Comments on: Graffiti at the Tower of London

By: Frank Dickinson

Frank Dickinson — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 12:47:57 +0000

My daughter, Caroline , has been forwarding some of your blogs recently and as they were so fascinating I thought I would take a plunge into your archives and flicked through the years before trying August 2012 and behold Graffiti in the Tower.
In the 60’s and 70’s I was contracted to what was then Ministry of Works, Ancient Monuments Branch and for 2years spent my days at the Tower measuring and drawing every cannon and mortar that belonged to the armouries.. at the same time I was also taking rubbings of all the inscriptions in all of the Towers and marking positions of all found on plans I had made from various offices. Both projects were to be published in time, however only the one on ordnance got into print.
During my time there I became very friendly with a number of yeoman warders, mainly because as they lived on site they knew of “lost” or hidden graffiti and were keen to help in my endeavours. One, who lived in the Beauchamp Tower, gave me a complete photocopied manuscript he had written over his years there on all the prisoners of the Tower , from bishop flambard in 1100 to the late 1940’s , although he hadn’t put in the infamous Kray twins.
We did a lot of research together and later when I left I carried on this research for some time but never got round to completing his epic, and have yet to see anything published so far.
Great times and great people, and now I have your archives I shall lose myself in them ,as you paint a wonderful picture of then and now..thanks to my daughter for finding you

By: sally stevens

sally stevens — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 19:07:44 +0000

One of my great-grandfathers, John Glanville, Speaker of the Short Parliament and co-drafter of the Bill of Right, spent three years in the Tower during the reign of Charles I.

By: Futuredoll

Futuredoll — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 18:19:03 +0000

Francis Cain -thanks for sharing the wonderfully fascinating article on Dollslinger Daily. I visited in college but, didn’t give this “grafitti” the attention it deserves.

By: donna, doni, lady d

donna, doni, lady d — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 12:36:27 +0000

Most interesting to read and see. I was fortunate enough to live in London for a few years in my young and foolish days. The Tower absolutely fascinated me – second only to Hampton Court. I have seen some of this in person, but of course never stopped to study it. Thank you so much for sharing. Loved it!

By: jeannette

jeannette — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 20:37:20 +0000

this is very touching. there are similar graffiti dating from alexander the great at the temple of karnak in luxor.
it makes me think about jailhouse literature: the inferno, ballad of reading gaol, and some of martin luther king’s best sermons.

By: stirling moss

stirling moss — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:36:29 +0000

fascinating and illuminating research; had no idea these existed. had i been a prisoner, i would have been too nervous to deface the royal fortress.
i have seen viking graffiti in st sophia, istanbul by way of contrast.
more if you have them, please.
sm