The building, situated close to the church of St Mary the Virgin, was used by a watchman or constable whose job was to to look out for wrongdoers; particularly grave-robbers or 'Resurrection Men' as they were known. Body snatching was rife in this area, because of its proximity to Guys Hospital which required fresh corpses for medical research. The watch-house closed when the Metropolitan Police was formed.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
St Mary Rotherhithe watch-house
A watch house was an early form of police station and prison. Criminals were held here temporarily.
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