Erection date: 1895
This tablet marks the spot where Charles Stuart King of England stood before the Court which sat pursuant to the ordinance for erecting a High Court of Justice for his trial which was read the first, second & third time & passed by Parliament on the 4th January 1648-9.
The Court met on Saturday the 20th, Monday the 22nd, Tuesday the 23rd & on Saturday the 27th January 1648-9, when the sentence of Death was pronounced upon the King.
Placed here by order of .... {illegible, but we think it reads:} the First Commissioner of H.M. Works and Public Buildings, 1895.
From "The trial of the King was, by order of the Court, held where the Courts of King's Bench and Chancery sat in Westminster Hall, and this Tablet marks the position of the Bar that separated those Courts from the length of the Hall."
The last line of the plaque is illegible and we think the only way of reading it would be a spot of brass rubbing. Another visit required, when we may discover the limits of the security in the Palace.
We took the last line from another plaque (not yet published) in the Hall which is in exactly the same style, although the year may not be exactly correct.
The use of '1648-9' for dates, all of which are in January 1949, is very odd. We wonder if this is an archaic reference to the time of the changeover to the Gregorian calendar brought about by the .
Site: Westminster Hall floor plaques - south end (6 memorials)
SW1, St Margaret Street, Westminster Hall
Referring to the plaques on this second landing, as viewed by the people in our photo who are reading them the right way up:
- at the left: George V Silver Jubilee;
- middle column, from the top: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond; Queen Elizabeth II Golden; William Wallace; Queen Elizabeth II Silver;
- at the right: Simon de Montfort.
The other plaques are positioned as follows, starting from the main floor and moving up the steps, southwards, towards the 8 described above:
- on the first landing, at the north edge: Mandela;
- on the first step of the short flight leading to the group of 8: Charles I.
This south end of the hall has been through a number of changes. We found images at and and .
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