Plaque

Charles Melville Hays

Inscription

A.M.D.G.
In memory of Charles Melville Hays, President of the Grand Trunk and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Companies of Canada, who lost his life on April 15th 1912, by the foundering in Mid-Atlantic of the steamship ''Titanic'', through collision with an iceberg, while on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
A memorial service was held in this church simultaneously with one at Montreal, on Thursday, April 25th 1912.
This tablet, with the kind permission of the rector and churchwardens, was placed here by the Directors of the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada, in recognition of Mr Hays' great services to the company, and of his high character in public and private life.

A.M.D.G. stands for Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam (For the greater glory of God). It is the motto of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Site: Charles Melville Hays (1 memorial)

EC3, Lombard Street, 57 - 59, St Edmund the King Church

St Edmund the King church is now the London Centre for Spiritual Direction. We have tried to gain access to the building, but it has always been closed. Our photograph of the plaque is from Musings of a curious individual.

We wondered why a man born in America, living and working in Canada, had a memorial in the City of London. The answer is that his company was based in the City and he had taken the Titanic to return home from a visit soliciting financial support from the Board of Directors.

2021: A London Inheritance drew our attention to a building of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, Hays's company, in Cockspur Court, off Cockspur Street, an area which specialized in travel companies. The building is grandly named, in stone, twice, with the company name.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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:
Charles Melville Hays

Subjects commemorated i

sinking of the Titanic

On board were over 2,200 people: 1,316 passengers and about 900 crew.  1,517 ...

Read More

Charles Melville Hays

Railway president. Born in Rock Island, Illinois. He started working on the r...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Charles Melville Hays

Created by i

Grand Trunk Railway of Canada

This company operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and sev...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

W. G. Grace - Lord's

W. G. Grace - Lord's

NW8, St John's Wood Road, Lord's Cricket Ground

{On the plaque on the gate pier:} To the memory of William Gilbert Grace, the great cricketer, 1848 - 1915, these gates were erected by t...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Rathbone Street WW2 fire station - Harry Errington

Rathbone Street WW2 fire station - Harry Errington

W1, Rathbone Street

The plaques are around the driveway entrance under the building to the left in our photo. However, photos at Fitzrovia News make us think...

War served | WW2
4 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Spa Road Station - Spa Road

Spa Road Station - Spa Road

SE16, Spa Road, Under Railway Bridge

The web page given on the plaque plots 900 British transport heritage sites on a map and provides information about each one.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
DLR extension to Lewisham - Greenwich

DLR extension to Lewisham - Greenwich

SE10, Cutty Sark Greenwich DLR Station

The rectangular aluminium plaque is on the cutter head which has been painted in a Union Jack-inspired scheme.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
James "Bronterre" O'Brien

James "Bronterre" O'Brien

N1, Donegal Street, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School

We originally photo’ed this plaque in 2009 on the previous building at this site.  In September 2013 Rocker Ages sent this link showing t...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator