Tree

(lost) Shakespeare's tree

Erection date: 23/4/1864

Inscription

{The plaque erected with the 1964 tree read, in bright colours on a black background:}
SHAKESPEARE OAK.
Planted by Dame Edith Evans, D.B.E., for the Society for Theatre Research on April 23rd, 1964, to commemorate the Shakespeare Quatercentenary and to replace the oak planted by Samuel Phelps nearby on April 23rd, 1864.

The plaque is now lost.

Site: Shakespeare's tree (1 memorial)

NW3, Primrose Hill

The image showing the 1864 tree being planted is from eBay. It's from page 418 of 'The Illustrated London News', April 30 1864, captioned 'The Shakspeare (sic) Commemoration in London: planting an oak on Primrose Hill – see page 422.'

Two articles in the Camden New Journal (August 2013 and April 2014) tell the story of this tree and its replacement:

100,000 people attended the planting in 1864 which was organised by the Workingmen’s Shakespeare Committee to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth in 1564. This group was set up following disappointment in the commemoration efforts of the government-appointed committee. The tree was planted by actor Samuel Phelps. Chartist poet Eliza Cooke wrote a poem and had intended to read it there herself but due to sickness could not attend so someone else read the poem.

The tree died but was replaced 100 years later, on April 23, 1964, by actor Dame Edith Evans at a smaller event organised by the Society for Theatre Research. The Royal Parks Agency provided a plaque but that went missing very quickly and the RPA now have a no-plaque policy for trees, for this very reason.

Our image of the current tree comes from the CNJ but we have no idea which of the many trees on Primrose Hill it is. It's said to stand "on the slope of the hill". If you know this space perhaps, with this photo, you can find this tree?

2024: Mr Little kindly wrote with: "The current oak stands alone below the path between St Edmund's Terrace and Primrose Hill Road. You can find it added on Google Maps." We've moved our pin there.

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:
Shakespeare's tree

Subjects commemorated i

William Shakespeare

Born and died in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birth date is usually given as the ...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Shakespeare's tree

Created by i

Dame Edith Evans

Actor. Born Edith Mary Evans at 12 Ebury Square. In a stage and screen career...

Read More

Samuel Phelps

Actor/manager, born in Devonport.  In his early working life he worked on the...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Scott McGinley

Scott McGinley

N1, Upper Street, St Mary's Church Garden

In loving memory of Scott Lee McGinley, 03 March 1972 - 12 July 2003.

1 subject commemorated
2000th tree

2000th tree

NW1, Harrington Square

This English Oak was planted to commemorate the 2000th tree of the Millennium Tree Planting Project. The tree was planted by Mayor Heath...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Frederick Neuner

Frederick Neuner

N8, The Broadway

There is a clock dial on each of the four facades, and they are all working - August 2004 anyway. Above each dial is inscribed "1895". B...

1 subject commemorated
Holocaust tree - Kingston

Holocaust tree - Kingston

KT1, Union Street, Memorial Gardens

This tree was planted on behalf of the Royal Borough of Kingston and the Kingston Inter Faith Forum to commemorate all those who suffered...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Royal Canadian Air Force  - WW2 HQ, Tree, 1946

Royal Canadian Air Force - WW2 HQ, Tree, 1946

WC1, Lincoln's Inn Fields, 20 - 28

In the film the year on the plaque is slightly obscured and looks more like "1942" but surely the event must have taken place after the e...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators

Previously viewed

The Cavendish Hotel

The Cavendish Hotel

There is evidence of a 'Miller's Hotel' on the site in the early 1800s which was renamed in 1836. It was purchased by Rosa Lewis, who expanded it by combining four buildings into one. During both t...

Building, Commerce

1 memorial
Councillor J. Samuels

Councillor J. Samuels

Chairman of the Shoreditch Housing Committee in 1940.  From Tower Block: "Aggressive site-acquisition underpinned London's most forceful borough housing drive: that of Shoreditch MBC. This authorit...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Kenneth Wolstenholme

Kenneth Wolstenholme

BBC football commentator: "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!".  Born Lancashire. Bomber pilot in WW2, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar for 100 succ...

Person, Sport / Games, TV & Radio

1 memorial
Patricia Macnaughton

Patricia Macnaughton

Literary agent.  Chariman of Tricycle Board in 1998.  Director at Tricycle Screen Ltd 1995 - 2005.

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Victor Ronald Tidder

Victor Ronald Tidder

Member of the ARP/Civil Defence Services - auxiliary ambulance driver. Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research: Victor Ronald Tidder was born on 3 February 1908 in Bow, the eighth of the te...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial