Plaque

Thomas Rainsborough

Erection date: 12/5/2013

Inscription

Thomas Rainsborough was buried in this churchyard on the 14th November 1648 after a funeral procession organised by the Leveller movement. Rainsborough was a spokesman for the Levellers and a colonel in the New Model Army. He was killed by a Royalist raiding party during the siege of Pontefract. On the day of the funeral a Leveller leaflet recorded the inscription on Rainsborough's tomb. It proclaimed Rainsborough had made 'King, Lords, Commons, Judges shake, Cities and Committees quake'. He was, it said, 'just, valiant and true'. It ended with the words that here Rainsborough 'bids the noble Levellers adieu'.

This plaque was unveiled by Cllr Rania Khan, writer John Rees and politician Tony Benn in 2013.

Tower Hamlets

Site: Thomas Rainsborough (1 memorial)

E1, Wapping High Street, St John's Churchyard

At the unveiling musketeers from the Rainsborough Regiment of the Sealed Knot fired a volley to mark the occasion.

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:
Thomas Rainsborough

Subjects commemorated i

Levellers

A group of political radicals during the Civil War and the interregnum.  Its ...

Read More

New Model Army

Created by the Parliamentarians to oppose the King's forces.  It was a profes...

Read More

Thomas Rainsborough

Grew up in Wapping.  A spokesman for the Levellers and a colonel in the New M...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Thomas Rainsborough

Created by i

Tower Hamlets Council

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

Read More

Tony Benn

Born as Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn.  Labour politician.  Inherited a title in...

Read More

Rania Khan

Councillor in Hackney council, on the right of this picture.  Born Tripoli.  ...

Read More

John Rees

Political activist and writer.  2012 co-authored 'A People's History of London'.

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Mary Woollstonecraft - lost plaque

Mary Woollstonecraft - lost plaque

N16, Matthias Road, 39

All our information about this plaque, including the photograph, comes from (2016) Roberta Wedge. Another photo there shows the plaque at...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
William Daniell

William Daniell

NW1, St Pancras Way, 135

English Heritage William Daniell, 1769 - 1837, artist and engraver of Indian scenes, lived and died here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
WW1 bomb

WW1 bomb

WC2, Stone Buildings, 10

Some of the "other material damage" can be seen in the pock-marks in the stone wall behind the plaque.

1 subject commemorated
West Ham Pals

West Ham Pals

E13, Green Street, Boleyn Ground

This stadium was demolished in 2016 and we can't find out what happened to the plaques so we have marked them all as lost.

3 subjects commemorated
Krishna Menon - NW1

Krishna Menon - NW1

NW1, Camden Square, 57

Greater London Borough Council In this house from 1924 to 1947 lived V. K. Krishna Menon, St Pancras Borough Councillor 1934 - 1947, Hono...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator