Person    | Male  Born 10/8/1856  Died 4/3/1915

William Willett

Categories: Property, Social Welfare

Property developer. Born Farnham. Died at home in Chislehurst. Conceived the idea of Daylight Saving in 1905 and lobbied for it until his death. It was taken up by Parliament but failed to become law, until the need to save coal during WW1 made it necessary.

Royal Museums Greenwich produced the document ‘Walking the Willett Way’ to accompany their exhibition on British Summer Time: “William Willett, together with his father (also William, 1837–1913) were house-builders by trade, and were responsible for developing several streets of high-class houses near Sloane Square for the landowner, the Earl of Cadogan. The Willetts carried out a wholesale redevelopment of the area in the 1880s and 1890s. . . . Above number 7 Lower Sloane Street, now the Head Office of Hamptons, you can see the original ‘Willett’ sign on the stone fascia, and inside Hamptons, if you ask nicely, you may be able to see an original 1920s bronze portrait bust of William Willett, lent by Colchester Museums.“

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

Commemorated ati

William Willett - Chislehurst

William Willett, 1856 - 1915, noted house builder and initiator of British Su...

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William Willett - W3

Hamptons International, the estate agents, occupy William Willett’s former es...

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Professor Banister Fletcher

Professor Banister Fletcher

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Lettsom's house

Lettsom's house

Grove Hill, Camberwell.

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Stoke Newington Manor House

Stoke Newington Manor House

The photograph appears under Stoke Newington Manor House on the Hackney Plaques and Local History website. There is no further explanation. Maybe it shows excavations at the site.

Building, Property

1 memorial
Essex Street, House & grounds

Essex Street, House & grounds

The site now covered by Essex Street and Devereux Court was once Essex House and grounds, named after Robert, Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's favourite, who also led a rebellion against her which ...

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G. W. Ashby

G. W. Ashby

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War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Victoria Station - war memorial - west

Victoria Station - war memorial - west

SW1, Victoria Station

"... and of whom those whose names ..." - we just don't write English like that any more, thank heavens.

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535 subjects commemorated