1866

William Cotton

Categories: Philanthropy, Politics & Administration, Religion

William Cotton FRS was an inventor, merchant, philanthropist, and governor of the Bank of England 1842-5.

He helped build St John's Church Leytonstone in 1833, and 75 other churches in London. He worked to strengthen the world church through 3 volunteer societies.

He helped found King's College, London, and also the National Society (Church of England and Church in Wales) for the Promotion of Education, often just referred to as the National Society, and since 2016 also as The Church of England Education Office (CEEO).

He supported 4 London hospitals. While at the Bank he invented an automatic weighing machine for gold sovereigns. Fellow of the Royal Society from 1821.

Born Leytonstone, the son of Joseph Cotton. He lived and died at Walwood House in Leytonstone. Brother to Benjamin Cotton. Father to Agnes.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Cotton

Commemorated ati

Cotton family grave

Collecting gravestones is not part of our mission, but we have transcribed th...

See other memorials in this area

Other Subjects

Sir Noel Caron

Close friend of King James I. Dutch Ambassador to the court, 1609-24. 1602–3 Elizabeth granted him a house in South Lambeth where he lived until his death. From this plan we think this house was ab...

Person, Philanthropy, Netherlands

1 memorial

Sir Francis Crossley

Carpet manufacturer, politician and philanthropist. Born in Halifax, Yorkshire. He worked at his father's massive carpet factory before entering parliament in 1852. He erected twenty-one almshouses...

Person, Commerce, Philanthropy, Politics & Administration

1 memorial

Putney Pest House Charity

Set up in 1862 and still awarding small grants.

Group, Philanthropy, Social Welfare

1 memorial

Charity scholars

Looking at London has a page about these little blue people but even there we can find no origin story explaining why and when the first such statues were erected. We note that there seems to be a ...

Group, Education, Philanthropy

23 memorials

The Cedars Club

See the memorial page for all the information we have.

Group, Philanthropy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Madge Gill

Artist. Born in a flat at the site of the plaque as Maude Ethel Eades. Being illegitimate she was an embarrassment to her family, who sent her to a Dr Barnado's orphanage. She later went to Canada ...

Person, Art, Paranormal, Canada

2 memorials

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came along at which point it was renamed as World War One or the First World War. But the term was first used in print in 1920...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

402 memorials

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do visit the picture source web site - it has a fascinating collection of maps. And we enjoyed these photos of current WW2 ev...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

376 memorials

Heritage Lottery Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (rebranded 2019), formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (established 1994), distributes a share of National Lottery funding.

Group, Benefactor

27 memorials

Marcial Echenique

Professor of Land Use and Transport Studies and Dean of Architecture at Cambridge. Born Chile. Awarded an OBE in 2009.

Person, Architecture, Education, Transport, Chile

1 memorial