Relief

Sun Fire Office

Site: Cornhill pump (5 memorials)

EC3, Cornhill

Around the top are some delightful reliefs in iron of the badges of early fire insurance companies: Sun, Phoenix, London and Royal Exchange. These are all crudely coloured with red, gold, blue.  See 'Also at this site'.

This water pump, designed by architect Nathaniel Wright, is Grade II listed, where it is described “Obelisk of cast iron with canted corners, slight decoration and long inscriptions. Granite trough probably of later date.” As you can see from our photos the pump is (2011) in a dreadful state of repair. Let's hope someone notices soon and perhaps the modern day equivalents of its original erectors will fund its restoration.

2015: prompted by Jon Pettigrew on Facebook we must report that the pump was indeed restored not long after we photographed it.  (Keeping London Remembers up-to-date could become a full-time job.)  But the splendid A London Inheritance has photographed it for us, and provided some earlier photos and history.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sun Fire Office

Subjects commemorated i

Sun Fire Office

Founded in London, now the oldest existing insurance company in the world.

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Sun Fire Office

Also at this site i

Cornhill pump

Cornhill pump

We understand "the neighbouring fire officers" to mean the four fire assuranc...

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Nearby Memorials

Mercers’ Maiden

Mercers’ Maiden

EC3, Corbet Court

Discovering London suggests that this might be the oldest inscription in London.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
PP - Watts relief

PP - Watts relief

EC1, Edward Street

This looks as if it's carved wood but Bonhams says it's probably painted ceramic.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Queen Anne's Bounty

Queen Anne's Bounty

SW1, Great Smith Street

Queen Anne's Bounty Office operated from this site 1734 - 1947. Westminster’s Conservation Area Audit informs that this is actually the b...

2 subjects commemorated
Guy, Earl of Warwick

Guy, Earl of Warwick

EC1, Warwick Lane

Internet Archive, Survey of London gives: "On the north-west corner of Warwick Lane is an effigy of Guy, Earl of Warwick. He is dressed a...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Covent Garden Market

Covent Garden Market

WC2, Southampton Street, Jubilee Market Hall

Large bronze relief "Fruit Porter Bronze", unveiled October 2006 by Mayor of Westminster. Commissioned by Worshipful Company of Fruiterer...

28 subjects commemorated, 2 creators