Plaque

Quakers - Memorial Buildings

Bunhill Quakers Quakers - Memorial Buildings

Erection date: /10/1881

Inscription

Memorial Buildings
These buildings stand on part of the Old Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. The first freehold possessed by London Friends, used by them for burials during nearly two hundred years, it was closed to such purposes in 1855.
In 1880 The Metropolitan Board of Works purchased parts of the property for widening streets from which, and also from the site of these premises, all remains of interments being first carefully removed were re-interred in the ground adjoining. And out of the proceeds of such compulsory sales these buildings with their halls, coffee-tavern club and committee rooms have been built.
Near this spot George Fox was interred in 1690, previously Edward Burrough and some ninety other martyr Friends who died in London prisons had been buried here.
To the memory of these ancient worthies and for the furtherance of religious, moral and philanthropic objects are these buildings now dedicated by The Society of Friends in London {in the hope} thereby to promote the best welfare & happiness of the surrounding population.
London, 10, Mo., 1881.
{We believe that the date means "10th month", i.e. October.}

To the left of this huge plaque there is a small, simple and extremely well-maintained grave-stone, that reads: "George Fox, born 7th Mo. 1624. Died 13th of 11th Mo. 1690, aged 66 years", meaning born July 1624 and died 13 November 1690. Authoritative sources give his date of death as 13 January 1691.

Site: Bunhill Quakers (2 memorials)

EC1, Chequer Street, Quaker Garden, Banner Street

This garden is easily confused with the nearby Bunhill Burial Ground.

The slate memorial can be seen in the foreground. The large white plaque is further back, on the low wall.

The charming building bears the inscription: "Society of Friends Bunhill Fields Memorial Buildings".

The City of London gives:
The gardens are a small fragment of a Quaker burial ground (which was also known as Bunhill Fields Burial Ground) and which was the first freehold property owned by Quakers, bought in 1661 and used until 1855 for 12,000 burials. George Fox, Edward Burrough and John Bellers were buried there.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Quakers - Memorial Buildings

Subjects commemorated i

90 martyr Friends buried in Quaker Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Died in London prisons and were buried in Quaker Bunhill Fields Burial Ground.

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Edward Burrough

Quaker activist and writer. Born near Kendal. Died, unmarried, in Newgate p...

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George Fox

Founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Born Leicestershire. Died in a...

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Quaker Gardens

Also called Bunhill Fields Burial Ground and so easy to confuse with the non-...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Quakers - Memorial Buildings

Created by i

Society of Friends in London

English Buildings has a good short intro to Quakers in England and an assessm...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Quakers - Memorial Buildings

Also at this site i

Quakers - garden

Quakers - garden

This unusual memorial is made out of slates and shaped to resemble a burial m...

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Nearby Memorials

Harrow & Wealdstone Station

Harrow & Wealdstone Station

HA3, The Bridge, Harrow & Wealdstone Station, north entrance

Inside the station are two other plaques which we've transcribed but they are too dull to warrant the full treatment: Dull plaque 1: This...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association

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Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, founded October 1959, acquired and occupied these premises, the Groupwork Centre, Bayford Mews, E...

1 subject commemorated
Hackney Empire pavement plaque - Sir Oswald Stoll

Hackney Empire pavement plaque - Sir Oswald Stoll

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The round plaque is on the wall under the main entrance canopy, high up, near the first "E" of Empire. The three brass plaques are in the...

1 subject commemorated
The Cedars Club

The Cedars Club

SW11, Battersea High Street, 108

These two plaques tell a complex story which we only fully understood once we found this UCL paper. Erskine Clarke, vicar of St Mary's Ch...

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Royal Arsenal Main Guardhouse

Royal Arsenal Main Guardhouse

SE18, Number One Street, Woolwich Arsenal

By 2017 two non-memorial plaques had appeared: a bronze rectangle in the portico, which reads: "The pedestrian access through the main gu...

1 subject commemorated