CELEBRATE STALBANS' SIGNIFICANT MEN & WOMEN
Blue Plaques St Albans (BPSA) is a voluntary body that installs blue plaques on the relevant buildings to celebrate the significant men and women who lived or worked in the city of St Albans. These plaques serve as a reminder of the city's rich history and cultural heritage. We have now installed 13 blue plaques and there are many more to come. If you would like to support our cause, you can donate by contacting BPSA.
NEWS
At 1pm Friday 25th October, a blue plaque commemorating Frederic Kitton was installed on the building he saved from demolition, 13-15 Market Place, known as The Gables and now where Anthropologie has a shop. The plaque was officially installed by the guest of honour, the Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Jamie Day. Welcomed by the Town Cryer, Steve Potter, Tim Boatswain, Chair of BPSA introduced the 14th Blue Plaque in the series. Robert Pankhurst Vice-Chair then gave an outline of Frederic's contribution to St Albans which was followed by the Mayor congratulating and thanking BPSA.
​Frederic Kitton was a prolific writer, illustrator, expert on Dickens and conservation campaigner. He loved St Albans and recorded the ancient and medieval buildings of the city at a time when many were being demolished for redevelopment. When he learnt that the chemists, Boots, at that time the owner of the Gables, wanted to demolish the building he campaigned to save it and started a petition, which saved this beautiful building. Kitton died in 1904 at the age of 48 years when surgery failed to heal a gastric problem. He was given a grand uneral service at St Albans Cathedral and buried in Hatfield Road Cemetery.
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Many thanks to Andy Lawrence for this video.
You may spot Robert's mistake: when he mentions Frederic Kitton being an expert on Charles Darwin, of course, he meant Charles Dickens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOek7GjnCMg
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©Snjezana Boatswain
Courtesy of St Albans Museums
Still Looking for an Offer
I am looking for a venue, which could be offered for free, for a funding-raising talk for Blue Plaques St Albans on E.R.Hughes 'the last' of the Pre-Raphaelite artists.
A blue plaque was installed to E.R.Hughes on 22 July 2023 - it was a very wet ceremony!
BPSA held an event at St Peter's Church on Thursday 8th August. The occasion was an opportunity to celebrate the Civic Society Award and thank donors who have made the BPSA scheme possible
Photo: courtesy of Harry Kinsley
Tim Boatswain & Jo Kelly-Moore
© SnjezanaBoatswain
Margaret Wix, courtesy St Albans Museums
On 24th July, the Blue Plaque commemorating Margaret Wix, the first woman Mayor of St Albans, was installed on 40 Holywell Hill by the Dean of St Albans Cathedral, Jo Kelly-Moore
Video of the installation ceremony, courtesy Andy Lawrence: https://youtu.be/Jlvr-7r01E0
Good news: work has started on Samuel Ryder's Exhibition Hall (ex-Cafe Rouge) Holywell Hill - then a blue plaque for the great man!
St Albans' Mayor, Cllr Anthony Rowlands, installs a blue plaque commemorating 'the orchid king', Fredrick Sander, attended by his descendants
Good news: a tree will be planted in Jubilee Square in remembrance of Betty Entwistle, St Albans' first female Town Clerk and CEO. Back in 2017 a tree, which had been planted outside sheltered housing, named after Betty (see photo,), was felled to make way for a new building. When Blue Plaques St Albans installed a plaque to Betty Entwistle on the Grange (now the Saint & Sinner pub) it was suggested that the Council should replace the tree, so I am delighted this has now been agreed.
Last night (16/06/2024) Blue Plaques St Albans (BPSA) organised a fund-raising event to commemorate Dr Nathaniel Cotton (1706-1788), a pioneer in the field of mental health. After a short introduction to the life of Cotton by Prof Tim boatswain, Dr Florian Ruths, a practising psychiatrist specializing in Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT), gave an engaging and fascinating talk on the evolution of the treatment of mental illness.
Many thanks to Dr Ruths, who waived his fee, and to St Peter's Church who provided the venue for no charge.
Finally, a big thanks to the members of the public (50+), who attended and donated over £400 to BPSA, which will go to the next blue plaque to be installed in St Albans.
Congratulations! St Albans Blue Plaques has won the Public Realm category at the Civic Society Awards evening (21/5/24): The scheme, by celebrating St Albans' historical figures has enhanced the heritage of the city and has "been met with delight and widespread support".
LATEST BLUE PLAQUE​
Tim Boatswain, Chair of BPSA,The Mayor, Cllr Anthony Rowlands, Laurence Worms and Headmaster of St Albans School, Jonathan Gillespie (photo Leah Renz)
At 10.45 am on Tuesday 30th April, a blue plaque commemorating the life of Thomas Kitchin was installed at 7 Fishpool Street, St Albans, which was once his home and is now St Albans School Headmaster’s house. A reception took place in the School attended by the Mayor, Cllr Anthony Rowlands, and the Headmaster, Jonathan Gillespie.
Prof Tim Boatswain said:
Thomas Kitchin is perhaps little known but was, in fact, a prolific and exceptionally talented engraver, who produced hundreds of maps during his 18th century lifetime. Last year, hosted by St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society, Laurence Worms, an expert on Kitchin, gave a fascinating talk on the engraver and map-maker’s career. Blue Plaques St Albans are very grateful both to him and all those who subscribed to his talk as his and their fees paid for the blue plaque. I also wish to thank St Albans School and the Headmaster, Jonathan Gillespie, for not only giving permission for the plaque to be installed but also for the splendid reception that awaited the attendees of the installation
Peter Sander talks about his Great-Grandfather Frederick Sander
April 13th Thanks to all those who attended Peter Sander's talk on Saturday on his great-grandfather Frederick Sander, 'The Orchid King', in the Lady Chapel. It was a fascinating talk which mixed family history with an account of the 'orchid mania' that gripped Europe and America before World War I.
Last summer a blue plaque to Frederick was installed in George Street. The fees from Peter's talk will fund more blue plaques.
Tim Boatswain with Peter Sander
Pleased to see our blue plaques get a mention in The Times:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4e325850-cb8c-4b58-b902-d34ca3ce23b2?shareToken=dc32ae29c4b9f7b9d44e8608ce2191cd
Sixteen descendants of Frederick Sander with the Mayor, Cllr Anthony Rowlands attend the installation of the Blue Plaque in George Street
© Snjezana Boatswain
Saturday 13 April 1 pm:
Thanks to all those who attended Peter Sander's talk on Saturday on his great-grandfather Frederick Sander, 'The Orchid King', in the Lady Chapel. It was a fascinating talk which mixed family history with an account of the 'orchid mania' that gripped Europe and America before World War I. The fees from Peter's talk will fund more blue plaques.