Plaque

Royal Northern Hospital - 4 - Newbon Ward

Erection date: 1892

Inscription

The Newbon Ward
So named in accordance with the will of Robert Alger Newbon Esq., a governor of this hospital, 1887 – 1889, who died 28th October 1891 having bequeathed £15,000 consolidated 2 ¾ per cent Stock to endow the same.
AD 1892

Site: Royal Northern Hospital - Islington war memorial arch - inside (5 memorials)

N7, Manor Gardens

The original 1923 WW1 memorial consisted of the whole Casualty Department building for the Royal Northern Hospital, including this arched passageway and the list of names it contains. The architect was H. Percy Adams, of Adams, Holden and Pearson. The builder: F. C. Minter may be related to E. J. Minter.

See Islington War memorial arch - outside for a photo of the arch entrance into this passageway through the building. It is like a tunnel with gates at each end. The walls of the main part of the tunnel are covered with a list of names as shown in our photo. The memorials relating to the Royal Northern Hospital are housed in a smaller section, at the back, the northern end of the tunnel (possibly added later?).

When the Casualty Department building was demolished (by 1997) this arch was retained in situ, and the plaque on the outside that explained the whole-building nature of the memorial was salvaged and erected in the nearby public garden. The arch-passageway was incorporated into a private residential development. This means that the gates are normally locked, the list of names can only be viewed skew-whiff through the gates, and the memorials at the back are not visible at all.

We've numbered the memorials as follows:

At the back on the west wall:
1. Ifor Williams
2. Islington Victoria Ward

At the back on the east wall:
3. St David’s wing and RNH navigational sign
4. Newbon Ward

After many years of failing to find the gates open we finally gained access on 11 November 2021 when they had been opened for someone to pay their respects. The key-holder said that we could always revisit by asking for the key at the nearby Islington North Library. We also understand that a memorial event is held here annually on Remembrance Sunday, but probably in the nearby memorial garden, so we don't know if the gates to this tunnel would be opened for that event.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Royal Northern Hospital - 4 - Newbon Ward

Subjects commemorated i

Robert Alger Newbon

Governor of the Royal Northern Hospital, 1887-9, who died having bequeathed £...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Royal Northern Hospital - 4 - Newbon Ward

Also at this site i

Islington WW1 memorial - Manor Gardens - names

Islington WW1 memorial - Manor Gardens - names

Through the gates you can see that most of the names are nicely picked out bu...

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Royal Northern Hospital - 1 - Ifor Williams

Royal Northern Hospital - 1 - Ifor Williams

We think this may have been the sign giving the name of a ward at the hospita...

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Royal Northern Hospital - 2 - Islington Victoria Ward

Royal Northern Hospital - 2 - Islington Victoria Ward

The phrase "gratitude to God for national and parochial progress during that ...

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Royal Northern Hospital - 3 - St David’s wing and RNH navigational sign

Royal Northern Hospital - 3 - St David’s wing and RNH navigational sign

These were presumably navigational signs for people visiting St David’s wing,...

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Nearby Memorials

Hugh McGlashon

Hugh McGlashon

E1, Hunton Street, McGlashon House

McGlashon House This block was built in 1961 by Stepney Borough Council and was named after Hugh William McGlashon (1872 - 1953) who serv...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Cripplegate

Cripplegate

EC2, Wood Street, Roman House

In our photo the plaque is almost lost in the strong shadow but can just be seen, below the lettering "Roman House".

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Andy Holmes

Andy Holmes

W6, Upper Mall, 40

Double Olympic gold medallist Andy Holmes, MBE, 1959 - 2010, Latymerian oarsman Double world champion

1 subject commemorated
Sir Marc Isambard & Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Sir Marc Isambard & Isambard Kingdom Brunel

SW10, Cheyne Walk, 98

London County Council Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, 1769-1849, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, 1806-1859, civil engineers, lived here.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
St Nicholas Deptford

St Nicholas Deptford

SE8, Deptford Green

{Between the depictions of two ships:}  St. Nicholas Church Deptford, the ancient parish church of Deptford, a church has stood on this s...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator