Plaque

Lord Byron - P4, Westminster plaque

Erection date: 4/10/2012

Inscription

Lord Byron, widely regarded as one of the greatest British poets was born here, 22 January 1788.
"Always laugh when you can. It is a cheap medicine."
City of Westminster
John Lewis Partnership
 

Unveiled on National Poetry Day by JLP MD Simon Fowler and Westminster Mayor Cllr Angela Harvey. Lots of websites agree that the "Always laugh" quote is Lord Byron but not one gives a source and we can't locate it.

Site: Lord Byron (4 memorials)

W1, Holles Street, John Lewis

In the world of plaques this is an important site since the first ever official plaque (our P1) was placed by the (Royal) Society of Arts on a house here. Just a shame that it was lost and that replacing it has proved so troublesome.

Over the years there have been 4 Byron memorials here, which we have imaginatively labelled: P1, P2, P3, P4.

We thank Steve Roffey for the research on which these pages are based. Prime sources: RSoA Journals, UCL Survey of London.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Lord Byron - P4, Westminster plaque

Subjects commemorated i

Lord Byron

Born Holles Street, baptised at St Marylebone church in the same year. Spent ...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Lord Byron - P4, Westminster plaque

Created by i

John Lewis Partnership

Retail group. Founded by John Spedan Lewis after his father John Lewis gave h...

Read More

Westminster City Council

The ancient parish of St Margaret's was divided into St Margaret's and St Joh...

Read More

Councillor Angela Harvey

Westminster Council's member for Housing in 2007. Elected as Lord Mayor of We...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Lord Byron - P4, Westminster plaque

Also at this site i

Lord Byron - P1, first blue plaque

Lord Byron - P1, first blue plaque

Byron was born in Holles Street.  House number 24 was the location for the fi...

Read More

Lord Byron - P2, first John Lewis plaque

Lord Byron - P2, first John Lewis plaque

In 1900 the shop John Lewis erected a new memorial on their building consisti...

Read More

Lord Byron - P3, non standard plaque

Lord Byron - P3, non standard plaque

This unusual plaque was removed in 2012 when P4 was erected. We hope it's sto...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Bronco toilet paper

Bronco toilet paper

E9, White Post Lane

Matt at Londonist found this plaque in 2014. We've hunted and failed to find it, so believe it lost. His notes say the plaque was in Whit...

2 subjects commemorated
King's Hall Picture Palace - first cinema in Britain

King's Hall Picture Palace - first cinema in Britain

SE17, Tooting High Street, 181 - 183

The erection date differs from the date on the plaque. We have found other cases where this occurs - the unveiling can get delayed for al...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Tachbrook - Founders

Tachbrook - Founders

SW1, Bessborough Street

Pulford Street and the Equitable Gas Works used to occupy this six acre site.  In the 1930s the Pulford Street Site Committee was respons...

3 subjects commemorated
Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon

W1, Bentinck Street, 7

London County Council Edward Gibbon, 1737 - 1794, historian, lived in a house on this site, 1773 - 1783.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
London Scottish Regiment

London Scottish Regiment

SW1, Buckingham Gate, 59, Swire House

Disappointingly we have failed to find a photo of the building that used to be on this site. Swire is an international shipping company ...

1 subject commemorated