Renewed calls for plaque to mark final execution for homosexual acts

A local Liberal Democrat group has renewed calls for a plaque to mark the final execution for homosexual acts 190 years ago. 

To mark LGBTQ+ History Month, Southwark Liberal Democrats have ramped up their campaign to get a Rainbow Plaque and memorial installed in Blackfriars Road, to commemorate James Pratt and John Smith.

Mr Pratt and Mr Smith from Christchurch – a former civil parish surrounding both ends of Blackfriars Road – became the last men to be executed for sodomy in England after being arrested in Blackfriars Road in 1835.  

The pair were later pardoned by the Alan Turing Law in January 2017, which gave posthumous pardons for those convicted of homosexuality offences. 

Liberal Democrat councillor for Borough and Bankside, Victor Chamberlain, said: “Southwark is a proud home of a vibrant and growing LGBTQ+ community, and it’s important that our borough’s heritage is recognised and commemorated. 

“A Rainbow Plaque for James and John is how we can pay tribute to them, and celebrate how much progress we have made – but also remind ourselves that progress is only achieved by a constant fight for rights and justice.” 

Southwark has the fourth-highest density of gay, lesbian and bisexual people of any UK borough, according to the latest census records, after Brighton and Hove, City of London and Lambeth.

Last year Cllr Chamberlain wrote to Southwark Heritage urging them to help secure a Rainbow Plaque in Blackfriars Road.  

The Lib Dems will now begin working with groups in the area to put forward a proposal bidding for the council’s 2025 Pride Fund, with the aim to secure funding for a permanent plaque and an unveiling ceremony.  

Rainbow Plaques, similar to Blue Plaques operated by English Heritage, mark places important in LGBTQ+ history, and a number were rolled out by the Greater London Authority in 2023. 

Pictured top: Cllr Victor Chamberlain is calling for a rainbow plaque to be installed in  Blackfriars Road in memory of James Pratt and John Smith (Picture: Southwark Liberal Democrats)