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

Elizabeth Rundle Charles

Elizabeth Rundle Charles

Born Tavistock, Devon. Née Rundle, married Andrew Charles. Wrote and translated hymns. Author of "Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family". Died Hampstead. In addition to her Wikipedia page and o...

Person, Literature, Poetry

1 memorial
35 St Martin's Street

35 St Martin's Street

Three storey terrace house. Lived in by Isaac Newton 1710 - 1725, although he owned it until his death in 1727. When it was demolished the panelling of the front parlour was reconstructed as the Is...

Building, Literature, Property

1 memorial
Horatio ('Horace') Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford

Horatio ('Horace') Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford

Writer and collector. Youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole. His gothic novel "The Castle of Otranto"' was published in 1764. But his passion was his gothic creation, his house at Strawberry Hill,...

Person, Literature, Politics & Administration

5 memorials
Leigh Hunt

Leigh Hunt

Poet. Born Southgate. Named 'James Henry Leigh Hunt' after the Duke of Chandos, James Henry Leigh, who was employing Hunt's father, a preacher, as tutor to his nephew at the time of Hunt's birth. F...

Person, Literature, Poetry

6 memorials
William de Morgan

William de Morgan

Potter, tile designer and novelist. Born 69 Gower Street as William Frend de Morgan, to the mathematician Augustus de Morgan. Lifelong friend of William Morris, he designed tiles, stained glass an...

Person, Craft / Design, Literature

23 memorials

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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
Brown Dog

Brown Dog

Brown mongrel/terrier male dog of about 6kg used in a vivisection in December 1902 and again, twice, on 2 February 1903 at University College, immediately after which he was killed. For more inform...

Animal, Animals, Medicine

2 memorials
Derwent Wood

Derwent Wood

Sculptor. Born Francis Derwent Wood at Eskin Place, Caslerigg, St John's, Keswick, Cumberland. His family moved to Switzerland and then Germany, where he studied and became proficient in three lang...

Person, Sculpture, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland

3 memorials