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Hester Thrale born 1741 was a colourful member of London society, noted for her wit and charm. Her book Reflections is recognised to day as an early feminist history, and her Anecdotes on the late Samuel Johnson is a valuable source for quotations. Artist: Jacqueline West
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In memory of Anthony Trollope born 24th April 1815, died 6th December 1862. He was a loving husband, a loving father and a true friend. 'Into thy hand I commit my spirit'
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Greater London Council "We can all be refugees. Sometimes it only takes a day, Sometimes it only takes a handshake, Or a paper that is signed. We all came from refugees. Nobody simply just appeared, Nobody's here without a struggle, And why should we live in fear of the weather or the troubles? We all came here from somewhere" from We Refugees by Benjamin Zephaniah
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Croatian Library Ivana Brlic-Mazuranic Born on IV.18, 1874 in Ogulin. She lived from 1882 in this diedo home until her marriage on IV.18, 1892. Dies on 1/21 1938 in Zagreb
On the 100th anniversary of birth a memorial plaque was erected in 1974 by the Association of Croatian Literary Associations and the Association of Societies
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In 1793 the author of "Memoires D'Outre-Tombe" Chateaubriand 1768-1848 lived as an emigre in a garret close to this site and began his literary career. He returned in 1822 as French Ambassador and resided in Portland Place
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On this spot was situated Cobley's Farm, where Charles Dickens lived in 1843 while writing 'Martin Chuzzlewit'. It is recorded that during his walks with Forster in the Finchley lanes hard by he conceived the immortal character of Mrs. Gamp.
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George Busson Du Maurier Born in Paris 6th March 1834 Died in London 8th October 1896 A little trust that when we die we reap our sowing and so - goodbye
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"Dined at my Lord Treasurers the Earl of Southampton in Blomesbury, where he was building a noble square or piazza, a little towne" John Evelyn's diary 1665
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Whales in the Thames
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Occasionally whales and seals are seen in the Thames. Since 1986 Common Seals have been spotted as far up as Richmond. A Lesser Rorqual Whale has been seen as well as a Bottle-Nosed Dolphin which was stranded at East India Dock. Such incidents have offered exciting distractions for the people of London over many centuries.
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Several incidents of whales in the Thames were recorded by John Evelyn, Deptford's famous 17th century diarist. In 1658 he noted that "a large whale was taken betwixt my land abutting on the Thames and Greenwich, which drew an in the concourse to sea it, by water, coach and on foote. It appeared first below Greenwich at low water, for at high water it would have destroyed all the boats.
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After a long conflict it was killed with a harping yron, struck in the head, out of which spouted blood and water by two tunnels and after a horrid groan it ran quite on shore and died."
Again in 1699 Evelyn wrote "After an extraordinary storm there came up the Thames a whale fifty-six feet long".
In 1842 the capture of a young fin whale about 20 feet long provided quite an attraction. It was killed off Deptford Pier one Sunday by a number of watermen and its two ton body was displayed at the Bull and Butcher public house on the corner of Old King Street nearby. A printer in Flagon Row, Deptford quickly printed up some bills to advertise this "Extraordinary and Surprising Novelty" for sight-seers.
In 1965 there was great excitement when a school of about 20 whales was sighted off Woolwich pier. Billy Smart's Circus tried to catch one and enlisted the support of skin-divers, a gigantic fishing net and a rubber dingy {stet} to inflate under the unfortunate captive. They planned to take the whale to a temporary pool on Clapham Common then to a permanent aquarium at Windsor.
All was frustrated when a policeman pointed out that anything caught in the Thames becomes property of the Queen and under the Whaling Industry Act you cannot catch a whale in British waters. The whale catchers were last seen edging the whales out of the river, hoping to catch one in the open sea.
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Here rests William Hazlitt born April 10, 1778, Died 18 September 1830. He lived to see his deepest wishes gratified as he has expressed them in his Essay On The Fear Of Death: Viz: To see the downfall of the Bourbons, And some prospect of good to mankind (Charles X was driven from France 29th July 18?? "To leave some sterling work to the world" (He lived to complete his "Life of Napoleon". His desire that some friendly hand should consign him to the grave was accomplished to a limited but profound extent; on these conditions he was ready to depart and to have inscribed on his tomb "Grateful and Contented". He was the first (unanswered) Metaphysician of the age, a despiser of the merely Rich and Great, A lover of the People, Poor or Opressed, a hater of the Pride and Power of the Few, as opposed to the happiness of the Many. A man of true moral courage who sacrificed Profit and present fame to Principle. And a yearning for the good of Human Nature, who was a burning wound to an Aristocracy. That could not answer him before men and who may confront him before their Maker. He lived and died The Unconquered Champion of Truth, Liberty and Humanity. Dubitantes opera legite. This stone is raised by one whose heart is with him, in his grave.
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The former resident
of this historic building,
the great fellow citizen
Petar Hektorovic 1487-1572
, patron of Slavic villas
and pioneer of artistic
Croatian literature.
On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of his death
in times of fought-for
national freedom
for the Stari Graders and the whole world. Built
on Trvdalj in a spirit of
unifying, joyful pride. August 20, 1922
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Homenagem da Cidade do Funchal a Maria Aurora Carvalho Homem escritora, poeta, jornalista e dinamizadora cultural 26 de Septembro 2019 (Tribute from the City of Funchal to Maria Aurora Carvalho Homem writer, poet, journalist and cultural promoter 26th of September 2019)
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The house where I was born in the South American Pampas... W.H.Hudson. Hudson's Friends Society of Quilmes, near Buenos Aires, where the great writer was born on August 4th 1841, and where he spent his youth, has placed this bronze tablet at 40 Saint Luke's Road, London, the house in which Hudson lived his last years, and died on August 18th, 1922. The plaque was erected by Hudson's Friends Society of Quilmes in 1938 and adopted by the London County Council in the same year.
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Clive James born 1939. In Sydney Harbour...the yachts will be racing on the crushed diamond water under a sky the texture of powdered sapphires. It would be churlish not to concede that the same abundance of natural blessings which gave us the energy to leave has every right to call us back. UNRELIABLE MEMOIRS (1980). Born in Sydney, Clive James settled in London in the early 1960s and became known as a TV and literary critic, poet, novelist and broadcaster. NSW Ministry for the Arts Writers Walk
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The Croatian author, Miroslav Krleza was born in this house on July 7 1893. He died on December 29, 1891. A memorial plaque was placed by the Croatian Academy of Sciences of Intelligence, the Association of Croatian Authors
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Well Hall Pleasaunce
An 18th century house standing on this site before its demolition in 1931 was for 23 years the home of Edith Nesbit (1858 - 1924), author of The Railway Children. During her somewhat unusual married life here with husband Hubert Bland, a founder member of the Fabian Society, she wrote many other books including The Phoenix and the Carpet, Five Children and It and the Wouldbegoods.
Before Edith Nesbit took up residence here in 1899, there were other notable occupiers of this imposing three storey house.
The famous clock maker, John Arnold, lived here from 1779 to 1799, seeking an answer to longitude, and the Rev. Charles Fryer, vicar of St John's church at Eltham in the 1840s. The house was used as the boarding section of Well Hall School in the 1880s and their bell can still be seen on the nearby Tudor Barn.
However, Edith Nesbit, with her magic touch of writing children's stories which still live on today in television and film adaptations, is the name now most associated with Well Hall House. She loved living here in this part of South East London and especially enjoyed punting on the moat whilst entertaining her many literary friends, George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells among them.
In 1915 and 1916 the grounds were used for garden parties, held to raise funds for The Pioneer Women Campaigners (connected with the Woolwich Labour Party).
Hubert died at Well Hall in 1914. Three years later Edith married marine engineer Tommy Tucker known as 'Skipper', and in 1922 left Eltham for Jesson St. Mary, near Dymchurch Kent, where they had enjoyed numerous holidays exploring the countryside. It was here in 1924 that Edith died; she lies at rest at St. Mary-in-the-Marsh Church, Romney Marsh, Kent.
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The Adelphi This building stands on the site of Adelphi Terrace built by the brothers Adam in 1768 - 1774. Among the occupants of the Terrace were Topham and Lady Diana Beauclerk, David Garrick, Richard Doyly Carte, Thomas Hardy & George Bernard Shaw, The London School of Economics and Political Science and the Savage Club also had their premises here. LCC 1951
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FLORÊNCIO TERRA
JOURNALIST WRITER TO PROFESSOR RETOR AND PRESIDENT OF HORTA CITY COUNCIL
CELEBRATION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH
1858-2008
MUNICIPALITY OF HORTA MAY 18, 2008