Month: June 2015

Final Jeopardy for Josef Jakobs

Quick! Who was the last person executed in the Tower of London? Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock timer is counting down. It’s a trivia question and one that few people answer correctly. Some might remember Anne Boleyn from the time of the Tudors. Others might think of Catherine Howard. Few would think that the last […]

Final Jeopardy for Josef Jakobs Read More »

Spooky Trees

BBC Article – Unsolved English Murder Mysteries – 13 January 2015

Every once in a while, I dig around the internet, turning over stones and looking for new and interesting tidbits about Josef and his associates. This morning I came across a January 2015 BBC article entitled “English murder mysteries that have baffled detectives”. Naturally, the article included the case of Bella in the Wych Elm.

BBC Article – Unsolved English Murder Mysteries – 13 January 2015 Read More »

Today in 1941 – June 18 – German spy Josef Jakobs gave a statement to Lt. Col. Hinchley-Cooke

Today in 1941, Josef Jakobs was taken to Cannon Row Police Station where he gave a statement to Lt. Col. Hinchley-Cooke of MI5. Since mid-May, Josef had been involved in a cross-ruff with fellow spy Karel Richter; one spy being played off the other. MI5, however, was eager to move in the direction of prosecution

Today in 1941 – June 18 – German spy Josef Jakobs gave a statement to Lt. Col. Hinchley-Cooke Read More »

The Tower of London is a Fortress and Royal Palace, not a Prison

A few days prior to Josef Jakobs’ execution on 15 August, 1941, Lt. Col. W.E. Hinchley-Cooke of MI5 met with W.B. Purchase, the Northern District Coroner (London) and G.H. Cox, Assistant Adjutant General of the London District (military). The three men met around 10 August to discuss the procedure surrounding a coroner’s inquest in the

The Tower of London is a Fortress and Royal Palace, not a Prison Read More »

The Tablet – A Brief Tour of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green

On 23 November, 2013, the Tablet newspaper in England published an article entitled “From NW10 to Eternity“ (you now need to register to read the whole article). The article gives a brief history of St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green where Josef Jakobs is buried. The article highlights some of the more impressive tombs

The Tablet – A Brief Tour of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green Read More »

Tower of London

A Review of Robert Walsh’s article on Josef Jakobs

I came across a blog article last year entitled: Josef Jakobs – The Last Execution at the Tower of London. The author of the blog, Robert Walsh, outlines the story of Josef Jakobs. The account, while quite readable, suffers from several factual errors, inconsistencies and spelling mistakes. Date of execution – Walsh correctly says that

A Review of Robert Walsh’s article on Josef Jakobs Read More »

Scroll to Top