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
Private Leonard Philip Maris
Leonard Philip Maris was born in 1886 in Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, the youngest of the ten children of Alfred Maris (1841-1886) and Mary Ann Maris née Chittenden (1846-1930).His birth was regis...
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Charing Cross Railway Company
IanVisits has reprinted an article from the Illustrated London News about the building of the railway from London Bridge to Charing Cross. The company was formed by the South Eastern Railway Compa...
2 memorials
Private Thomas John Casson
Thomas John Casson was born circa 1886 in Lambeth, Surrey (now Greater London), the second of the seven children of James Casson (b.circa 1859) and Mary Sophia Casson née Young (circa 1866-1952). H...
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
St Saviour’s Dock
Our picture source, HSomerville provides a thorough history of this area and says "St Saviour's Dock was created in the 13th century by the Cluniac monks of Bermondsey Abbey."
1 memorial
Aston Martin
Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford formed the company, initially as Bamford and Martin Ltd. They used the garage at the site of the plaque as a workshop and here they developed their first model th...
1 memorial
Previously viewed
Borough Market
It was first mentioned in 1276, although there are claims that it has been in existence since 1014. The present buildings were designed in 1851 and an art deco entrance in Southwark Street was adde...
4 memorials
Bankers Clearing House
Cheque & Credit Clearing Company (or, in the form of a booklet) is very helpful: "Daily cheque clearings began around 1770 when the bank clerks met at the Five Bells, a tavern in Lombard Street...
7 memorials
London County Council
Prior to the LCC London matters were run by church parishes. The LCC was the first directly elected strategic local government body for London. Replaced by the Greater London Council, covering a la...
279 memorials
Kwame Nkrumah
First President and first Prime Minister of Ghana. Born in the Gold Coast Colony, now Ghana. Birth date uncertain. As a young man he studied first in the USA and then London, at the LSE. While ...
1 memorial
St Mary Aldermanbury church
This church, destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 and rebuilt by Wren in 1676 was damaged in WW1 and then gutted in WW2, and then left roofless waiting for demolition - Londonist has a photo. On 5 ...
2 memorials
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