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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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

Henry Piller

Henry Piller

Auxiliary fireman killed in an air raid on Poplar

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Lawrence E. "Curly" Woodhead

Lawrence E. "Curly" Woodhead

Canadian firefighter and competitive diver. A section leader from Saskatoon, he died while training in Hampshire. Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research and also found the photo: Section L...

Person, Emergency Services, Canada

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
A.LFm. A. H. Watkins

A.LFm. A. H. Watkins

Firefighter who died as a result of a fire at Shipton Road School.

Person, Emergency Services

1 memorial
S. J. Warren

S. J. Warren

Assistant Commissioner in the St John Ambulance Brigade, No. 1 District Metropolitan Corps, 1900-1945. Commander in the Order of St John.

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
J. L. Redding

J. L. Redding

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

Previously viewed

Norwood pumping station

Norwood pumping station

This building provided the propulsion for the Croydon atmospheric railway. We don't know when the building was demolished. This 1868 map shows a building approximately '50m north of the bridge' whi...

Place, Engineering

1 memorial
Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II

Born 17 Bruton Street, to the Duke and Duchess of York. For information on where she was brought up see Byron Statue. When she was 10 her father became King George VI (on the abdication of his brot...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous

126 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
Watch-house in Giltspur Street

Watch-house in Giltspur Street

A watch house was an early form of local police station but we've heard it said that this particular watch-house did at one time shelter the guards charged with preventing grave-robbing in the St S...

Building, Armed Forces

1 memorial
Ross Scarborough

Ross Scarborough

Pilot Officer, 71 Eagle Squadron, American, killed.

Person, USA

War dead, WW2
1 memorial