BRIEF HISTORY DURING THE SNOW ERA (1813-58)

Following a long history of creation and destruction, a rebuilt Royal Exchange was opened in September 1669 to address the commercial needs of London merchants and manufacturers.  The main entrance of the edifice by Edward Jarman was on Cornhill.  In January 1838, a fire started in a leased room, destroying the facility.  Because of the cold weather, fire plugs were frozen, as were manual pumps, leaving the eight fire engines and 63 firefighters helpless to stop the blaze.

A new Royal Exchange was designed by Sir William Tite, following the demolition of St. Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange to expand the original location.  The new building had a central courtyard, surrounded clockwise starting with the Royal Exchange Assurance at the west end, the London Assurance, Loyd's of London, and the Subscriber's Room.  Queen Victoria opened the new Royal Exchange on October 28, 1844 but business did not begin until January 1, 1845.  The Exchange ceased its original function in 1939 but the building remains at its present location. 

In Reynold's 1859 map, the Royal Exchange is at the lower center of cell K22 just above "Cor" in Cornhill. 

Sources: 

Barker F, Jackson P. Lond -- 2000 Years of a City and Its People, 1974. 

Richardson J. The Annals of London, 2000.

Weinreb B, Hibbert C (eds). The London Encyclopaedia, 1993.

View of old Royal Exchange in 1829 Click here to see 30 years earlier

Fire Burning the old Royal Exchange in 1838 Click here to see 21 years earlier

View of the new Royal Exchange after 1844 Click here to see the rebuilt facility

Front view of new Royal Exchange after 1844 Click here to see new building

Street View of Royal Exchange in 1847 Click here to see both sides of Cornhill Street

Old Ordnance Survey Map of 1873 Click here to see more details 13 years later

Ordnance Survey Map of Interior in 1873 Click here to see more details 14 years later