Statue

Queen Victoria statue - Croydon

Erection date: 1903

Inscription

{On a bronze plaque on the front of the plinth:}
Victoria regina et imperatrix 1837 - 1901
{The foliage around the text includes roses, thistles and clover leaves.}
{On the base of the statue:}
F. J. Williamson, Sc. Esher, 1903.

Site: Whitgift and others (17 memorials)

CR9, Katharine Street, Croydon Public Library

Built in 1892 by Charles Henman Jr. this heavily decorated group of buildings makes up Croydon's Municipal buildings complex. The building and the roundels are covered at Ornamental Passions. Each of the five bays of the frieze carries three portrait roundels. The names, wreathed in either oak or laurel leaves, are given along the tops of the windows just below the pediments, listed here left to right. Ornamental Passions assumes they are all the work of Edwin Roscoe Mullins who did other work on this part of the building.

You would have thought that by 1892 the spelling of Shakespeare would have been sorted out. But this is not the first time we have seen it as "Shakespere" on buildings around this date. Perhaps it was a nod to the fashion for historical romanticism. Of course, in the 16th century, spelling had not settled down, to the extent that Shakespeare himself was inconsistent. His marriage certificate (necessary because at 18 he was under-age) has his name spelt as Shagspeare, accidentally, we are sure.

Archbishop Tillotson takes pride of place at the centre of these portraits. He was born almost 30 years after Whitgift's death and, like Whitgift, became Archbishop of Canterbury. Other than that we can find no reason for his honoured presence here.

Improbably, "Croydon" derives from the Anglo Saxon for "Crocus Valley" (ref: The Londonist)

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:
Queen Victoria statue - Croydon

Subjects commemorated i

Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Queen Victoria statue - Croydon

Created by i

Francis John Williamson

Sculptor. Born Hampstead. Spent much of his life in Esher with Grapes House ...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Queen Victoria statue - Croydon

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

V&A façade - Wedgwood

V&A façade - Wedgwood

SW7, Cromwell Road

Excluding the allegories (such as Knowledge) there are 36 statues on the two public façades of the V&A Museum, on Exhibition Road and...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
FCO - F unknown

FCO - F unknown

SW1, Horse Guards Road, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Foreign Office was completed in 1873 to the 1861 designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott, with Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt for the St James’s...

King's Cross statue of George IV

King's Cross statue of George IV

N1, Gray's Inn Road, King's Cross junction

Our image (1835 by George Sidney Shepherd) comes from View from the Mirror where you can find an introduction to the history of the King'...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Public Record Office - Empress Matilda

Public Record Office - Empress Matilda

WC2, Chancery Lane, Maughan Library of King's College, ex-PRO

Ward-Jackson refers to this statue twice as 'Empress Mathilda' and once as 'Empress Maud' which confused us at first but we discovered th...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Frieze of Parnassus - Pugin

Frieze of Parnassus - Pugin

SW7, Kensington Road

The monument, officially titled the Prince Consort National Memorial, celebrates Victorian achievement and Prince Albert's passions and i...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Sir Albert Richardson

Sir Albert Richardson

Architect. Born London. Our picture shows him as 'professor' in 1956.  Apart from post-war restorations his main work in London is Bracken House, the first post-war listed building.

Person, Architecture

3 memorials
Colonial Office - B02 - Henry I

Colonial Office - B02 - Henry I

SW1, Whitehall, Foreign Office

Statues Hither and Thither has been invaluable in identifying some of the busts and most of the statues. The statues are not labelled and...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Civilian deaths in London caused by enemy action

Civilian deaths in London caused by enemy action

This page brings together all the memorials that we have for civilians killed in London by acts of war, including terrorism. It is related to a very interesting campaign for a Citizens Memorial "to...

Group, Tragedy

109 memorials
G. T. J. Auker
War dead, WW1
1 memorial