V for Mystery

A friend has told me of this question posed on a local closed Facebook group …

What does the metal plate enamelled with a letter V mean?

Victoria House.  = Where  Lowes  was ?

https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=3&id=21964&gallery=Shops+in+and+around+Wigan&offset=20

On second thoughts scrap that Lowes was on the opposite side of the street.

I do wonder if what the building originally/previously housed has any bearing on things, Lolly. I also don’t know how long the V Sign has been up there though.

V for Vault. It is after all a bank

The Architect signature?

Ordnance Survey?

All interesting suggestions

Insurance Plate?  Placed on buildings to show they had fire insurance, or is that a little too early?

It’s a good idea, Weatherwax, but the V plaque doesn’t look as ornate nor as dated as the online examples.

From Wiki: ‘Fire insurance plaques … metal & marked with the emblem of the insurance company … affixed to the front of insured buildings as a guide to the insurance company's fire brigade … in the C18th and C19th in the days before municipal fire services were formed.’

Also, did Wigan have such aninsurance system?

From gmfsmuseum.org.uk:

‘The earliest reference to fire protection in Wigan can be found in the Wigan Water Act of 1764, which provided for the use of water to supply “the water engines” should “any fire happen or break out.” By 1837 the town had three engines, kept in a shed at the Wigan Gas Company on Darlington Street.’

I agree jo anne. I really didn't think that it looked old enough, as I said, but it was worth a punt as you never know. 

Actually, having a close look at it, I tend to think that Heironymous could have cracked it. A Vent, as it appears to be proud of the wall when you really look at it.

Could it be a bank vault ventilator

I could be wrong, Weatherwax, but the wall looks recently pointed or something that involved the plaque being removed and I’m guessing it’s possibly been bent and then not refitted as flush to the wall as it was previously.

V = Valve, for fire services. It indicates where the main valve is for water.

Thanks, Cadfael, is that definite info?

Pretty sure... the would be EWS painted on the wall nearby with an arrow pointing towards the V sign and a number indicating distance to it.

Cadfael wrote:Pretty sure... the would be EWS painted on the wall nearby with an arrow pointing towards the V sign and a number indicating distance to it.

Do we have a def answer?

Lolly wrote: Do we have a def answer?

No!  

The fire bobbies always used a Hydrant, which would be marked with a 'H'.

On the other hand, t'wayter booerd had 'valves' in certain places which could shut off sections of their pipework for repair or maintenance purposes.

Tha'sees!  

Ticsmon wrote:

Lolly wrote:  Do we have a def answer?

No!  

The fire bobbies always used a Hydrant, which would be marked with a 'H'.

On the other hand, t'wayter booerd had 'valves' in certain places which could shut off sections of their pipework for repair or maintenance purposes.

Tha'sees!  

Yer not gonna like this so sit down and get a stiff drink...

You are WRONG!

Of course today it would be marked with an H on a yellow plaque. But at one time it WAS a V on a Blue plaque.

What? Ticsmon was wr.., I mean wrrrrr....?

Water Supply History ....



These two signs, white letters on a blue diamond, refer to hydrant and valve.
The fire service would use the hydrant only, whereas the valve would be operated only by the water company. The valve was used to isolate sections of the water main network for maintenance and repair. They stopped using these marker plates many years ago. The plates shown possibly date back as far as the early 1900's when the water mains were first laid.
Today, fire hydrants are marked by the yellow plate with a black H on them.

That’s a brilliant find, Ticsmon! Where is the photo & passage taken from?