Group    From 1865 

London Fire Brigade

Categories: Emergency Services

The London Fire Engine Establishment, formed in 1833 under the leadership of James Braidwood, was a private organisation funded by insurance companies, mainly aimed at saving material goods from fires. In 1865, following the Tooley Street fire and others, the publicly-funded and managed Metropolitan Fire Brigade was created, under the control of the Metropolitan Board of Works, later the LCC. In 1904 it was renamed as the London Fire Brigade.

From 1833 the first headquarters were at 68 Watling Street (see Beyond the Flames for some details and a photo), in the City of London. In 1878 moved into an old workhouse on Southwark Bridge Road, extended in 1883. 1937 moved into its Lambeth HQ. In 2007 it moved from there to 169 Union Street, Southwark, practically adjacent to its previous Southwark home.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
London Fire Brigade

Commemorated ati

Dudgeon's Wharf explosion - red plaque

Unveiled on the 50th anniversary of the fire.

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Eyre Massey Shaw

Sir Eyre Massey Shaw, 1830 - 1908, first chief officer of the Metropolitan Fi...

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Fire Brigade HQ - Southwark

This stone relief was located above the main entrance to the former headquart...

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Great fire of Tooley Street

2021: This plaque has been replaced with a similar plaque, re-branded to prom...

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James Braidwood

What a great plaque. The inscription is inside a laurel wreath, in front of a...

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Show all 10

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
London Fire Brigade

Creations i

Dudgeon's Wharf explosion - oblong plaque

The unveiling of this plaque was reported in the East London Advertiser of 24...

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Sidney Street siege and fire

Our colleague Alan Patient decoded JEECS into ‘Jewish East End Celebration So...

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Stephen Maynard - steel plaque

Plaque erected on the 30th anniversary.

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Other Subjects

Thomas John Steward

Thomas John Steward

Member of the ARP/Civil Defence Services - auxiliary ambulance driver. Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research: Thomas John Steward was born on 19 December 1910 in Lewisham, the 4th of the ...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
H. T. Purkis

H. T. Purkis

Either lost his life, or gave distinguished service to the London Fire Brigade, and was buried in the Highgate Cemetery plot between 1884 and 1955.

Person, Emergency Services

1 memorial
Eric Dudley Lewis

Eric Dudley Lewis

Auxiliary fireman killed in the bomb attack on Henry Cavendish School, Balham. Andrew Behan has kindly carried out further research: Auxiliary Fireman Eric Dudley Lewis was born on 2 February 1912...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Francis Joseph Wingfield

Francis Joseph Wingfield

Auxiliary Fire Serviceman killed in the air raid on Ricardo Street School.

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
2 memorials
John James Lewis

John James Lewis

Auxiliary fireman killed in the bomb attack on Henry Cavendish School, Balham. Andrew Behan has kindly carried out further research: Auxiliary Fireman John James Lewis was born on 23 January 1908 ...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

Officially, The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster. According to tradition, there has been a religious establishment on the site since the seventh century. Construction of the present bui...

Building, Religion

3 memorials
World War 2

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do visit the picture source web site - it has a fascinating collection of maps.  And we enjoyed these photos of current WW2 ev...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

378 memorials
Kensington Town Hall - Churchill

Kensington Town Hall - Churchill

W8, Hornton Street

The Sequoiadendron giganteum, otherwise known as the Giant Redwood, was discovered by Europeans in California in 1833. More pictures at R...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Friends of the Royal London Hospital

Friends of the Royal London Hospital

Registered charity also known as 'Friends of the London Hospital (Whitechapel)' and 'League of Friends'. We're guessing that this is the current form of the 1908 "friends of the hospital" that erec...

Group, Community / Clubs, Medicine

1 memorial
Great Storm - Victoria Embankment Gardens

Great Storm - Victoria Embankment Gardens

WC2, Victoria Embankment Gardens

The plaque to the Great Storm is rather hidden away in the flower bed behind and to the right of the statue.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators