Building    From 1566 

Royal Exchange

Categories: Commerce

The Royal Exchange was established by Thomas Gresham in 1566, following his, and his father's, favourable experiences of the Antwerp Bourse as a place where merchants could arrange credit and loans and so trade effectively.

The first building was lost in the Great Fire but replaced by 1669. A fire insurance company, Royal Exchange Assurance, was based in this building which is depicted on their insignia. Despite this, another, more localised, fire destroyed the second Royal Exchange building in 1838. Prince Albert laid the foundation stone of the third (and last, as of 2007) on 17 January 1842 and two years later Queen Victoria presided at the opening ceremony. This building is by Sir William Tite. If you want to know about the sculpture in the pediment, by Richard Westmacott, son of Richard Westmacott, then Ornamental Passions is the place to go.

Renovated in 2001, the Grade 1 listed building is now, it seems, mainly occupied by seriously expensive jewellery shops. IainVisits has (illicit) photos. 2017:Londonist visited the building and didn't like it very much.

Murals inside painted in 1892 by Lord Leighton and Frank Brangwyn. 2016: Londonist reports that these are at risk.

2023: Londonist's roving reporter found some statues from the building, the one destroyed in the 1838 fire, in the garden of a hotel in Swanage.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Royal Exchange

Commemorated ati

Prince Albert - Holborn

Prince Albert, dressed as a field marshal, doffs his hat to the passing traff...

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Other Subjects

Red Lion, Kilburn

Red Lion, Kilburn

Closed Pubs has a good picture of the current building and gives: "The Red Lion was situated at 34 Kilburn High Road. This pub was known as The Westbury at time of closure in 2012. Rebuilt in the l...

Place, Commerce, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink

1 memorial
Surrey Docks

Surrey Docks

The south bank of the Thames used to be in Surrey, now in Southwark. The first dock created here in 1696 was initially named Howland Great Wet Dock and then Greenland Dock due to the whaling ships ...

Place, Commerce, Transport

10 memorials
Harringay Traders Association

Harringay Traders Association

The Facebook page Harringay4Shops has "We are the Harringay Traders Association. From Endymion to Ducketts Common, Green Lanes N4, N8, N15." But the last post was 2011.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
John Spedan Lewis

John Spedan Lewis

Retailer and industrial reformer. Born in Marylebone, the son of John Lewis. His second name was derived by reversing the names of Ann Speed, the maiden aunt who raised his father. He was given con...

Person, Benefactor, Commerce

1 memorial
The Ivy restaurant

The Ivy restaurant

The Ivy, opened by Abele Giandolini, as an unlicensed Italian cafe in 1917 in a building on the same site. Famous as a theatrical-celebrities haunt, possibly due to its late closing time of near-mi...

Place, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Fawcett frieze - 13, Ford

Fawcett frieze - 13, Ford

SW1, Parliament Square

Most statues have plinths, which often carry the identity of the statue but little more. The plinth for this Millicent Fawcett statue is ...

1 subject commemorated
Stanley Boggis

Stanley Boggis

Stanley Ernest Clyde Boggis was born on 27 August 1921. His birth was registered in the Holborn registration district. He was the son of Clyde Percy Boggis (1890-1980) and May Helen Boggis née Sher...

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
William Askin

William Askin

Crew member of the 'Olga'. Died during the voyage bringing Cleopatra's Needle to London.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
J. T. Ashley

J. T. Ashley

Committee Member of Kingston Spiritualist Church in 1927.

Person, Religion

1 memorial
J. Earnshaw

J. Earnshaw

Hammersmith and Fulham International Brigade volunteer.

Person, Spain

War dead, Other war
1 memorial