Blue plaques started in London in 1866 and the first one there was to poet Lord Byron. There some blue and are several other types of plaque found in our city.
Southampton Council facilitated some black ones to remember local people who had a connection to the Titanic which sank in 1912.
Black History Month have put up some in recent years.
The Spitfire Makers Trust have ones remembering people and places involved in the local production of the plane.
Bevois Mount History group have put ones up in their area and there are red transport heritage ones.
Behind every plaque lies a story and I will be writing about some of them in future articles.
Plaques in Southampton commemorating individuals include:
- Sir Edward Penley Abraham, scientist, 47 Southview Road.
- Roy Chadwick, aircraft designer, 38 Chessel Avenue.
- Alexander Ross Clarke, mathematician and geodesist, 21 Carlton Crescent.
- Herbert Collins, noted architect and worker for peace, 238 Brookvale Road.
- Emily Davies, suffragist and campaigner for women’s education, 6 Carlton Crescent.
- Brigadier Martin Hotine, Adanac Park, Nursling. This memorial was relocated from the Ordnance Survey’s previous Romsey Road offices. He designed the iconic Trig Pillar.
- Sir Henry James, The Director General’s House, Rockstone Place.
- John Jellicoe, naval officer remembered for the World War 1 Battle of Jutland, 1 Cranbury Place.
- RJ Mitchell, aircraft designer, 2 Russell Place and Hazel Road.
- John Everett Millais, artist, Portland Street.
- Sir Arthur Henry Rostron, Chalk Hill, West End. As Captain of the Carpathia he picked up all the Titanic survivors.
- Joe Zammit, taxi driver, Blechynden Terrace.
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