Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Kew Bridge Tontine
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
A 'tontine' was a financial scheme by which the subscribers to a loan or common fund each received an annuity during his life, which increased as the subscribers passed away, until the last survivor enjoyed the whole income. The word is also applied to the share or right of each subscriber. Such schemes were introduced first in France as a method of raising government loans. Afterwards tontines were formed for building houses, hotels, baths, bridges and so on.
Kew Bridge was first built in 1758-1759 by John Barnard. It had seven timber arches. This was replaced by a stone bridge in 1784-1789. The present bridge was constructed in 1903, designed by John Wolfe Barry. The bridge crosses the Thames River between Kew and Chiswick.