Plaque: Priscilla Wakefield
Erection date: 2/5/2008
Priscilla Wakefield, 1751 - 1832, Quaker author and founder of the Penny Savings Bank, lived near here.
Historic Buildings of the London Borough of Haringey
Our colleague Alan Patient took a photo of this plaque in 2008 and tells us it was in excellent condtion. 9 years later. on our visit, the plaque was, looking very distressed - letters had dropped off and the paint had peeled. This doesn't happen to most plaques so we wonder what method was used to create this one, and hope Haringey don't use it in future.
Site: Priscilla Wakefield (1 memorial)
N15, Colsterworth Road
We have found two images of buildings in this area associated with Wakefield: Watercolour of The Old Ship Inn c.1800. This is described as ".. near Tottenham Green. It was the former home of the Quaker Priscilla Wakefield." It seems clear that the Penny Savings Bank was opened in Ship Inn Yard but she was quite a wealthy woman so she probably lived elsewhere. Ship Inn Yard was apparently near High Cross United Reform Church, the building with the plaque, but we cannot corroborate that there was a Ship Inn at this location, nor find it on any map of the period. However there is The Ship pub at 499 Tottenham High Road, close to Bruce Grove, and close to where Wakefield founded her School for Industry.
The other image is at the website, Summerhill Road, and is captioned "Tottenham Green - home of Priscilla Wakefield" and that is very convincing as her home.
