Bust of Samuel Plimsoll

The Bust of Samuel Plimsoll is a commemorative monument to Samuel Plimsoll (1824-1898), erected in 1962. The white marble bust stands on a granite base. The front face of the base pedestal bears the inscription ‘SAMUEL PLIMSOLL MP 1824-1898’ and features an example of the Plimsoll Mark. A bronze plaque is fixed to the left side of the base, displaying a raised Roman capital inscription: 'SAMUEL PLIMSOLL, M.P./BORN IN THIS /CITY AND PORT OF BRISTOL/1824/DIED IN/1898/HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS LED TO THE/MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS OF 1875/AND 1876 WHICH FIRST MADE LOAD/LINES COMPULSORY FOR THE SAFETY/OF SHIPS/'. Samuel Plimsoll was born in Colston’s Parade, Bristol and was a merchant and reformer known as 'the sailor’s friend', working to improve conditions in merchant shipping and creating the ‘Plimsoll Line’ to denote the maximum safe loading depth for ships. In 1867, the Liverpool Rubber Company named their rubber-soled canvas shoe after him. The bust was originally located on Hotwell Road, next to the River Avon, and unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Bristol on 24 July 1962, having been provided by the Bristol City Museum. It was moved in 2009 to Capricorn Place, also on the banks of the River Avon. The monument is designated at Grade II for its historic interest as a commemoration of Samuel Plimsoll’s significant contribution to improving the safety of shipping, and for its prominent position on Bristol’s harbourside, linking it to the city’s nautical history.