Relief

Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey

Inscription

{Below the feet of the page at the left, Just outside our photo:}
Henry C. Fehr Sc.

This section is to the left of the entrance arch.  The description of "Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey" is ubiquitous on the web but we cannot discover what that charter was or its date.  At Knight Order we find that Henry granted a number of charters to Westminster Abbey, and there does not appear to be any one particularly important one.   

To the right there is another kneeling page presenting a near-identical bishop with a flask on a cushion.  None of the sources that we have found explain this right-hand section. Possibly it was part of the ceremony of the granting of a charter.

Site: Middlesex Guildhall - exterior (3 memorials)

SW1, Little George Street, Supreme Court

At one time this was the site of nearby Westminster Abbey's Sanctuary Tower and Belfry.

This building was designed by James S. Gibson and Partners and built 1906-1913, in what Pevsner described as art nouveau Gothic.  Originally designed to be the Middlesex Guildhall as offices and to house the quarter sessions, it was converted to a crown court in 1964 and then in 2009 to the Supreme Court.  

We were puzzled why the Middlesex Guildhall should be in Westminster.  It's complicated but here goes ...  All of London, with the exception of the City of London, was part of Middlesex until 1889 when the County of London was formed.  The building on this site at that time was effectively the Westminster Guildhall.  And there was a building in Clerkenwell, the Middlesex Sessions House.  The two buildings were "swapped" so that the one in Westminster could be used by Middlesex and the one in Clerkenwell could be used by London.  This may not be the whole story but we think that is the gist of it.

 Ornamental Passions gives an excellent description of the whole frieze with large pictures. Waymarking also has some good photos.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey

Subjects commemorated i

Westminster Abbey

Officially, The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster. According to tr...

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King Henry III

Ascended throne in 1216, aged 9.  Son of King John.  Resurrected the Magna Ca...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey

Created by i

Henry Charles Fehr

Sculptor.  Born Forest Hill into a family of Swiss origin.  Died London.  Oth...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Festival of Britain - Symbol

Festival of Britain - Symbol

W1, Oxford Street, 213

This building was put up in 1951 by architects Ronald Ward and Partners. Ornamental Passions has an excellent report on the building.

1 subject commemorated
Saville Theatre - Saint Joan

Saville Theatre - Saint Joan

WC2, Shaftesbury Avenue, Odeon Covent Garden

George Bernard Shaw wrote his play Saint Joan with Thorndike in mind, and this image is very similar to photos of her in the role.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
RIBA - Sir Christopher Wren

RIBA - Sir Christopher Wren

W1, Portland Place, 66

On the Weymouth Street facade there are 5 figures carved in relief by Copnall. They are unlabelled but one can tell that they represent,...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
St John's Primary School - rebuilt

St John's Primary School - rebuilt

N5, Conewood Street, St John's Highbury Vale

Our research into the history of the school convinces us that the blank section of ribbon must have read "Christ Church" which was the sc...

1 subject commemorated
CI - 7 - Coffee

CI - 7 - Coffee

EC3, Cornhill, 32

The carved doors are at the right of the building, behind the cyclist in our picture.  According to Esoteric London these panels, listed ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators