Plaque

Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

Erection date: 24/11/1906

Inscription

Erected by the staff of the National Telephone Company Limited to commemorate the fact that Michael Faraday used to worship here from 1862 till the date of his death in 1867.  From 1862 to 1899 this building was the Meeting House of the Sandemanians, of which body Michael Faraday was an Elder.  This plate marks the position which he usually occupied on the platform.  The position of his pew is indicated by a plate on the floor.

Unveiled by the Right Hon. Lord Kelvin OM, PC GCVO, RRS, LLD, &c..  24th November 1906 

This plaque was first erected in the Sandemanian Chapel, at the same time, 1906, as the "MF" one. It was removed and put on display in the Royal Institution's reception area above, appropriately, a public pay-phone. When this phone was taken away the plaque was moved into the RI's object store and that is where we believe it still is. The photo of the plaque is courtesy of the BT archive (finding number: TCB 417/E 9368) and its catalogue entry tells us "North Exchange, Faraday. 17 May 1935". So the photo shows the plaque in its original location and we guess was taken at the time that the plaque was removed to the RI. We have cropped the picture but the original gives no more clues about the exact location in the ex-chapel.

Site: Michael Faraday - N7 (2 memorials)

N7, Faraday Close, 7, North Telephone Exchange

We heard that there was a plaque on the Sandemanian Chapel where Michael Faraday was an Elder. We could see nothing on the outside of the building which has been converted into a BT telephone exchange. So we contacted BT, and Keith Lovell of their Connected Earth very kindly arranged a visit for us. On the day Pagget Lewis (helpfully pointing in our picture) and some of his colleagues were extremely helpful and located the floor plaque for us, and confirmed that there is supposed to be another, more substantial plaque, on the wall marking the location of the preaching platform, and unveiled by Lord Kelvin. Given all the electrical equipment installed there are strict H&S rules in place and it is not easy to examine all the wall space. So, in summary, we are delighted to have captured this plaque but disappointed not to have the other one.

And then: Via Facebook Comments Peter Berthoud of Discovering London told us that the other plaque is now in the Royal Institution's collection. It used to be mounted above a public telephone in their Albermarle Street reception area. When this pay-phone was removed the plaque was moved into the object store. We thought that was the end of the story but then we were contacted by John Chenery of BT telling us that BT's online digital archive had a photo of the plaque (www.bt.com/btdigitalarchives/ finding number: TCB 417/E 9368) and we use that image courtesy of BT Archives. Wonderful - thanks to everyone who assisted in this hunt.

 

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:
Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

Subjects commemorated i

Sandemanian chapel

The Sandemanians were a Christian sect founded by John Glas in Scotland and s...

Read More

Michael Faraday

Experimental physicist, especially electro-magnetics (remember Faraday's Law?...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

Created by i

General Post Office

The first general post office in London opened in 1643, after King Charles I ...

Read More

Lord Kelvin

Mathematical physicist and engineer. Born Belfast. His family moved to Glasgo...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

Also at this site i

Michael Faraday - N7 - M.F.

Michael Faraday - N7 - M.F.

This extremely unusual memorial is a brass plate, only 4 or 5 inches across, ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Mayfair's oldest house

Mayfair's oldest house

W1, Stanhope Row, Park Lane Mews Hotel

Unveiled as part of Westminster's 50th anniversary commemorations marking the end of WW2. The plant-screened section of the text was pro...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Westminster Hall - George V Silver Jubilee

Westminster Hall - George V Silver Jubilee

SW1, St Margaret Street, Westminster Hall

Referring to the plaques on this second landing, as viewed by the people in our photo who are reading them the right way up: - at the lef...

2 subjects commemorated
George Croydon Marks

George Croydon Marks

SE18, Artillery Square, Royal Arsenal, Greenwich Heritage Centre

The plaque is in the dimly lit museum of Greenwich Heritage Centre.

1 subject commemorated
Entente Cordiale - centenary

Entente Cordiale - centenary

SW1, Knightsbridge, French Embassy

The 50th plaque is on the corner of the building.  The centenary plaque is in the porch, where there is also a splendid highly polished e...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
West London Synagogue - Stern

West London Synagogue - Stern

W1, Seymour Place, 33, West London Synagogue

The architects of the 1933 building were Mewes & Davis (inscribed on a stone near the entrance), and of the 1964 building, Julian Sof...

2 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Kenny Everett

Kenny Everett

TW11, Thames Walkway, Behind Broom Road

These plaques were originally located on the buildings of the Teddington Studios in Broom Road. The studios were closed and demolished in...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
William Wilberforce - SW1

William Wilberforce - SW1

SW1, Cadogan Place, 44

William Wilberforce, 1759 - 1833, opponent of slavery, died here. London County Council

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Emily Wilding Davison - Epsom

Emily Wilding Davison - Epsom

KT17, Alexandra Road, Epsom Cottage Hospital

Epsom Cottage Hospital moved into this purpose-built accommodation in 1889. In 1948 it joined the NHS but closed in 1988. Now, 2017, it h...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator