Islington Strongman ‘Mad Tom’

 Thomas Topham was born in 1710 a son of a carpenter.

In his early life he was a landlord of the Red Lion Inn near old 

St. Luke’s hospital.

Later a landlord at the Dukes Head Public House in Cadd’s row later called St. Albans Place near Islington Green.

But let me take you to the 28th May 1741 when Thomas showed a patriotic gesture to the Admiral Vernon for his capture of Porto Bello.

This spectacle was witnessed by thousands of people and took place opposite Cold Bath Fields at the Apple Tree Inn.

Thomas is shown in an illustration about to lift three hogsheads of water weighing 1336 pounds several inches from the ground.

Thomas performed regularly for the Royal Society where Dr. Desaguliers a British philosopher originally he was an experimental assistant to Issac Newton. He hired Thomas to become a personal bodyguard for the Royal Society and promised to make him even more famous.

In 1749 after finding out about his wife’s infidelity he stabbed her several times. Then injured himself and died from his wounds a few days later at the Bell and Dragon Inn where he was Master at Hogs lane Shoreditch.

Thomas is buried in St. Leonard’s church Shoreditch.