1-3 Montpelier Row, Twickenham, Middlesex

Above: this plaque and its twin are on the side wall of 1 Montpelier Row, facing Richmond Road: “The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. The origin of the “Mercers’ Maiden”, the heraldic emblem of the company, is not known. Unlike most of the City livery companies, the Mercers had no early grant of arms but the 1425 charter granted a common seal. A few impressions of the early seal survive showing a greatly simplified version of the present coat of arms. The fifteenth century Wardens’ Accounts reveal that, even then, the Company required the device of the Maid’s Head to be displayed on its property. In 1530 the Company stated to the College of Heralds that they had no arms but only a Maid’s Head for their common seal and in 1568 the Heralds registered the seal as the company’s arms.

“London EC3, CORBET COURT. The above stone is the earliest surviving Maiden property mark dating from 1669.” (London Remembers)

In 1911 the College of Arms confirmed the arms and granted the company a crest and motto, ‘Honor Deo’ (Honour to God). The grant blazons the arms: Gules, issuant from a bank of clouds a figure of the Virgin couped at the shoulders proper vested in a crimson robe adorned with gold the neck encircled by a jeweled necklace crined or and wreathed about the temples with a chaplet of roses alternately argent and of the first and crowned with a celestial crown the whole within a bordure of clouds also proper.” (Wikipedia)

Maiden property mark, Long Acre, London WC2

From the Historic England entry:

“1.5028 MONTPELIER ROW

No 1

No 2 (Warwick House)

No 3 (Seymour House) TQ 1673 21/5 2.9.52

II* GV

2.Montpelier Row consists of 2 very important terrace blocks of nearly uniform early C18 houses, with a row of modern houses between, overlooking Marble Hill Park.

The C18 houses are all 3-storeys and basement, brown brick with red dressings, parapet and windows in nearly flush frames. They have varied types of doorcases, and in many cases good ironwork to street and areas. The row was built by a Captain Gray in 1720. (Country Life, September 8, 1944)

All 3 cement-rendered.

No 1, 6 bays wide (3:3). Doorcase with moulded cornice hood on carved brackets. Decorated plaque with “Montpelier Row 1720”.

Glazing bars have been removed. No 2, 3 bays and No 3, 6 bays (3:3) both with similar doorcases to No 1.”