Bust

15 Croydon - Joshua Reynolds

Site: Whitgift and others (17 memorials)

CR9, Katharine Street, Croydon Public Library

Built in 1892 by Charles Henman Jr. this heavily decorated complex of buildings makes up Croydon's Town Hall. The building and the roundels are covered at Ornamental Passions. Each of the five bays of the frieze carries three portrait roundels. The names, wreathed in either oak or laurel leaves, are given along the tops of the windows just below the pediments, listed here left to right. Ornamental Passions assumes they are all the work of Edwin Roscoe Mullins who did other work on this part of the building.

You would have thought that by 1892 the spelling of Shakespeare would have been sorted out. But this is not the first time we have seen it as "Shakespere" on buildings around this date. Perhaps it was a nod to the fashion for historical romanticism. Of course, in the 16th century, spelling had not settled down, to the extent that Shakespeare himself was inconsistent. His marriage certificate (necessary because at 18 he was under-age) has his name spelt as Shagspeare, accidentally, we are sure.

Archbishop Tillotson takes pride of place at the centre of these portraits. He was born almost 30 years after Whitgift's death and, like Whitgift, became Archbishop of Canterbury. Other than that we can find no reason for his honoured presence here.

Improbably, "Croydon" derives from the Anglo Saxon for "Crocus Valley" (ref: The Londonist)

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

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
15 Croydon - Joshua Reynolds

Subjects commemorated i

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Born in Plympton, Devonshire. Came to London in 1753. As a student of Italian...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
15 Croydon - Joshua Reynolds

Created by i

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
15 Croydon - Joshua Reynolds

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Colonial Office - B03 - Gascoigne

Colonial Office - B03 - Gascoigne

SW1, Whitehall, Foreign Office

Statues Hither and Thither has been invaluable in identifying some of the busts and most of the statues. The statues are not labelled and...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Violette Szabo & SOE

Violette Szabo & SOE

SE1, Albert Embankment

Unveiled by the Duke.

War dead | WW2
4 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Willesden Library - Shakespeare

Willesden Library - Shakespeare

NW10, High Road, 95, Willesden Green Old Library Building

We think that hiding below hundreds of layers of whitewash is a fine relief bust of Shakespeare. This is at the top of the pargeting (dec...

1 subject commemorated
Greenwich roundels - Howard

Greenwich roundels - Howard

SE10, King William Walk, Discover Greenwich (Royal Naval College, Pepys Building)

The roundels on the north, river-facing, frontage are occupied by, left to right: Anson, Drake, Cook, Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich, Ro...

1 subject commemorated
National Portrait Gallery - Granger

National Portrait Gallery - Granger

WC2, Charing Cross Road

This building, 1896, designed by Ewan Christian, has 18 busts contained in medallions around the top of the facades. Starting at the east...

1 subject commemorated