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

Six clasped hands and a golden ball

Six clasped hands and a golden ball

E1, Chilton Street, 52, St. Matthias Church House

Under the gable is a relief showing a surreal image: three arms each with a hand at both ends, with the six hands clasped in such as way ...

CI - 2 - Eleanor

CI - 2 - Eleanor

EC3, Cornhill, 32

We can't find proof that her route was as specified: from Queen Hithe (at the river, just east of Southwark Bridge) to St Michael’s Churc...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Boys Playing Football

Boys Playing Football

SW8, Fentiman Road, South Lambeth Estate

Similar to those "spot the ball" competitions, in that no ball is shown. 2022: Peri's grandson, also Peter, contacted us suggesting that...

4 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Bethnal Green Housing Association - Lennox House

Bethnal Green Housing Association - Lennox House

E9, Cresset Street

Another very similar plaque is at the nearby Brent House Salvation Army maternity home.

1 subject commemorated
Shells on Shell Centre

Shells on Shell Centre

SE1, York Road

We photographed these rather luscious shells thinking they probably came off another building belonging to the company, probably one they...

1 creator