was back at the hospital in the Riverside colonnade. It was then briefly relocated to a riverside loggia, and then, c. 1970, all statues were put into storage while the hospital was rebuilt. 1976 the king, together with other statues, was erected on the North Wing terrace, ready for the official opening. 1997 this statue was moved inside the North Wing, to its current position.

All this information comes from the splendid book 'Public Sculpture of South London' by Terry Cavanagh.

Site: Edward VI statue at St Thomas's - Scheemaker (1 memorial)

SE1, St Thomas's Hospital, near Central Hall

Along this corridor are a number of lovely large Doulton panels depicting nursery rhymes, presumably saved when a children's ward was demolished. Central Hall, to the right of our photo contains a statue of Queen Victoria and many busts, we didn't count but perhaps 15.

There is another statue of this king, outside this hospital.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Edward VI statue at St Thomas's - Scheemaker

Subjects commemorated i

King Edward VI

Only son of Henry VIII (with Jane Seymour who died 12 days after the birth), ...

Read More

St Thomas' Hospital

Named after Thomas a Becket, so possibly founded after 1173 when Becket was c...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Edward VI statue at St Thomas's - Scheemaker

Created by i

Charles Joye

Treasurer and a governor of Guys Hospital and of St Thomas's Hospital. At Guy...

Read More

Peter Scheemakers

Born in Antwerp.

Read More

Nearby Memorials

City of London School 2 - Shakespeare

City of London School 2 - Shakespeare

EC4, Victoria Embankment, 60

We've listed the statues left to right across the front of the building, with More all on his lonesome on the west (left) facade.  The 1...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Imperial Hotel - statue 16

Imperial Hotel - statue 16

WC1, Russell Square

On this site there used to be a sister hotel to Hotel Russell, also designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll and erected in 1898. It was demolish...

1 creator
John Cartwright

John Cartwright

WC1, Cartwright Gardens

Bronze.  This statue, considered Clarke's best work, belongs to the select group of seated London statues - see Peabody.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Frieze of Parnassus - Wren

Frieze of Parnassus - Wren

SW7, Kensington Road

The monument, commissioned by Queen Victoria and designed by George Gilbert Scott, was built 1864-72, and the statue of Albert was instal...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
King's Cross statue of George IV

King's Cross statue of George IV

N1, Gray's Inn Road, King's Cross junction

Our image (1835 by George Sidney Shepherd) comes from View from the Mirror where you can find an introduction to the history of the King'...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator