What date was the New Cross fire?
January 18, 1981
New Cross house fire/Start dates
The blaze broke out on 18 January 1981 at a joint birthday party for Yvonne Ruddock and Angela Jackson at 439 New Cross Road in Lewisham. The party had begun the night before and gone over into the next day.
What caused the New Cross fire on January 18th 1981?
On Sunday, January 18, 1981, thirteen black youths attending a birthday party in Deptford, South London was killed in an alleged racially-motivated house fire. Others believed, however, that the fire started from a dispute between revelers. …
What was the cause of the New Cross fire?
The police’s first conclusion was that the fire had been started when someone from the party poured paint thinner on the floor and ignited it, but other theories included a ‘sexual jealousy’ row where the curtains were set alight.
How many died in the New Cross fire?
The fourteen victims of the New Cross massacre were: Rosaline Henry; Patricia Johnson; Humphrey Brown; Gerry Paul Francis; Owen Wesley Thompson; Andrew Gooding; Peter Campbell; Lloyd Hall; Patrick Cummings; Steve Collins; Yvonne Ruddock; Glenton Powell; Paul Ruddock; and Anthony Berbeck.
Who died in New Cross fire 1981?
Those who died in the fire were: Humphrey Brown, 18; Peter Campbell, 18; Steve Collins, 17; Patrick Cummings, 16; Gerry Francis, 17; Andrew Gooding, 14; Lloyd Richard Hall, 20; Patricia Denise Johnston, 15; Rosalind Henry, 16; Glenton Powell, 15; Paul Ruddock, 22; Yvonne Ruddock, 16; Owen Thompson, 16.
What happened to Anthony berbeck?
Berbeck actually escaped the fire, but became mentally disturbed and died after falling from a balcony, a possible suicide. He died, aged 20 years, on 9 July 1983, after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London. He was buried on 20 July 1983 in Lewisham.
What happened to Angela Jackson new cross fire?
One of the birthday girls, Yvonne Ruddick, is seriously ill in hospital. Angela Jackson, who shared the party, escaped injury after she left early. Evidence suggests the fire started on the ground floor and quickly spread. Walton was taken to hospital where he learned that his friend had died.
Was the new cross fire an accident?
The New Cross Massacre Action Committee (NCMAC) was set up, chaired by John La Rose, and organised weekly meetings in New Cross, which saw increasing participation as the police investigation announced that there was no evidence of arson and that the fire was believed to be accidental.