Category: English Villages And Towns - Meandering Through Time

Stepping into the 17th Century

20/5/2020

The parish church of St Columba sits at the heart of the ancient town of St Columb Major in Cornwall. In this churchyard lie many of my ancestors who lived in and around the town from the early 15th century and where my family still live today.

In the image above you can see a passageway under the churches clock tower. This path was a right of way to a college founded by my ancestor Sir John Arundell in 1427. The Arundell's, for many years, were influential within the town, a number of them prayed in their private chapel and are buried inside the church, you can see one of them in the image below, their ancestral home was in a neighbouring village.

However, it is another St Columb Major family I am researching at present, that is the family of Scoboryo, a family whose ancient origins lie further south and most of whose mortal remains lie peacefully in the churchyard.

The Scoboryo family story, in regard to the survival of a family and in particular it's surname, is a sad one - the fine detail I have yet to discover. It begins however with a marriage in 1641.

You can imagine a small wedding party walking to St Columba's church on a cold morning in February. The wedding and the feast that followed would likely have been a grander affair than what other members of the town could expect, the Scoboryo's being either gentry or yeoman farmer's. Three years later two children were born and baptised, only the son Thomas making it into adulthood. Eventually, Thomas would be the father of fifteen children, a good basis, you would think, to start a small but successful Cornish dynasty. However, this was not to be, Thomas's children were born in the years between 1669 and 1694, but by 1695 only three, two daughters and a son had survived - the other twelve had joined their grandparents in the parish churchyard.

If all of these children had survived then eight of them, being boys, would have seen to it that this unusual surname would have been around for a few more generations, but sadly this did not happen, for it was left to my ancestor, the one surviving son, to carry the name of Scoboryo into the future - and this he did successfully, but two generation later, the surname, in St Columb Major at least, was extinct.

My research continues.

Simeon and the Cradle Rocking Ceremony

3/2/2019

On the nearest Sunday to Candlemas (2nd February) there is held in the Nottinghamshire village of Blidworth a Cradle Rocking Ceremony. This tradition has taken place in Blidworth since the 13th century and continues to this day - however it was banned during the Reformation but revived in 1923.

Before the ceremony begins an old wooden cradle, that has been decorated with ribbons and flowers is placed in front of the altar awaiting the arrival of the parishes most recently baptised baby boy.

The baby is placed within the cradle and all through the service, he is rocked gently by the vicar. At the end ceremony the baby is returned to its parents and the congregation sing 'Nunc Dimittis'

The story of this tradition has its roots in the Gospel of Luke - an event in the life of Simeon. Nunc Dimittis is a hymn that is also known as The Song of Simeon.

Simeon is said to have been a devout man unto who an angel appeared promising him that he would not die until he had seen the new Messiah. Sometime later, Mary and Joseph arrived at the Temple in Jerusalem bringing with them their baby for the ceremony of consecration of the firstborn son, which you will know is Candlemas. It was into Simeons arms the baby Jesus was placed.

The time frame in which these events occurred is not specified and therefore I don't know how old Simeon was when the Holy Spirit arrived, or how long after holding the baby Jesus Simeon died.

However, as previously stated this story appears in the Gospel according to Luke, and Simeon is stated to be one of the translators of the of the Greek Old Testament (c 2nd/3rd century BC) if this is the case it would mean that Simeon would have been over two hundred years old at the time of the meeting the Messiah.

Punkie Night

31/10/2018

The Halloween tradition of placing a candle into a hollowed-out pumpkin and using them as lanterns seems to be a relatively modern tradition in England that I associate with the United States, yet it seems that here in England we do have a similar tradition.

On the last Thursday in October in the Somerset village of Hinton St George, the local children carry lanterns that they call Punkies, these lanterns are carved from mangel-wurzles. These root vegetables are decorated by cutting the skin to make patterns for the light to shine through, it seems that a crucial part of this task is that the cutting does not make an actual hole.

As with most traditions, Punkie Night in Somerset can be traced back a few hundred years when lanterns were made by the women of the village who were left at home whilst their husbands spent the whole day drinking at the annual fair in the neighbouring village of Chiselborough. As dusk arrived, the women with the candlelit mangle-wuzles, made their way to the fair. Seeing the pale faced ghostly spectres hovering in the air so frightened the menfolk they couldn't wait to get home.

Surely, that would only work once, wouldn't it?

Battle of Maserfield and the Death of Oswald of Northumbria

5/8/2018

A number of years ago I finished researching a maternal family line that came to an end in Cornwall in the last years of the 13th century. Despite being Cornish I was surprised to find that this families bloodline can be traced all the way up country to Oswestry in Shropshire. Whilst adding a few updates to this family's story, I found out this amazing fact - the town of Oswestry was founded, so legend tells us, as the result of the death on this day in 641/2 of King Oswald of Northumbria.

Oswald was a 7th-century king, the son of Aethelfrith King of Bernicia - a territory that made up half of what is now Northumbria. Oswald was killed at the aforementioned Battle of Maserfield following a power struggle with the Mercians under the leadership of Penda, the King of Mercia. This battle was thought to have taken place at Maes-y-llan which is just to the north of Oswestry.

Following the battle Oswald's body was dismembered, his head and limbs were placed on stakes. However, one of his arms, so the legends has it, was taken by his pet raven but eventually dropped. The arm landed in a tree, or a tree grew where it landed and in time this site would become known as Oswald's Tree or Oswestry. Oswald's remains would continue to be moved from one place to another, the last time being some two hundred and fifty years later. Oswald would later become St Oswald.

The story of Oswald's relics began the year after his death when Oswiu, Oswald's brother, who had returned to Northumbria from Scotland in 633, retrieved his body parts and placed them at three different locations namely Bamburgh, who received an arm, Lindisfarne who received his head and at Bardney in Lincolnshire who received his torso. However, another account has it that it was Osthryth, Oswald's niece, who moved Oswald's bones (that of his torso) to Bardney Abbey sometime before 697 where they would rest until 909 when they made their final journey to St Peter's Abbey, later St Oswald's Priory in Gloucester.

Oswald's head was eventually interred in Durham Cathedral - his other three heads made their way to different places in Europe! Poor Oswald's other arm is said to have eventually made its way to Peterborough Cathedral.

So the cult of St Oswald was established.

Bardney Abbey was one of the first abbeys built along the River Witham on land granted by Oswald, it was endowed by Osthryth and her husband Aethelred. After her murder, Osthryth would later be buried there herself.

This tall tale reminds me of the scene in The Wizard of Oz when the witches flying monkeys pull the Scarecrow apart to which the Tinman says "Well, that's him all over!"

Maud of Lancaster

4/4/2018

Maud of Lancaster was one of two sisters who were co-heiress of Henry of Grosmont the Duke of Lancaster and Earl of Leicester. Maud was born on the 4th April in 1339, to Grosmont's wife Isabel de Beaumont at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire.

Bolingbroke Castle is now in ruins, but it was once a fine castle situated in what is known as the Lincolnshire Wolds. It was built by Ranulf Blondeville, Earl of Chester in 1220 however by the sixteenth century it had fallen into disrepair. On Blondeville's death the castle passed to his sister Hawise, eventually, via the de Lacy family it ended up as part of the estate of Thomas of Lancaster. Lancaster was executed for treason in 1322 and his estate for forfeited. A year later, Henry of Grosmont successfully petitioned to take possession of his brother's estates which included Bolingbroke.

Maud's sister Blanche was also born at Bolingbroke.

Maud was Grosmont's eldest daughter, her paternal grandparents were Henry of Lancaster and Maud de Charworth and her maternal grandparents were Henry Beaumont and Alice de Comyn. Both sets of grandparent held land in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. Her Beaumont grandparent's Lincolnshire estates were granted as a result of their association with the royal family. Edward II granted them a number of manor including Folkingham, Goady and Barton upon Humber.

On Grosmont's death in 1361, Maud and Blanche became wealthy heiresses, however the Earldom of Leicester passed to Maud's first husband and then on his death in 1389 to her sister Blanche's husband John of Gaunt, who was granted the Dukedom of Lancaster as a second creation.

On Maud's death on the 10th April 1362 Gaunt received her money and her lands to add to that of his wife share of the family estate. The Grosmont inheritance formed the foundations on which the Lancastrian's built their dynasty.

There is no image of Maud, however she may have resembled her sister. You can see an illustration of Blanche - pictured here with John of Gaunt.

Funeral of Catherine of Aragon

29/1/2018

Catherine of Aragon died in the first week of January 1536 it was on this day she was laid to rest at Peterborough Cathedral.

Catherine was Henry VIII's first and 'true wife,' abandoned when she was no longer any use to him. In the furore that surrounded Henry's relationship with Anne Boleyn, it was said that Anne poisoned Catherine. Today, however, it is widely considered that she died of cancer, and most probably a broken heart.

Catherine had written of her fears to Charles V in the November of the previous year

"My tribulations are so great, my life so disturbed by the plans daily invented to further the king's wicked intention, the surprises which the king gives me, with certain persons of his council, are so mortal, and my treatment is what God knows, that it is enough to shorten ten lives, much more mine."

Henry did not attend Catherine's funeral, and in one last cruel act against his wife, he also forbade their daughter Mary to attend. It was written that the queens funeral waggon was

"was covered with black velvet, in the midst of which was a great silver cross; and within, as one looked upon the corpse, was stretched a cloth of gold frieze with a cross of crimson velvet, and before and behind the said waggon stood two gentlemen ushers with mourning hoods looking into the waggon, round which the said four banners were carried by four heralds and the standards with the representations by four gentlemen." and once inside the cathedral Catherine's coffin was "placed under the chapelle ardente which was prepared for it there, upon eight pillars of beautiful fashion and roundness, upon which were placed about 1,000 candles, both little and middle-sized, and round about the said chapel 18 banners waved.”

Below you can see the tomb of Catherine at Peterborough Cathedral if you look closely you can see that people are still leaving pomegranates in remembrance of her.

Sir John Wingfield

4/6/2017

The county of Suffolk lies on the east coast of England and only has minor A and B roads but no motorway system, therefore the small village of Wingfield can only be found by ambling along the counties high hedged, long windy thoroughfares that cut between Halesworth and Eye, two of Suffolk's bigger villages.

Wingfield, in its prime, was the home of one of the most powerful families in late medieval England, the De La Poles, Earls and Dukes of Suffolk. It was the De La Poles, who in 1384 applied for a royal permit, to castellate Wingfield Castle. This 'castle' actually isn't a castle at all, its rather a cross between a 'feudal fortress and the ordinary moated manor house.' Wingfield owes its name to Sir John Wingfield who was responsible for the founding of two other building in the village, Wingfield College founded in 1362 and its church, which is dedicated to St. Andrew. It is within this church that the tomb of Sir John Wingfield can be found.

In 1351 Sir John Wingfield was in the pay of Edward the Black Prince as his chief administrator, he was also directly responsible for the princes private affairs. He and his brothers had fought at Crecy, they also fought in Normandy between 1347 and 1348. At Poitiers Wingfield had captured a French knight name D'Aubigny who was the French kings body guard, Edward III quickly purchased him from Wingfield for over eight hundred pounds, using D'Aubigny it as political leverage.

Sir John Wingfield died of the black death in 1361. His only child was a daughter named Catherine, she had married Micheal de la Pole 1st Earl of Suffolk. It was Catherine's descendants who went on to become key players in the political life of the next two centuries.

Battle of Stratton

16/5/2017

16th May 1643

The Cornish town of Stratton, that lies close to the boarder with Devon, was a manor owned by my ancestors in the early 12th century, its history, and theirs is quite fascinating. Stratton was the head of its hundred (a division of the county for judicial purposes) and was an important stannary town in the north of Cornwall. It had a thriving agricultural and leather trade.

Site of the Battle of Stratton. Photo Credit : jackiefreemanphotography.com

By the 17th century there was little to show that my ancestors ever lived there, however on the 16th May 1643, a civil war battle, the Battle of Stratton, took place at the base of Stamford Hill, less than a mile north of the family's castle.

Photo Credit: Ian Foster

The battle raged for most of the day, but by the end of it Henry Grey, Earl of Stamford, had lost half of his forces enabling the Cornish Royalist army to march across the border from Cornwall to Devon. It was a Royalist victory, and a quite remarkable one considering the three thousand Royalist troops, under Sir Ralph Hopton, faced Grey's Parliamentarian army that numbered over five and a half thousand.

Sir Ralph Hopton

Henry Grey, Earl of Stamford

By July, Hopton had lead his forces in two more battles, one at Crediton and one at Landsdowne, where Hopton was injured. A year later he successfully defended Devizes from an attack by William Waller's forces and two years after that he had taken up a defensive position in the Devon town of Torrington, a battle that marked the end of Royalist resistance in the West Country.

Henry Grey's failure at Stratton and the surrender of the city of Exeter after a three month siege effectively ended his career as a Parliamentary commander.

The Execution of Henry Howard

24/2/2017

The 19th January 1547 saw the execution of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. He had been charged with high treason and found guilty.

Howard has been branded 'reckless and arrogant' and he was a bit of a rebel in his youth. He had a noteworthy military career and was a religious reformer, a suspected supporter of Anne Askew who perished at the stake for her religion only six months previous. Like Howard, Askew had Thomas Wriothesley as her interrogator, and at her death she quoted one of Howard's poems.

Henry Howard was the last noble to be executed during the reign of Henry VIII. He had been sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, but this was later commuted to beheading, his father, the Duke of Norfolk was luckier, he escaped the executioners blade only because Henry had died before the execution could be carried out.

Henry Howard was first buried at All Saints Church in Barking, however his remains were later removed by his son to the church of St Michael the Archangel in Suffolk.

You can see his beautifully decorated tomb you can see below in my photographs from 2018.

You can read more about Henry Howard here

meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/history-blog/trial-of-henry-howard

Anne Askew, Lincolnshire Born Protestant Martyr.

16/7/2016

Anne Askew was just twenty five when she was executed for her beliefs on the 16th July 1546.

Anne was born Anne Ayscough in South Kelsey, a village just south of Caistor in 1521, the daughter William Ayscough, a wealthy Lincolnshire land owner, who was one of the jurors in the trial of those accused along side Anne Boleyn. The Ayscough's or Askew's, as history states their name to be, are an old Lincolnshire family thought to originate from Stallingborough, near Grimsby, where it is said that Anne was actually born.

Anne grew up to be a strong willed, highly intelligent woman who refused to take her husband's name of Kyme on their marriage, which is seems was an unhappy one.

In 1544, Anne was forcibly evicted from the family home by her husband. A year later she was distributing bibles and preaching Protestantism in London. No doubt highly vocal, she eventually was arrested on charges of heresy. Anne was released, but soon found herself arrested once more, this time she was committed to Newgate Prison. From Newgate, Anne was taken to the Tower of London, where she is tortured on the rack but she refused to name anyone and therefore condemned to death.

The treatment of her within the tower walls was nothing less than barbaric, it left her unable to walk and on the 16th July, she had to be carried to her execution on a chair.

Anne Ayscough remained defiant as she was burned at the stake at Smithfield, just outside the cities wall.

The following is an excerpt about Anne's death from John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

"The day of her execution being appointed, she was brought into Smithfield in a chair, because she could not go on her feet, by means of her great torments. When she was brought unto the stake, she was tied by the middle with a chain, that held
up her body. When all things were thus prepared to the fire, Dr. Shaxton, who was then appointed to preach, began his sermon. Anne Askew, hearing and answering again unto him, where he said well, confirmed the same; where he said amiss, “There,” said she, “he misseth, and speaketh without the book.”

The sermon being finished, the martyrs, standing there tied at three several stakes ready to their martyrdom, began their prayers. The multitude and concourse of the people was exceeding; the place where they stood being railed about to keep out the press. Upon the bench under St. Bartholomew’s church sat Wriothesley, Chancellor of England; the old Duke of Norfolk, the old Earl of Bedford, the Lord Mayor, with divers others. Before the fire should be set unto them, one of the bench, hearing that they had gunpowder about them, and being alarmed lest the faggots, by strength of the gunpowder, would come flying about their ears, began to be afraid: but the Earl of Bedford, declaring unto him how the gunpowder was not laid under the faggots, but only about their bodies, to rid them out of their pain, which having vent, there was no danger to them of the faggots, so diminished that fear.

Then Wriothesley, Lord Chancellor, sent to Anne Askew letters, offering to her the king’s pardon if she would recant; who, refusing once to look upon them, made this answer again, that she came not thither to deny her Lord and Master. Then were the letters likewise offered unto the others, who, in like manner, following the constancy of the woman, denied not only to receive them, but also to look upon them. Whereupon the lord mayor, commanding fire to be put unto them, cried with a loud voice, “Fiat Justitia.”

And thus the good Anne Askew, with these blessed martyrs, being troubled so many manner of ways, and having passed through so many torments, having now ended the long course of her agonies, being compassed in with flames of fire, as a blessed sacrifice unto God, she slept in the Lord A.D. 1546, leaving behind her a singular example of Christian constancy for all men to follow."