John Manners

Born 2nd January 1721
Died 18th October 1770

Inscription reads:
Dating from the reign of Charles II and originally run by a mistress of the Duke of Buckingham, like many historic buildings in London, The Marquis has a chequered past.
Built in the 1600s and first called The Hole in the Wall, The Marquis was notorious for its criminal regulars, including the romantic highwayman, Claude Duval, who was captured here whilst propping up the bar.
On January 17, 1670 Duval was tried at the Old Bailey on charges of highway robbery and despite the protestations of many female admirers was condemned to death.
He was hanged at Tyburn and is buried in the cente aisle of nearby St Paul's church in Covent Garden under a stone inscribed with an epitaph beginning:
Here lies Du Vall:
Reader if male thou art,
Look to thy purse;
If female, to thy heart.
The pub was also a haunt of Charles Dickens.
With his entire family imprisoned for bad debts, Dickens had been sent to work at the rat-infested Warrens Blacking (polish) Factory at 30 Hungerford Stairs - now Charing Cross Station.
Enduring appalling conditions, it was an experience he never forgot - two of his novels David Copperfield and Great Expectations, were based on that period of his life.
'The Marquis of Granby' was once a popular British inn name, commemorating General John Manners (1721-1720), son of the Duke of Rutland.
A highly decorated military officer and hero of the Seven Years War, Manners cared for the welfare of his men upon their retirement by providing funds for many to establish taverns, which they subsequently named after him.