TURNHAM GREEN 5 9 



has probably been long since gathered to his fathers, 

 for his Corner knows him no more, and a house-agent's 

 shop, a brand-new building (like all its neighbours), 

 stands where the now historic Young sold tea and 

 sugar, and (let us hope) waxed prosperous in days 

 gone by. 



Turnham Green lies ahead : a place historic by 

 reason of a preliminary skirmish in the Civil War 

 between Cavaliers and Roundheads, and the residence 

 in the early part of the century of a peculiarly heart- 

 less murderer. The passengers by the two-horsed 

 " short-stages " w^hich in the first half of this century 

 travelled from London to the outlying villages and 

 halted at the " Pack Horse and Talbot," doubtless were 

 curious regarding Linden House, near by, notorious 

 from association with Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, 

 author and poisoner. He was born at Chiswick in 

 1794, and was a grandson of Dr. Ralph Griffiths of 

 Turnham Green. He began life by serving in the 

 army, but presently took to literature as a profession, 

 and wrote voluminously in the magazines of that day. 

 As an author, although possessed of a sprightly wit, 

 he would long;; since have been forojotten had it not 

 been for the sensational career of crime upon which 

 he entered in 1824. In that year he forged the 

 signatures of his trustees, in order to obtain possession 

 of a sum of £2259. He induced his uncle, Mr. G. E. 

 Griffiths, of Linden House, to receive him there as an 

 inmate. Within a few months his relative died, 

 poisoned with nux vomica, and Wainewright came 

 into possession of his property. In 1830 he persuaded 

 a Mrs. Abercromby, a widow lady, to take up her 



