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

London Mint Office Limited

London Mint Office Limited

This seems to be a commercial organisation making and selling coins to collectors, with no connection to the Royal Mint.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
Abney Park Cemetery Company

Abney Park Cemetery Company

Set up to run the Abney Park cemetery in Stoke Newington (see Abney House and Park), this company also ran the Chingford Mount cemetery. It went into administration in the 1970s. 

Group, Commerce, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
White Horse Cellars at Hatchett's Hotel

White Horse Cellars at Hatchett's Hotel

This building is still at 66-68 Piccadilly, on the north-east of the junction with Dover Street.  Architect: Weatherley and Jones. From British History (written in 1878, just 10 years before Selby...

Building, Commerce, Food & Drink, Transport

1 memorial
Lord Wandsworth

Lord Wandsworth

Banker, Member of Parliament and philanthropist. Born Sydney James Stern in London. He worked in his father's law firm, before becoming Member of Parliament for Stowmarket. Became Baron Wandsworth ...

Person, Benefactor, Commerce, Politics & Administration

2 memorials
County Fire Office

County Fire Office

An insurance organisation launched by Barber Beaumont in 1807. Beaumont was the managing director and within 20 years it was the fifth largest fire insurer in Britain. Source: Oxford Dictionary of...

Group, Commerce

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Upper North Street School WW1 bomb - trees

Upper North Street School WW1 bomb - trees

E14, East India Dock Road, Trinity Gardens

Marvell wrote 'The Garden', the poem which is quoted here.

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
William Reeve

William Reeve

Composer.  Born London.  1783 took a composing job at Astley's Amphitheatre.  Went on to compose at Covent Garden and Sadler's Wells theatres amongst others.  Died at home in Marchmont Street.

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial
Magna Carta pier - south

Magna Carta pier - south

TW20, Windsor Road, Fairhaven Memorial Kiosks

This is a multi-part monument across two sites.   The elements at this site (kiosks and piers) used to be further to the east, possibly w...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Lion Brewery

Lion Brewery

The (Red) Lion Brewery, designed by Francis Edwards, stood on the South Bank from 1836. The brewery occupied the site now used by the Royal Festival Hall and its stables, warehouses, etc. were on a...

Building, Food & Drink

1 memorial
John Harvard

John Harvard

A plaque inside the library provides the following: “John Harvard was born in Southwark in 1607 and was baptized in St Saviour’s Church, the present Southwark Cathedral.  He was the son of Robert H...

Person, Benefactor, Education, USA

3 memorials