English Heritage: Charles Rolls

English Heritage Marker: Charles Rolls

You may not know it - I didn't - but the 'Rolls' in Rolls-Royce is Charles Stewart Rolls who worked in this Mayfair building where Rolls-Royce Limited was once headquartered.  As the plaque says, Rolls was a motoring and aviation pioneer.  He wasn't the technical brains behind the business.  That was Henry Royce, but Rolls provided the finance and business know how that gave birth to the iconic British motorcar and aviation engine manufacturer.

14-15 Conduit St, Mayfair

Charles Rolls appears to have loved a thrill.  In addition to motoring, he had a passion for flying.  In fact, while Rolls-Royce jet engines are well known today, Rolls apparently failed in his attempt to get Henry Royce to design an aircraft engine in the company's early days.

Unfortunately, it was Roll's passion for flight that led to his early death at the age of 32.  He died when the plane he was flying, a Wright Flyer, crashed in 1910.  Rolls-Royce had been in business only 6 years, but his name lived on.

Mutiny on the Bounty Heritage Marker

William Bligh's Heritage Marker

100 Lambeth Rd Decked Out for Jubilee

I stumbled upon this heritage marker the other day while walking along Lambeth Road near the Imperial War Museum.

William Bligh commander of the famous HMS Bounty lived here.

After Mr Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against Bligh, Bligh and his supporters were loaded on to a small boat and set a float in the Pacific.  47 days later they came ashore in Timor.  Pretty good sailing I would say.

Bligh returned to England and carried on with his career.  Trouble seemed to follow him, though, as he set off the Rum Rebellion while Governor of New South Wales.

Fletcher Christian and his men headed for Tahiti.  Eventually Christian and a few others set up shop on Pitcairn Island, but not for long because they ended up killing each other.

Lord Palmerston: Another Heritage Marker Of Interest

Summer arrived in London this week - long may it reign.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful the past couple of days.  The mercury hit 29ºC yesterday, which was a huge change from last week when I was still wearing my winter jacket.  So, as you do, I went for a walk this morning around St James's Park.

Lord Palmerston Birthplace

Walking along the houses in Queen Anne's Gate in Westminster, I came across this little reminder of New Zealand and Great Britain's shared history.  The marker on this house marked it as the birthplace of Lord Palmerston (his actual name was Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston).  He was the British Prime Minister between 1855 and 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1865.

Lord Palmerston gave his name to two New Zealand towns.  The Otago town of Palmerston took its name in 1862 from the then sitting Prime Minister.   And, the North Island, Manawatu town of Palmerston North was named after him in 1871, a few years after his death.

Hendrix and Handel. Neighbours?

English Heritage Handel Marker

It may have been centuries a part but did you know that the extremely different musical talents, Hendrix and Handel lived in neighbouring houses on Brook St in London's Mayfair District?

English Heritage Hendrix Marker

According to these English Heritage markers Rock guitarist, Jimi Hendrix lived at No. 23 Brook Street between 1968 and 1969, while composer, George Fredric Handel lived at No. 25 between 1723 and his death in 1759.

The Handel House Museum was set up at No. 25 about 10 years ago.  I guess it will be a couple of hundred years before Hendrix gets his on the site.

The things you learn on a Saturday morning stroll around London...

Home of George Fredric Handel, 25 Brook St

Home of Jimi Hendrix, 23 Brook St

History by Google and English Heritage

Corner of Collingham Gardens and Laverton Place, London

I see Google is commemorating the birth of Howard Carter on their search page today, 9 May.

When we arrived in London and were staying briefly in Collingham Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (can you get a longer city name?), I came across this sign.

We'd been there a few days before I discovered that the curse of the mummy was just a few doors down.

Once noticed, though, I now see these little historical gems from English Heritage everywhere.  They pop up on buildings all over town and they make a simple walk to the supermarket, the bank or the park an interesting walk through history.

Admittedly, I often have to use 'the Google' to have any clue as to who was what.