Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, James Tate, James Tate Jr, and Herbert Knowles brushed metal plaque

This brushed metal commemorative plaque records: Great Channel affectionately known as "Cloaca Maxima" when Swale House was the residence of James Tate and of his son and namesake Masters of Richmond School 1796-1833 and 1834-1863 respectively. Scholars who boarded with them here included Lewis Carroll, the boy-poet Herbert Knowles and two sons of Earl Grey, Prime Minister 1833-1838 Recorded plaque organisation: Richmond and District Civic Society.

Rev Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was a renowned author famous for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"; James Tate and his son were Masters of Richmond School, where the younger Tate taught Dodgson; Herbert Knowles was a boy-poet who boarded at Swale House with other notable scholars.