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Plaque

Marshalsea 1 - stone - round

Inscription

Melancholy streets, in a penitential garb of soot, steeped the souls of the people who were condemned to look at them out of windows, in dire despondency.

Quoted from Chapter 3 of Little Dorrit.

Site: Marshalsea Prison - Angel Alley (6 memorials)

SE1, Borough High Street, Angel Alley

We've put the pin for these 6 plaques at the entrance to the alleyway but they are actually laid into the ground, distributed along the alley all the way to Tennis Street. We've numbered them west to east. In our picture you can see the old wall, the steel plaque and the first of the stone plaques.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Marshalsea 1 - stone - round

Subjects commemorated i

Little Dorrit

A novel by Charles Dickens first published in serial form 1855 and 1857.  The...

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Marshalsea Prison

Originally built to hold prisoners being tried by the Marshalsea Court an...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Marshalsea 1 - stone - round

Created by i

Charles Dickens

Born, son of Elizabeth and John Dickens, at No.1 Mile End Terrace, Landport, ...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Marshalsea 1 - stone - round

Also at this site i

Marshalsea 2 - steel

Marshalsea 2 - steel

The plaque refers to 'wall mounted artworks' but we did not see any on our vi...

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Marshalsea 3 - stone - Little Dorrit

Marshalsea 3 - stone - Little Dorrit

The heroine of Dickens' novel Little Dorrit was one resident who was not a pr...

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Marshalsea 4 - stone - spiral

Marshalsea 4 - stone - spiral

Quoted from Charles Dickens' preface to Little Dorrit.

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Marshalsea 5 - stone - at gates

Marshalsea 5 - stone - at gates

This is our first push-me-pull-you plaque. It is in Angel Alley at the gates...

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Marshalsea 6 - stone - John Dickens

Marshalsea 6 - stone - John Dickens

John Dickens, the father of Charles Dickens, was imprisoned here for debt fro...

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Nearby Memorials

Action for Children

Action for Children

SE1, Exton Street

Plaque unveiled by actress Shirley Anne Field (who spent part of her childhood in a Children's Home), and the then Action for Children ch...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Noel-Baker Peace Garden - gate

Noel-Baker Peace Garden - gate

N19, Hornsey Rise, Elthorne Park Noel-Baker Peace Garden

The plaque is on the wall to the right of the gate, in our photo hidden by the bush. A notice on the gate explains that the sections of ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Mary Quant 2

Mary Quant 2

SW3, Kings Road, 138a

We photo'ed this plaque in April 2025.

1 subject commemorated
Clement Attlee - Wandsworth

Clement Attlee - Wandsworth

SW15, Portinscale Road, 22 - 32

Attlee's house on this site was number 18.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
St Mary Rotherhithe gate piers - north

St Mary Rotherhithe gate piers - north

SE16, Rotherhithe Street, St Mary the Virgin

The inscription is on the pier to the right.  The one on the left is blank.  See also gate piers - south.

6 subjects commemorated