Plaque

(lost) Tower of London execution site - c.1910

Inscription

Site of the scaffold on which were executed Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Katherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey & others.

This image came from Twitter via Londonist, and from the children's clothes must be about 1910.

2020: Terje Hartberg contacted us via Twitter directing us to this Flickr stream which has a photo of this plaque in 1939, from a different angle. The frame of the plaque has changed since the earlier photo but that's all. Thanks Terje.

Site: Tower of London execution site (5 memorials)

EC3, Tower Green, Tower of London

Members of royalty sentenced to death were spared the ordeal of public execution on Tower Hill. This spot, inside the very secure Tower of London, was reserved just for them, and apparently the executions took place under cover. Excavations have confirmed the existence of a building here.

But one also hears that Lady Jane Grey's prison windows looked out over Tower Green and that she must have seen her scaffold being erected, which would not have been the case had it been enclosed.

2017: Within a few weeks we came across not just one but two predecessors to the glass cushion which has been here since 2006. We're being very nerdish, publishing them as 'lost' memorials, even though the current location of one of them is actually known.

2023: We watched the 1946 short documentary film 'Prisoners of the Tower' from which we captured images of 2 other plaques at the site.

2023: Using Museum of London data Londonist have analysed the who, why, where, when and how of London executions. To see the more than 100 executees on London Remembers click here.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Tower of London execution site - c.1910

Subjects commemorated i

Anne Boleyn

Second wife of Henry VIII and so Queen of England, 1533 to 1536.  Though marr...

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Lady Jane Grey

Married to Lord Guilford Dudley.  Her husband’s father persuaded the dying Ed...

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Catherine Howard

As lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves Catherine attracted Henry's ever-roving ...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Tower of London execution site - c.1910

Also at this site i

Anne Boleyn beheaded - 1946

Anne Boleyn beheaded - 1946

This image comes from the 1946 short documentary film 'Prisoners of the Tower...

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Tower of London execution site

Tower of London execution site

Catling wrote the poem as well as creating the sculpture. Doesn't that cushio...

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Tower of London execution site - 1972

Tower of London execution site - 1972

In the first 2 minutes of the 1972 CCF film "The Boy Who Turned Yellow" some ...

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Tower scaffold - 1946

Tower scaffold - 1946

See Anne Boleyn's plaque for when/how this plaque was displayed.

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Nearby Memorials

Lord Northampton

Lord Northampton

EC1, Northampton Square

This tablet was erected in loving memory of William Compton, fifth Marquess of Northampton, KG, by his London tenants and friends.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
St Gabriel Fenchurch

St Gabriel Fenchurch

EC3, Fenchurch Street, 30

We've been expecting another plaque to appear on this building, commemorating Plantation House and its role (1936 – 1970) in the London T...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Bradley Lynch

Bradley Lynch

E2, Morpeth Street, Bradley Lynch Court

{Beneath the London Borough of Tower Hamlets crest:} Bradley Lynch 1972 - 1988 Bradley Lynch was a local youth who died at the age of 16 ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Hobhouse Court - naming

Hobhouse Court - naming

SW1, Suffolk Street, 6-8

A network of almost secret passageways and a courtyard link Suffolk Street to Whitcomb Street. The passageway containing the two plaque...

2 subjects commemorated
Glaziers Hall

Glaziers Hall

SE1, Montague Close

The Glaziers Hall The land in this area formed part of the site of the cloisters of the Church of St Mary Ouverie, now Southwark Cathedra...

7 subjects commemorated, 2 creators

Previously viewed

David Gammans

David Gammans

Politician. Born Leonard David Gammans. He entered parliament and served as Assistant Postmaster-General in the 1951 - 55 government. In 1952 there was 'public outrage' that the Post Office cats ha...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Hunt & Stokoe plaque

Hunt & Stokoe plaque

E16, North Woolwich Road

On the wall behind are two baskets for flowers and some screw holes. And on the wall a little to the left of the photo is another similar...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
25 South Street

25 South Street

W1, South Street, 25

Deborah Singmaster of Footnotes sent us this picture and asked if we had any information. We did some research (see below) but have fail...

1 creator
Wembley History Society

Wembley History Society

This group still exists as a charity, but they do not seem keen to give away any information about themselves.

Group, Community / Clubs, History

1 memorial
mystery girl wall painting

mystery girl wall painting

NW3, Glenilla Road, 17-19

This very unusual wall painting was brought to our attention in July 2011 by the Camden History Society Newsletter.  There is a possible ...

1 subject commemorated