From the earliest days until the mid-18th century the Thames was the preferred route for travelling east-west across London, and a barrier which had to be crossed by boat to travel north-south. By boat, because the roads were very poor and there was only one bridge. In 1510 Henry VIII set up a licencing system for watermen, or wherrymen, and in 1555 the watermen were incorporated to control tariffs and impose safety regulations. In 1700 the watermen joined forces with the lightermen (who carried cargo rather than passengers) to form the Company of Watermen and Lightermen. See also Doggett's Coat and Badge.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Thames watermen
Commemorated ati
wherrymen seat
{On the modern plaque above:} The Ferryman's seat located on previous buildin...
Other Subjects
Esso UK PLC
Fuel company. The name is a phonetic representation of the initials of the company's predecessor Standard Oil. In 1972 it was generally replaced by the name Exxon.
2 memorials
Rotherhithe Tunnel
Road tunnel crossing under the River Thames, connecting Rotherhithe to the Ratcliff district of Limehouse. Designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice, it was constructed using both a tunnelling 'shield' a...
7 memorials
Spa Road Station
A terminus of the London and Greenwich Railway, London's first railway. The original station was badly located and had a very narrow platform. Passengers were supposed to queue on the steps outside...
2 memorials
Orient Line
Began as a shipbroking company. The inauguration of a liner service to Australia with the packet boat 'Orient' in 1866 saw the company trade as The Orient Line of Packets, regularly shortened to Or...
1 memorial
Barbara Harmer
The first qualified female supersonic pilot and the first to fly Concorde. Born at the house with the plaque, she was raised in Bognor Regis and left school aged 15 to become a hairdresser but the...
1 memorial
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Women's Social and Political Union
The leading militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage, founded in 1903, was known from 1906 as the suffragettes. These were the women who set fire to post boxes, broke windows in promi...
4 memorials
Christ Church School, SW3
Christ Church itself was built in 1839 and quickly established its Sunday School, initially only for boys and in rented premises in Flood Street. Then Lord Cadogan donated the land directly opposit...
4 memorials
French hospital
EC1, Bath Street, St Luke's Primary School
Site of the French hospital founded by royal charter in 1718 to house the poor or infirm of French Huguenot descent. In 1866 the hospital...
2 subjects commemorated
Ivan Maisky & wife
That looks to us very much like the bust that Maisky and his wife unveiled at Holford Gardens, unfinished of course.
2 memorials
Loughton Town Council
An Urban District Council from 1900 to 1933. It became part of Chigwell Urban District until 1974, when Epping Forest District Council was created. Loughton Town Council was established in 1996.
16 memorials
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