Person    | Male  Born 4/6/1738  Died 29/1/1820

King George III

Born in St James's Square (not the public garden, one of the houses, obviously). Crowned in 1760, the first monarch since Queen Anne to be truly British. It was during his rule that many of the American colonies were lost in the American Revolutionary War. Later in life suffered from an intermittent mental illness which made him eventually too mad to rule and his eldest son ruled as Prince Regent, becoming George IV on his father's death, at Windsor. His consort was Queen Charlotte. In recent years the accepted diagnosis has been manic depression.

George III was a strong supporter of Eton College (his local school) and, in return, the school made the King's birthday a holiday and the 'Fourth of June' became a traditional day of festivities even though it is seldom celebrated on June 4.

Journal of the American Revolution describes the toppling of a Manhattan statue of George III in 1776. This had been erected only about 10 years previously but when the States declared their independence a group of New Yorkers celebrated by pulling it down.  A 2021 meme: "After hearing a reading of the newly adopted Declaration of Independence, New Yorkers "Destroy History" by toppling a statue of King George III. And that's why no one knows who won the American Revolution.”

Invested in and was governor of the South Sea company whose trade was slavery. During the campaign to end the slave trade George supported neither side, which, given his position, was helpful to those in favour of retention.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
King George III

Commemorated ati

Duke of York's column

Bronze statue by Westmacott of "The Grand Old Duke of York" of nursery rhyme ...

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General Roy's cannon - south

The cannon was installed in 1791 by Mudge. The plaque came later in 1926. Fr...

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George III at Trinity House

This building was erected during his reign.

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George III in Cockspur Street

Considered to be Wyatt's best work.

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George III with the River god

Bronze statue erected in 1789 showing the king who had commissioned the rebui...

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Other Subjects

Mary Seacole Trust

Mary Seacole Trust

From the Trust's website: "We want British society to become fairer, more inclusive and more harmonious. We believe that overcoming exclusion and increasing participation by promoting equality of b...

Group, Gender Issues, History, Medicine, Race Issues

1 memorial
Robert Wedderburn

Robert Wedderburn

Wikipedia tells the sorry story of this man.  Born to a West African slave woman in Jamaica, his father, James Wedderburn, being a Scottish doctor and plantation owner, who had children by several ...

Person, Race Issues, Religion, Jamaica

1 memorial
Sir William Prichard

Sir William Prichard

Alder President associated with St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1702. A director of the slave trading Royal African Company and a governor of the colonial Irish Society.

Person, Medicine, Politics & Administration, Race Issues

1 memorial
Asquith Xavier

Asquith Xavier

Asquith Camile Xavier was born in the West Indies. One of the Windrush generation who migrated to the UK after WW2. He died Chatham, Kent. In 1966 Xavier successfully fought to become the first bl...

Person, Race Issues, Transport, Caribbean Islands

1 memorial
Alford Gardner

Alford Gardner

Windrush Pioneer. Alford Dalrymple Gardner was a Jamaican-born "Windrush generation" emigrant and co-founder of the first Caribbean cricket club in Britain. Served in the RAF in WW2. The Guardian,...

Person, Race Issues, Sport / Games, Jamaica

1 memorial

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Richard Dadd

Richard Dadd

Painter. Born Chatham in Kent. Died in a lunatic asylum at Broadmoor, outside London of "an extensive disease of the lungs".

Person, Art

1 memorial
Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson

NW3, Mount Vernon, Abernethy House

Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850 - 1894, author, lived here. Erected by the Hampstead Plaque Fund.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
J. Studds & Son

J. Studds & Son

A building firm based in Barretts Grove, Stoke Newington, active in 1891. Sludgegulper has done the research for us: From British History "In 1880 John Studds, a builder and former carpenter, built...

Group, Property

2 memorials
R. Wears

R. Wears

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Metropolitan Police - Eternal flame

Metropolitan Police - Eternal flame

SW1, Victoria Embankment, New Scotland Yard, Curtis Green Building

This building is the new New Scotland Yard. In our photo the flame can be seen between the tree and the people to the right. The Roll of ...

1 subject commemorated