A blue plaque showing information about The Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey in Torquay.

English Heritage scheme

A Greater London Council blue plaque at Alexandra Palace, commemorating the launch of BBC Television there in 1936.

English Heritage selection criteria

Please note that the following are selection criteria for English Heritage's Blue Plaque Scheme. They do not apply to all plaque schemes in the UK and elsewhere.

In order to be eligible for an English Heritage blue plaque, a figure must have been dead for twenty years or have passed the centenary of their birth.

Nominated figures must also meet the following criteria: be considered eminent by a majority of members of their own profession; have made an outstanding contribution to human welfare or happiness; have resided in a locality for a significant period, in time or importance, within their life and work; be recognisable to the well-informed passer-by, or deserve national recognition.

In cases of foreigners and overseas visitors, candidates should be of international reputation or significant standing in their own country.

It should also be noted that: EH plaques can only be erected on the actual building inhabited by a figure, not the site where the building once stood; buildings marked with plaques should be visible from the public highway; unless a case is deemed exceptional, a single person may not be commemorated with more than two plaques nationwide; proposals are be considered for the commemoration of sites of special historical interest.

Other plaque schemes

A Finchley Society plaque

There are thriving commemorative plaque schemes in Bath, Edinburgh, Brighton, Liverpool, Loughton, and elsewhere. A scheme in Manchester uses colour-coded plaques to commemorate figures, with each of the colours corresponding to his/her occupation. The Dead Comics' Society installs blue plaques to commemorate the former residences of well-known comedians, including those of Sid James and John Le Mesurier. In 2003, the London Borough of Southwark started a plaque scheme which included living people in the awards.^[1] Notably, a green plaque scheme is run in London alongside that of English Heritage by Westminster City Council, which is sponsored by groups campaigning for memorials. These schemes are often run by civic societies, district or town councils, or local history groups, and often operate with different criteria.

Abroad, commemorative plaques schemes exist in Paris in France, Rome in Italy, and the USA (where they are known as 'Historical Markers', see below), among other countries. Many foreign schemes were founded around the time of the London blue plaques scheme, and others pre-date it.

Notable plaques

Handel's House

• Plaques for George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix stand side by side on 25 and 23 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1.
• The fictional character Sherlock Holmes has a blue plaque on the supposed site of 221B Baker Street, London, W1, placed there on behalf of the Sherlock Holmes Museum which now occupies the site.
• William Wymark Jacobs author, had two blue plaques unveiled to him on the same day in 1998 in London and Loughton.
• Willie Rushton has his blue plaque in Mornington Crescent tube station in recognition of the game played on the UK comedy radio show, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.
• Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers of the United States) once owned a property in Preston city centre, on the corner of Cheapside and Friargate. A Blue Plaque on the wall of the building commemorates the spot.

See also

• List of blue plaques
• Category:Buildings with blue plaques
• Historical marker

References

Bibliography

External links

• Blue plaque section of English Heritage's site — includes a list of London plaques organised alphabetically by person
• Blueplaque.com London blue plaque scheme — allows searching by address
• Blue Plaque Blog— A personal exploration of London's Blue Plaques
• Ulster History Circle
• Ulster History Society — links to blue plaque schemes in other areas
• Bourne Society — Croydon
• Loughton Town Council Blue Heritage Plaque Scheme — Loughton, Essex
• Blue Plaques of Muslim London — current and proposed plaques for London Muslims
• A list of Blue Heritage Plaques in Kingston upon Hull
• The Birmingham Civic Society — Blue Plaques
• Birmingham's Blue Plaques — Photographs of some of the plaques and sites where located.
• The Shady Old Lady's Guide to London Plaques — The stories behind the locations, plaques or no plaque.
• Manchester Blue, red and black plaques
• Cambridge City Council — Blue Plaque Scheme
• Llanelli Community Heritage blue plaques

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