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

J. P. Knight Group Ltd

J. P. Knight Group Ltd

Founded by the son of J. P. Knight.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
City Road Basin

City Road Basin

Part of the Regent's Canal. Built in 1820 to allow boats to moor and unload cargo, initially brought long distance but it soon became used primarily to transport local coal and building materials. ...

Place, Commerce, Transport

1 memorial
Wimbledon Village Association

Wimbledon Village Association

From This is Local London: "A new Wimbledon Village Association had been a major contributor to the scheme and had held its first annual general meeting in October 1963." It's possible that over t...

Group, Commerce, Community / Clubs

1 memorial
Kingerlee and Sons

Kingerlee and Sons

Builders. An unusual name, so we are assuming that this is the company founded by Thomas Henry Kingerlee, a plumber from Banbury. He moved to Oxford where he established a thriving business, undert...

Group, Architecture, Commerce

1 memorial
Mitre Tavern

Mitre Tavern

Fleet Street. This pub dates from Shakespeare's time. Johnson and Boswell often visited. It was pulled down in 1829 by Hoares to extend their bank.

Building, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Gunner John Barnes

Gunner John Barnes

John Barnes was born in 1896, one of at least five children of John and Ethel Maria Barnes. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1896 in the Marylebone registration district, London. In ...

Person, Armed Forces, Belgium

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Freddy Randall

Freddy Randall

Trumpeter. Born in Clapton, East London. He led the St. Louis Four in 1939, and during the war played in a group featuring Sir John Dankworth. He also led his own Dixieland jazz group which feature...

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial