Silas Ruckford

 was a "troubled man" with "severe mental difficulties" who worked as part of a cause to overthrow Queen Victoria.

Lady Cornelia Basildon-Stone manipulated Ruckford into riding a carriage filled with explosives towards Buckingham Palace in an attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria. Lady Basildon-Stone used the attention from this attack as part of her plan to turn the police, who had increased their numbers at the opening of the Brazilian Rainforest Exhibit opening at the Crystal Palace the following day, into hybrid "drones". During Ruckford's attack, Madame Vastra pushed Ruckford out of the carriage, and rode the carriage to a safe location before it exploded. While Ruckford tried to evade capture, Strax knocked him out and brought him to Madame Vastra. She questioned Ruckford on who he was working with to aid him in the attempted attack on Buckingham Palace, as Ruckford did not possess the knowledge to build "such a sophisticated bomb". Ruckford refused to tell Vastra anything, and committed suicide by ingesting a poison. (COMIC: The Crystal Throne)