Edgar Wallace in Essex Street: London #46

 

Edgar Wallace is usually thought of foremost as a crime writer, and perhaps secondly as a journalist. As a large sign on the Edgar Wallace pub in Essex Street notes, Wallace was associated with nearby Fleet Street for a long time: he began at the age of eleven by selling newspapers in Ludgate Circus, where there is a bronze plaque with his likeness, although it escaped my memory on my last visit to London.

 

Almost directly across the street from the pub is a plaque which states:

 

'ESSEX STREET
was laid out in the grounds
of Essex House by
NICHOLAS BARBON in 1675
Among many famous lawyers
who lived here were

Sir ORLANDO BRIDGEMAN c.1606-1674
Lord Keeper.

HENRY FIELDING 1707-1754
Novelist and
BRASS CROSBY 1725-1793
Lord Mayor of London.

JAMES SAVAGE 1779-1852 Architect
has his office here.

PRINCE CHARLES EDWARD STUART
stayed at a house in the street
in 1750.

Rev. THEOPHILUS LINDSEY 1723-1808
Unitarian Minister
founded Essex Street Chapel here
in 1774.

Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON
established an evening club at
the "Essex Head" in 1783.'

Below is a link to a previous blog post I made concerning Wallace:

 

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Hannen Swaffer and Edgar Wallace