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.

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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 ...

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New Model Army

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

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Thomas Rainsborough

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

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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...

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Tony Benn

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

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Rania Khan

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

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John Rees

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

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