Plaque

First murder on a train

Inscription

129 Cadogan Terrace. A memorial to Thomas Briggs Esq. of Clapton who on Saturday 9th July 1864 was viciously assaulted near here on a North London Railway train.
Carried near to death into this public house he died at home later the same day.
He was the first person to be murdered on a railway train.
Historic Buildings of Bow 

Site: First murder on a train (1 memorial)

E9, Cadogan Terrace, 129, Former 'Top O' the Morning' Public House

The plaque was first erected on the 2-storey pub that used to be here, the Mitford Castle, formerly the Top O' the Morning, closed in 2013 and demolished in 2015. The building can be seen on this Twitter page, with the plaque below the lower window, second on the left.

At one stage a new pub was promised but August 2016 the site was under wraps with a hoarding promising "A boutique collection of eight luxury 1-3 bedroom apartments". And, 2017, we were pleased to see that the plaque has been re-erected, albeit framed by graffiti.

Since the tiles of the old pub are so attractive we decided to keep that photo of the plaque itself.

Looking at a current map you may begin to question the veracity of this plaque, since there are no railway lines nearby. Stanford's map c.1870 shows that a line used to run immediately behind these buildings.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
First murder on a train

Subjects commemorated i

Thomas Briggs

Banker and murder victim. He was beaten and robbed while he travelled on the ...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
First murder on a train

Created by i

Tower Hamlets Council

The name was originally applied to the Tower division of the county of Middle...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Sir Hugh Lane

Sir Hugh Lane

SW5, South Bolton Gardens, 8

Lane and Orpen were distant cousins and rented this house together in 1907. The Lane plaque is above, Orpen below, with a little window b...

2 subjects commemorated
John and Thomas Felton

John and Thomas Felton

SE16, George Row, Former Felton Hall

We photographed the plaque some years ago, but did not get a picture of the building on which it was located. We have checked around the ...

2 subjects commemorated
Thomas Auton

Thomas Auton

SW1, Broadway, 55

Designed by Charles Holden and built 1927 – 1929 as HQ for Underground Electric Railways Company of London, the main forerunner of London...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
John Kidd and Co.

John Kidd and Co.

E3, Wick Lane, 419, Wick Lane Wharf

The inclusion of the caretaker and his wife on this memorial is intriguing. Andrew Behan has researched these names and confirms that al...

War dead, Civilian war dead | WW2
12 subjects commemorated
Eleanor Harvey

Eleanor Harvey

WC1, Coram's Fields

Reading top down the plaques are: Holstein, Harvey, "Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund".

2 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

A. R. Beardwell

A. R. Beardwell

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Derek Jarman

Derek Jarman

N1, Liverpool Road, 60

Unveiled to coincide with the start of LGBT month, by Toyah Willcox.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Thomas Briggs

Thomas Briggs

Banker and murder victim. He was beaten and robbed while he travelled on the 9.50pm train from Fenchurch Street to Chalk Farm. The assailant took his gold watch and gold spectacles, but left £5 in ...

Person, Commerce, Tragedy

1 memorial
Two St Paul's

Two St Paul's

EC4, St Paul's Churchyard

For our detail picture we show the Chapter House and Cloister which are actually laid out in situ at St Paul's Medieval footprint.

3 subjects commemorated
Anne Frank tree - N5

Anne Frank tree - N5

N5, Highbury Fields

Anne Frank's diary often referred to the horse chestnut tree that she could see from her window. In 2005 the Anne Frank House museum noti...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators