Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Joss Mullinger wrote:Did it sell this time?

Err, yes ... in a moment of madness I bid £80. I then decided that I didn't really want it and hoped somebody would outbid me, which didn't happen. So I have a lovely plaque on its way to me.

Joss Mullinger wrote:There are probably quite a few of these around as I remember them being sold on an Old Blues Day some years ago. There was also crockery for sale bearing the CH crest. I believe the crockery originated from the Infirmary (Sicker in 1960s terminology) and pieces were decorated in green and pink. I presume the different colours denoted specific wards, or separate floors perhaps, anyone what the differentiation represented? Other crockery around has the crest in blue which originates from Dining Hall.

There's some nice looking crockery on eBay right now:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321388790552? ... 1423.l2649

Mine's arrived and now functioning as a nice garden ornament on our patio wall.

Looks great !!

Although it looks great, can someone tell an ignoramus what it's original purpose was?

In ancient times insurance companies would affix a plaque to buildings they insured so that their private firemen could identify if the burning building was one of theirs or not.

sejintenej wrote:Although it looks great, can someone tell an ignoramus what it's original purpose was?

In ancient times insurance companies would affix a plaque to buildings they insured so that their private firemen could identify if the burning building was one of theirs or not.

That sort of brings us back to Julian's question in the first post. There might be a clue with mine since it has the word "DAIRY" written on the back, so I wonder if it came from the dairy which was demolished to make way for the Bluecoat Pond houses.

I suspect that wurzel's post on page 2 of this thread is the best guess thus far. Maybe CH acquired, and then sold, a number of these plaques as they disposed of properties in the area.

Adrian wrote:

sejintenej wrote:Although it looks great, can someone tell an ignoramus what it's original purpose was?

In ancient times insurance companies would affix a plaque to buildings they insured so that their private firemen could identify if the burning building was one of theirs or not.

That sort of brings us back to Julian's question in the first post. There might be a clue with mine since it has the word "DAIRY" written on the back, so I wonder if it came from the dairy which was demolished to make way for the Bluecoat Pond houses.

I suspect that wurzel's post on page 2 of this thread is the best guess thus far. Maybe CH acquired, and then sold, a number of these plaques as they disposed of properties in the area.

I don't wish to be a smartarse - actually I can't resist it! - but a member of the college of heralds would probably tell you that this is a badge, and is merely one constituent part of a coat-of-arms. The crest is something that appears above the badge (a helmet perhaps) and there may be a motto with a Latin inscription. There are other bits of a coat-of-arms if I remember rightly. Correct me if I'm wrong, you medieval historians, and other experts in useless information. Who knows something about the days of old when knights were bold?

Just been reading this interesting article about Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire, where Henry Stone is buried, and the town's links with Christ's Hospital.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skellingthorpe

It mentions that a number of buildings there have these plaques on their gables or wall.

Another one for sale in a few days if anybody wants one:

http://www.reemandansie.com/lot/58780/?view=1900