This tower still stands looking rather forlorn (though it appears to be in a better state than it was in 1900). It was originally attached to the handsome church of St Lawrence that originated in the 12th century and had frescoes inside; sadly most of the church was demolished in the mid 18th century. The tower now belongs to Hall Farm; the base of the tower has been used as a chicken house in the past and is now being used for storage.
Interesting finds in the churchyard
Kelly’s 1892 trade directory reveals: ‘Excavations were carried out in the churchyard in 1852: on descending deeper a leaden coffin was discovered, quite perfect, inside which was a wooden one, containing the body of a man, carefully embalmed, which, on examination, was found to have been beheaded, the only mark on anything being the letters T.B. worked in black silk upon the breast of the shirt.’ The coffins of the Earl of Chichester and Baron Dunsmore (who died in 1653) his wife and other members of the Leigh family are then mentioned. ‘The coffin of Lady Audrey Leigh [their daughter] who died in 1640 was opened, and the body found to be perfectly embalmed, and in the most entire state of preservation, as if she were alive, her face very beautiful, her hands exceedingly small and not wasted; she appeared as if asleep, being dressed in fine linen, profusely trimmed with old point lace, and seemed not more than sixteen or seventeen years old … subsequently a memorial slab was laid over the remains of Lady Audrey, by the late Lord John Douglas Scott.’
A trip down the River Avon revisited
This is part of a series of ‘before and after’ photographs based on the Rev. E.N. Dew’s lantern slides for a talk about the Warwickshire Avon. The original photos date from around 1900 and the linked article explains the history of the photographs.
Does anyone know who the beheaded man TB could have been?
Kelly’s Post Office Directories for Warwickshire can be consulted at the Warwickshire County Record Office who have a series (once every four years) for the second half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century; the quotation comes from page 156.
Comments
Could the beheaded man be Captain Donellan who murdered Theodosius Boughton who might have also been beheaded after being hung as an additional way of adding shame. The shirt could have been added as a final act to remind the deceased and relatives whose family he had brought low?
At nearby Little Lawford (Lilleford in Domesday Book) used to stand Little Lawford Hall. Here in 1780 Sir Theodosius Boughton was murdered by his brother-in-law, Captain Donellan, who mixed poison with his medicine, hoping to inherit the estate, but instead was hanged at Warwick. Thus the male line of the Boughton’s was ended.
Many thanks James for a very plausible explanation. I must investigate further (there should be some record of the beheading if it happened). PS I’ve looked on line and it appears that the case became something of a cause celebre (there are graphic accounts of the events that took place and the subsequent trial). However all the accounts I found state that the Captain’s body was taken away for dissection after he was executed by hanging – with no mention of beheading.
According to family history I have inherited, the unknown man may be Thomas Brierly, a Royalist who was beheaded. The Brierly family lived in this area.
J
Many thanks Janet for a very plausible explanation. I will investigate further.
Another disadvantage of the idea that the body was that of Captain Donnellan is that his first name was John.
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