Relief

Sealing of the Magna Carta - Parliament Square

Site: Middlesex Guildhall - exterior (3 memorials)

SW1, Little George Street, Supreme Court

At one time this was the site of nearby Westminster Abbey's Sanctuary Tower and Belfry.

This building was designed by James S. Gibson and Partners and built 1906-1913, in what Pevsner described as art nouveau Gothic.  Originally designed to be the Middlesex Guildhall as offices and to house the quarter sessions, it was converted to a crown court in 1964 and then in 2009 to the Supreme Court.  

We were puzzled why the Middlesex Guildhall should be in Westminster.  It's complicated but here goes ...  All of London, with the exception of the City of London, was part of Middlesex until 1889 when the County of London was formed.  The building on this site at that time was effectively the Westminster Guildhall.  And there was a building in Clerkenwell, the Middlesex Sessions House.  The two buildings were "swapped" so that the one in Westminster could be used by Middlesex and the one in Clerkenwell could be used by London.  This may not be the whole story but we think that is the gist of it.

 Ornamental Passions gives an excellent description of the whole frieze with large pictures. Waymarking also has some good photos.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sealing of the Magna Carta - Parliament Square

Subjects commemorated i

Magna Carta

There are four surviving original copies of Magna Carta - two in the British ...

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King John

Born Oxford, youngest son of Henry II, succeeding on the death of his brother...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Sealing of the Magna Carta - Parliament Square

Created by i

Henry Charles Fehr

Sculptor.  Born Forest Hill into a family of Swiss origin.  Died London.  Oth...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Sealing of the Magna Carta - Parliament Square

Also at this site i

Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey

Henry III granting charter to Westminster Abbey

This section is to the left of the entrance arch.  The description of "Henry ...

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