Place    From 1559 

Poets' Corner

Categories: Literature

The popular name for the south transept of Westminster Abbey. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first person to be interred here, although it was for his position as Clerk of Works to the Palace of Westminster, rather than for literary merit. It wasn't until the burial of Edmund Spenser that the tradition began. The name was supposed to have been coined by Oliver Goldsmith. Nowadays occupants are commemorated with a wall or floor tablet rather than actual interment.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Poets' Corner

Commemorated ati

Robert Browning - W8

Robert Browning lived in this house 1887 - 1889, from here his body was taken...

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Other Subjects

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Born in Edinburgh where he trained as a doctor. Extremely successful writer of the Sherlock Holmes stories. A sportsman: a boxer, a cricketer who once dismissed W. G. Grace. The first Englishman to...

Person, Literature, Paranormal, Seriously Famous, Scotland

7 memorials
Francis Bret Harte

Francis Bret Harte

American writer, best know for his accounts of pioneering life in California. Born New York. Came to London in 1885 via Germany and Glasgow. Buried at Frimley, Surrey. Some sources, contradicti...

Person, Literature, Poetry, USA

1 memorial
Samuel Pepys Club

Samuel Pepys Club

Formed as a dining club for eminent Pepys admirers and still limited in number, currently to 140 in the UK and 14 abroad.

Group, Community / Clubs, Literature

1 memorial
W. E. H. Lecky

W. E. H. Lecky

Historian. Born William Edward Hartpole Lecky in Newtonpark, County Dublin, Ireland. Initially he studied to be a priest in the Protestant Church of Ireland, but turned to historiography. His chief...

Person, History, Literature, Ireland

1 memorial
Olaudah Equiano

Olaudah Equiano

Born in an African village, he was sold into slavery, first locally, then in England, then in America where he managed to buy his freedom. He returned to England and wrote the first autobiography o...

Person, Literature, Race Issues, Africa

6 memorials

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War memorial St Mary Magdelene - Paddington

War memorial St Mary Magdelene - Paddington

W2, Rowington Close

Most war memorials at churches make some reference to 'members of this parish who fell' or have a list of the dead, or those who served. ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Hannah Brown

Hannah Brown

Mrs Hannah Brown was Angela Burdett-Coutts' governess and long-time companion. At Folkstone History we learn that her husband was "Dr. William Brown. Hannah Meredith, before her marriage in 1844, w...

Person, Friend / family

2 memorials
Elroy Bailey

Elroy Bailey

Reggae artist, former bass player for Black Slate and session musician. Born Hackney. Died in 2018. From HCVS: "Elroy and his brother John Bailey (also a successful musician) set up the local comm...

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial
Moulin Cinema

Moulin Cinema

Cinema. Originally opened by Montagu Pyke in 1910 as the Piccadilly Cinematograph Theatre. It went through several name changes, before being called (in French) after the nearby Windmill Theatre. I...

Building, Cinema

1 memorial
Ali Samiei

Ali Samiei

Mosaic/ceramic artist, active c. 2005.

Person, Craft / Design

1 memorial