I met with my agent in London for a meeting to discuss all kinds of exciting plans for new books . . . we had a fabulous lunch in the Bleeding Heart Tavern - which is in Bleeding Heart Yard. I asked Jenny about the unusual street name and she told me about the legend of Elizabeth Hatton, a society lady who met a very sticky end here in the 17th century. I've copied one version of the story below (there are many different versions, it seems!)
If you don't have time to read it all, the line 'her heart still pumping blood onto the cobblestones....' is probably all you need to know!
"Elizabeth Hatton was a 17th century society beauty and daughter of Sir Christopher Hatton. She was murdered in 1626, with her body being found on the morning of 27 January in what became known as Bleeding Heart Yard.
She had spent the evening of 26 January in the company of the Bishop of Ely at a ball in Hatton House. Later in the evening "Senor Gondomar", the Spanish Ambassador, is reported to have arrived at the ball. He had one dance with Hatton and then they both disappeared into the night. The courtyard in which her body was found was located behind the stables of Hatton House.
When found, her body was described as having been "torn limb from limb" and with her heart "still pumping blood onto the cobblestones".
Actually came across Little Britian near Smithfield a while back..