kTPFpissue 6

KTPF Magazine
Issue 6 - Oct/Nov 2015
The Fleet Street Phantom- Hallowe’en London 1684 - Brian Langston
Who was the menacing and malevolent stranger who climbed into Tom Cox’s Hackney Carriage on All
Hallows Eve 1684 who not only terrified him out of his wits but changed his life forever?
Tom Cox was a well known and popular cab driver in the London of Charles II. He had previously
worked for years as a labourer, grafting on building sites in the City during the vast rebuilding
programme, led by Sir Christopher Wren, following the Great Fire of London in 1666. The work had
been hard and brutal but Tom had saved assiduously to buy his own Hackney Carriage and a pair of
fine horses and now revelled in plying his trade through London’s dark and narrow streets. Although
in no way as physically demanding as his former occupation, the job had its own hazards. Cutthroats
and highwaymen lurked in every alley but Tom was strong and fearless and gave short shrift to anyone
who tried to relieve him of his hard-earned fares. Many a vagabond who had chanced their arm had
felt the searing pain from lash of his whip across their face.
For several years, Tom worked the City streets night and day and became a familiar sight around
London with a reputation for being an honest and industrious cabbie. On Halloween eve, Friday 31 st
October 1684, Tom picked up a fare little suspecting that it would be his last and he would never drive
a cab again.
The evening had begun innocently enough. Tom was coming to the end of a busy 12 hour shift. He had
taken a fare from White-Hall Gate to Water Lane which was a narrow street leading down to the
Thames. He drove down to the end of Water Lane to turn his carriage around and headed back up
towards Fleet Street stopping off at the tavern for some much-needed refreshment. After a pot or two
of ale he got into his carriage and began his journey home. Just before the upper end of Water Lane he
was beckoned by a man standing by one of the posts near the
wall. Although it was dark, Tom could see from his attire that it
was a gentleman dressed all in black and holding a roll of
parchment in his hand. Tom was in two minds whether to take
the fare but when he asked for the Lower Church Yard at Fleet
Ditch near St. Brides Church, he realised it was on his way
home and so would be no great hardship. Tom opened the door
to the carriage and the mysterious stranger climbed inside.
Immediately his horses began to agitate which was unusual and
Tom had difficulty in bringing them to order. He took the lash
to them and they bolted causing him to lose his hat. Cursing
under his breath Tom stopped the carriage and climbed down
into the inky black cobbled streets to search for his hat. He
searched in vain for several minutes before the stranger called
out from inside the carriage and asked what he was doing. Tom
told him that he’d lost his hat and would rather have lost eight
shillings from his pocket than his precious hat.
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