Sir Walter Besant - Embankment, London, UK
N 51° 30.575 W 000° 07.112
30U E 699949 N 5710431
Sir Walter Besant, a novelist, has this memorial close to Waterloo Bridge on the Embankment.
Waymark Code: WMC76R
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/03/2011
Views: 10
The centre of the memorial is at about 2 metres (6 feet) above the pavment and is approximately 1 metre ( 3 feet) in height. The memorial is made from bronze having Besant's likeness at the top and the inscription at the bottom. The base of the likeness has the name "Geo Frampton". That would be Sir George James Frampton the sculptor. Frampton has done an excellent job of capturing the face of Besant as there are photographs of him on the internet. The inscription reads:
"Sir Walter Besant / Novelist / Historian of London / Secretary of the Palestine Exploration Fvnd / Originator of the People's Palace / and / Fovnder of the Society of Avthors / This monvment is erected / by / His gratefvl brethren in lterature / Born 14th Avgvst 1836 = Died 9th Jvne 1901"
The letter "v" has been retained as it is used in the inscription for the more modern letter "u".
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The son of a merchant, he was born at Portsmouth, Hampshire and attended school at St Paul's, Southsea, Stockwell Grammar, London and King's College London. During 1855, he was admitted as a pensioner to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1859 as 18th wrangler. After a year as Mathematical Master at Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancashire and a year at Leamington College, he spent 6 years as professor of mathematics at the Royal College, Mauritius. A decrease of health compelled him to resign, and he returned to England and settled in London during 1867. From 1868 to 1885 he had the job of Secretary to the Palestine Exploration Fund. During 1871, he was admitted to Lincoln's Inn.
He published during 1868 Studies in French Poetry. Three years later he began his collaboration with writer James Rice. Among their joint productions are Ready-money Mortiboy (1872), and the Golden Butterfly (1876), both, especially the latter, very successful. This association was ended by the death of Rice during 1882. Thereafter Besant continued to write voluminously by himself, his main novels being All in a Garden Fair (which Rudyard Kipling credited in Something of Myself with inspiring him to leave India and make a career as a writer), Dorothy Forster (his own favorite), Children of Gibeon, and All Sorts and Conditions of Men. The two latter belonged to a series in which he endeavored to arouse the public conscience to the sadness of life among the poorest classes of cities. In this crusade Besant had considerable success, the establishment of The People's Palace in the East of London being one result. In addition to his fiction, Besant wrote largely on the history and topography of London. His plans for this topic were left unfinished: among his books on this subject is London in the 18th Century.
Besant was a freemason, serving as Master Mason in the Marquis of Dalhousie Lodge, London from 1873. He conceived the idea of a Masonic research lodge, the Quatuor Coronati Lodge of which he was first treasurer from 1886.
He was treasurer of the 'Atlantic Union', an association which sought to improve social relations between Britons and Americans.
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