Building    From 1887  To 1931

People's Palace

Proposed by Walter Besant, the first People's Palace was built by the Beaumont Trustees, ‘Unitarian philanthropists’, to replace Beaumont's Philosophical Institution which had been in Beaumont Square. 

It was built on 5 acres of land on the Mile End Road, starting with the Queen's Hall, opened in 1887. By 1892 a library, swimming pool, gym and winter garden had been added. Entertainment and education were provided and by 1900 the University of London introduced a Bachelor of Science degree. It burnt down in 1931 but the educational sections were quickly rebuilt as Queen Mary College. In 1937 a hall, called the People's Palace (pictured here), was built and in 1954 was subsumed into QMC.

Queen Marys hold a plan of the original Palace (annoyingly that link is dead, 2024).

The Theatre Trust has a description of the 1937 hall and how it has been restored and used.

Sources include: Elizabeth Doyle Research, Queen Mary College archives.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
People's Palace

Commemorated ati

Baron de Stern clock tower

Ornamental Passions has a photo of the seagull relief and explains that "Time...

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Clement Attlee statue

It's rather disconcerting that the plaque refers to "Queen Mary College" as "...

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People's Palace

The plaque names only 6 relief panels but there are 7, music being represente...

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Other Subjects

University of Greenwich

University of Greenwich

Opened as the Woolwich Polytechnic; it became the Thames Polytechnic in 1970 and was granted university status in 1992. 

Place, Education

1 memorial
Alan Charles Senitt

Alan Charles Senitt

Alan Charles Senitt was born on 26 December 1978, the eldest of the three children of Jack Adrian Senitt (1949-2011) and Karen B. Senitt née Kosky (b.1952). His birth was registered in the 1st quar...

Person, Education, Tragedy, USA

1 memorial
Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan

Health visitor and educator. Born at Throggs Neck, Westchester county, New York. Both her parents were from Scotland, and the family returned there when her father died. She and her sister Margaret...

Person, Education, Social Welfare, USA

1 memorial
Masaru Inoue

Masaru Inoue

Became a student at UCL in 1863.

Person, Education, Japan

1 memorial
East 15 Acting School

East 15 Acting School

Founded by Margaret Walker after she worked with Joan Littlewood at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, and had the same ethos of inclusivity and radical work. It was named after the postal district of...

Group, Education, Theatre

1 memorial