A strung Conker ready to play Wikipedia by Kevin Doncaster CC BY 3.0
When I was at school, this was the time of the year we got the Conkers out. These are the inedible seeds of the Horse Chestnut tree. We picked up the green husks from the ground. tore out the conker. Used a skewer to drill a hole through them. Threaded a string through the hole, knotted it.
Then we faced up to our friends. One person hangs their conker from their hand just above waist height. The opponent, then swings his or her conker at the dangling conker, hoping to smash it to smithereens. If your conker wins it would be a one-er. Then, if you beat another yours would be a two-er. If a three-er beat your two-er, they would be a five-er. And so on.
Problem is some boys (or more often their dads) would be cunning. They would process their conker to make them stronger. Soaking them in vinegar, drying them and trick in or out of the book. Recently, a competition found the champion had a conker made out of steel! Whether he used it or nor was disputed. But all sorts of augmentation of conkers took place.
So to find out how to play it properly follow this link to the Hampstead Championship. You can participate next year!
This appears to take place at Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick, near Oundle. This year they were short of conkers and they were supplied with emergency conkers by the Royal estate at Windsor. For more information look here.
The 15th Century French illustration in the Kalendar of Shepherds shows October as a busy month. It is the time when the cereals are being flailed, the fields ploughed and sown. Perhaps winter wheat or barley or peas and beans?
The 16th Century English text of the Kalendar of Shepherds (read the illustration) shows what a busy month it was, but the writer comes down hard against the month as ‘a messenger of ill news’ the harbinger of cold dark nights.
About the Kalendar of Shepherds.
The Kalendar was printed in 1493 in Paris and provided ‘Devices for the 12 Months.’ I’m using a modern (1908) reconstruction of it using wood cuts from the original 15th Century version. It includes various text from 16th and 17th Century sources. (Couplets by Tusser ‘Five Hundred Parts of Good Husbandrie 1599. Text descriptions of the month from Nicholas Breton’s ‘Fantasticks of 1626. This provides an interesting view of what was going on in the countryside every month.
The star signs of October are the Scales of Libra and the Scorpion of Scorpio.
The star signs of October
Angelic October
Michael is the Angel of Autumn, the Angel of Judgement Day, and the Weigher of Souls. Uriel is the Angel of Libra and was sent by God sent to warn Noah. So the protector against, floods, fire and natural disasters. Scorpio’s Angel is Barbiel, he looks over health, genitalia and doubtful things. (‘An Angel Treasury’, Jacky Newcomb).
You might like to look at my post on Michaelmas here.
Roman October
In the Roman world it was, originally, the 8th Month (octo=8) but then they added January and February to the year. So it became the 10th Month. It was their time to celebrate the new wines of the Harvest. In Britain, the wine harvest is late September to October, but in hotter climes can be from July. But the grapes need to be processed, and the Romans thought that new wine was health giving and celebrated it in October.
Rustic October
But for many people, October is a beautiful month. The dying leaves bring a sophisticated array of rustic colours, which makes the wooded countryside exceptionally beautiful.
Autumn in Haggerston Park, London (photo Kevin Flude)
It can still be warm enough to go for pleasant walks. And the surfeit of the harvest and the culling of animals meant there was plenty to eat before winter austerity begins.
Anglo-SaxonWinter Fall
The Venerable Bede tells us that the month was called Winterfylleth, in the 8th Century. The English divided the year into Summer and Winter. And Winter began for the Anglo-Saxons on the first full moon of October. This means that this year winter begins on 7th October. This is the Harvest or Hunter’s Moon, which is also a supermoon, the first of 3 ending the year.
Celtic October
In Welsh, it is Hydref, which also means Autumn. For the Welsh it was the last month of Autumn and the last month of the year. The Celtic new year, and winter starts on 1st November. The same is true of the Irish Calendar. Autumn is called Fómhair, and October Deireadh Fómhair which means ‘End of Autumn’.
Astronomical & Meteorological Autumn
Astronomically, autumn ends at the Winter Solstice and meteorologically at the end of November. So the Celtic Autumn ends a whole month or more earlier than the other measures. My very personal view is that Winter begins on November 5th more often than not. This is an evening we often spend outside watching the fireworks displays to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ Night. It always seems to be the first time that you feel cold enough to need hat, gloves, and scarves.
Detail from ‘The Creation and the Fall of Man’ by Mariotta Alberinelli 1513-14 showing Archangels helping in the creation of Eve from Adam’s Rib’
September 29th used to be St Michael’s Day, or Michaelmas. But in the 20th Century, the Catholic Church made it the day to celebrate the three chief Archangels and all Angels. Previously, September 29th was for St Michael, March 24th for St Gabriel, and October 24th for St Raphael.
It was an important day in the medieval civil calendar and was the date on which Oxford, Cambridge and the Legal system started their autumn terms. It is also the date the Lord Mayor of London is elected at Guildhall in the City of London.
About this time, the Michaelmas Daisy (an Aster) comes out in profusion. They have been out in my Father’s garden since August, but have only been flowering for a few weeks in my own garden. Here is an old rhyme:
“The Michaelmas daisies, among dead weeds, Bloom for St Michael’s valorous deeds …
The Angelic Host
Personally, I don’t understand what Archangels are doing in a monotheistic religion. They seem to be supernatural demigods which seems odd. The Book of Revelations is one of the most important sources, but they are scattered around the Bible. Perhaps the most famous is the visitation of Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, (see my post here)They are 15 Archangels:Adabiel, Azrael, Chamuel, Gabriel, Haniel, Jeremiel, Jophiel, Melatron, Michael, Raguel, Raphael, Raziel, Sandalphon, Uriel, and Zadkiel.
Melatron has to be my favourite, given his name which sounds like something from a kids superheros cartoon! He is made from the human Enoch and Keeper of the Book of Life so perhaps the most powerful of the Archangels. He is good for relationship, career, and parenting advice!
The Book of Enoch mentions 200 Fallen Angels including Satan, but Alphonso di Spina a 15th Century Monk calculated there were 133 million fallen angels, one third of the original Angelic Host.
What are Angels for? Something to give us hope that somewhere, somehow something might be looking out for us? As Sir Antony Gormley says of the Angel of the North ;“People are always asking, why an angel? The only response I can give is that no-one has ever seen one and we need to keep imagining them.”
List of plays performed in February 1596 by the Admiral’s Men
‘Crack me this Nut’ was performed by the Admiral’s Men at the Rose Theatre in Southwark, London. One of the dates it was performed was on September 25th 1595. As you can see, above, it was also performed on February 7th 1596. You can find the other dates it was performed, and the income generated in this blog from Henslowe’s papers. In fact, the play was performed 16 times in all, then sold by Edward Alleyn. Sadly, no one knows what it was about. It might relate to the sense of our phrase ‘a tough nut to crack.’
The list of February dates for the Admiral’s Men is from my dossier for my Shakespeare’s London walks. I’m not entirely sure of the book I photocopied it from, but it derives from the wonderful archive of Philip Henslowe and his leading actor, Edward Alleyn. Henslowe’s records were stored in a locked trunk for 260 years.
2023 marked the completion of the project to bring this archive to the public. And here is the Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation project. As well as digitising the Archive, elements that had been separated from the original archive have been brought back, so the greatest archive of information on the Shakespearean theatre is now unified and available. It is an immense benefit for the Shakespeare industry.
I searched the archive for ‘Crack me this nut’ but their search engine searches for anything that mentions ANY of the words, and as the word ‘this’ is in virtually everything in the archive, the search is effectively useless. Putting ‘Crack me this nut’ in quotes does not help. I have emailed them!
A subscriber sent me another link which has various speculations, and the following entry.
Master Ponsonby. Entred for his copie vnder the hands of the Wardens A booke Intitled The Paragon of pleasaunt histories . . . vjd Or this Nutt was neuer Cracked Contayninge a Discourse of a nobl[e] kinge and his Three sonnes (S.R.1, 3.57 / Fol. 7)
I often use this list of plays performed in February 1596 in the walks and lectures I give on Shakespeare. It shows you how hard-working Shakespeare’s contemporaries were. The actors’ companies were essentially small repertory companies. This list shows that the Admiral’s Men performed 14 different plays, on 23 days, if I count correctly, in the short month of February. This is in a winter month. Now, the guides at the rebuilt Globe tell you the Shakespearian Playhouses were used in the Summer. No! This was deep winter and 23 performances in an outdoor theatre in February! Imagine what a modern actor would think of that work load.
A badly photocopied page of the archive.
First published on February 7th 2023, and revised and republished on September 25th 2024, and 2025
Following the Viking victory at the Battle of Fulford Bridge, York, on September 20th the Viking army camped at Stamford Bridge.This was on the River Derwent. Here they intended to rest and celebrate the defeat of the English Earls of Mercia and Northumbria. They were unaware that King Harold I of England had left London for the north on September 18th. (See my post on the Battle of Fulford Bridge here.)
Five days later, on September 25th, Harold’s army surprised the Vikings by marching towards the bridge over the Derwent. It is said that Harold’s army marched 185 miles from London in 4 days which is a scarcely believable 46 miles a day. But if they left on 18th and battle was 25th that’s as much as 7 days. This still means 26 miles a day which is still very quick for an army carrying weapons and armour. So no wonder the Vikings were surprised!
According to tradition, a large Viking held the English army as he blocked the narrow wooden bridge across the river. No one could defeat him. But an enterprising English soldier found a boat, floated under the bridge and killed the Viking by pushing his spear through the bridge timbers, killing the Viking.
According to the 13th Century Icelandic historian, Snorri Sturlson, the fight began only after a rider approached the Viking Army. He offered Harold’s Brother, Tostig back his Earldom if he would withdraw from the fight. Tostig asked what would be in it for his ally, the King of Norway? The reply was ‘Seven feet of English ground, as he is taller than other men’. The offer was refused. It was said that the rider was King Harold himself.
Once over the Bridge, the English found the Vikings had formed a defensive formation. However, they had left their armour behind at their boats. The battle lasted all day but ended with the slaughter of most of the Vikings. King Harold Hardrada, one of the greatest warriors of his age and Tostig were both killed. The extent of the slaughter is shown by the fact that of the 300 boats of the Viking army, only 24 returned to Norway.
A boat of the period, derived from the Bayeaux Tapestry
A stunning victory for Harold I. But, the English had suffered terrible losses at the battle of Fulford. Harold had also left the South Coast unguarded And three days later, on September 28th, William, Duke of Normandy landed with his army at Pevensey. 256 miles south.
So, it may be a surprise that the Autumn is the time of plenty. I think, townies like me, would assume spring or summer. But in Autumn, not only is the Harvest in, but nuts and fruits are ripening and ready to pick. As we go deeper into Autumn, the livestock is culled to a level that can be sustained through the harsh winter. And so a lot of meat is also available. Truly a time of ‘mellow fruitfulness’.
A Surfeit of Autumn Peaches or Lamphreys
Anything with the word ‘surfeit’ in it must begin with the wonderful comic history of Britain called:1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates
Here we find that King Henry I died of a ‘surfeit’ of lamphreys’, which he indulged in against his Doctors’ advice. This was in November,. While his Great Grandson, King John:
‘finally demonstrated his utter incompetence by losing the Crown and all his clothes in the wash and then dying of a surfeit of peaches and no cider; thus his awful reign came to an end.’
He is a fine example of a ‘Bad King’. He died on the night of October 18th — 19th. So another King to leave this mortal coil by the means of an autumnal surfeit. Other accounts say his ale was poisoned or the surfeit was of plums. But he did have dysentery shortly before he died.
If you haven’t already it got it you probably, at this point, need to buy my book ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Died’. This is the best selling book about the Kings and Queens of England, told in bite sized chunks. It is always on sale at the British Museum.
‘No surfeit so evil as the surfeit of eating naughty bread’
Andrew Boorde in ‘Dietary of Health’ 1547 says that Wheat Bread makes you fat, particularly when made from new wheat. He says’Evil Bakers’ will add half of Barley. This is no good, nor is bread made from beans or peas. He continues:
‘hot bread is unwholesome to any man, for it doth lie in the stomach like a sponge: yet the smell of new bread is comfortable to the head and the heart. Old or stale bread doth dry up the blood or natural moisture in man, and doth engender ill humours; and is evil and tardy of digestion: wherefore is no surfeit so evil as a surfeit of eating naughty bread.‘
Lavendar Caps
Now is the time to protect your head with Lavendar as winter approaches, or so says William Turner’s Herbal of 1568:
‘I judge that the flowers of lavender, quilted into a cap and daily worn, are good for all diseases of the head, that come of a cold cause, and that they comfort the brain very well, namely if it have any distemperature that cometh of moistness.‘
If you remember, I wrote about Turner’s medical education in Ferrara in Italy in June. You can read it here.
Apples and Pears & No Cider
The fate of King John (above) shows the danger of running out of cider. But the apple trees are now groaning with Apples and Pears. So production can begin. I have been at my Father’s House picking up all the pears that drop every night. We have been cutting them up and putting them in the freezer, making purée and crumbles. Also, giving them to anyone who enters the house. But still not able to keep up with the Pears! Lots of Apples too, infact a bumper crop, many more than in any previous year. Earlier there was a host of plums from which I made my very first plum jam. I am looking forward to making a batch of Quince Jam, for the third year running.
Storing a Surfeit of Apples
Picking up windfall is problematic, as it was thought they would soften and bruise much easier than those picked from the trees. They would also contaminate other apples if laid with them. So it is best to pick apples before they are completely ripe. Then you can use Gervase Markham’s apple storage advice, which I wrote about in January and you can see here:
But:
A Surfeit of unripe fruit is a danger:
Green fruits make sickness to abound Use good advice to keep thee sound Give not thy lusts what they do crave Lest thou unawares step in to thy grave.
Ranger’s Almanack 1627
If you do succumb, you need a medicine of nettle-seeds and honey.
A Surfeit of Filberts
As a caution to persons at this season, when nuts are so very abundant, we state that the sudden death of Mr Nunn of Cley, Norfolk is generally attributed to eating a great quantity of filberts and drinking pork wine therewith.’
York Current, September 1794
I do hope you have found this post fruitful and not too nutty. Please consult a doctor if you are having head or brain issues. The Lavender in your Peaky Blinders Cap may not do the trick
Acknowledgement
Again, I am very dependent on fruity tales from Charles Kightly’s A Perpetual Almanac of Folklore. It is worth buying as it also has many pretty pictures.
Autumn Equinox in Haggerston Park.Photo by K Flude.
Autumn Equinox.
This is the second day of the year when the sun rises due east and sets due west. When the day and night are of equal length. It is the beginning of the astronomical autumn. It is determined by the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth’s rotation in relation to the orbit around the Sun.
In the Jewish Calendar, and the French Revolutionary Calendars it marks the new year. Many cultures preferred spring. But autumn is the end of harvest, when seeds are sown and the food stores are full of food. Similarly, the Celts started their new year at Halloween, half way between the equinox and the solstice.
For more about autumn, look at my post here. For my post on the Spring Equinox, see here. For the Celtic New Year see this post here and for the French Revolutionary Calendar, my post is here.
Rosh Hashanah, September 22nd to 25th.
Rosh Hashanah is the New Year in Judaism. There are other new years in the Jewish calendar. But this is for the Civil Year and to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Adam.
The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah. One of the High Holy Days, as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25. Like most New Years it is a time to reflect on life and put in place changes. It is after all a celebration of the beginning of the world.
Here is an excellent BBC web site which will tell you more.
A silhouette of a Zeppelin caught in searchlights over the City of London
On the night of September 8th, 32 year old, Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Mathy piloted Zeppelin L 13 across Central London, dropping bombs as he went. This was the most damaging airship raid of the war.
Background to the War
Before World War One London was the centre of the largest Empire the world had ever known. It was the first great era of globalisation; international trade and finance was booming. London was full of the mega-rich, but poverty and substandard housing was extensive. Such extremes of rich and poor have only recently began to appear in our society.
Inner London was still the home of Industry, and home to large immigrant communities. Political dissent was widespread, with the Labour Party beginning to erode the Liberal Party’s power base. The issue of Female Suffrage was rocking society. Then, catastrophe struck as ‘the lights went out all over Europe’.
The Hague Convention in 1899 banned bombing from balloons or other aerial craft. But as the aircraft and air balloons developed, the threat moved from theoretical to actual. Zeppelins could undertake long flights at a speed of up to 47 mph. They could ascend and descend quicker than winged aircraft and achieve higher altitudes. The gas that held up the Zeppelins was held in over 200,000 bags of cattle intestines. The huge number needed in the war effort led to a shortage of sausages in Germany! But it also made them very difficult to be shot down with the technology available to Britain, France and Russia.
The Kaiser originally forbade bombing raids on London in deference to his relatives, the British Royal Family. But he progressively reduced restrictions until he allowed bombing of London itself. He first allowed bombing of the London docks on February 12th 1915, and on May 5th allowed London, East of the Tower of London to be bombed. The first Zeppelin raid on London took place on 31st May 1915. On July 20th, he allowed unrestricted bombing of London (albeit sparing historical and religious buildings).
On the 8th September, 1915 Mathy crossed the North Sea to the coast at King’s Lyne. He arrived at 8.45pm. The aircraft came South via Cambridge, Ware, circled to the North East of London and via Golders Green. Here he dropped 12 bombs at 10.40., and followed the Finchley Road to Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park. Over Euston he was at 8,500 ft, and slowed down to 37 mph.
The first incendiary bomb in Central London landed just north of Russell Square at Woburn Place. The next one landed in the garden in the middle of Russell Sq. He dropped his first Central London explosive bomb in the garden in the centre of Queen’s Square, near the Great Ormond St Hospital, where it is marked with a plaque. He was turning east along the Theobald’s Road where he dropped a number of bombs. One hitting the National Penny Bank killing a person standing outside. Another landed on the nearby Dolphin pub, blowing out the front of the pub and killing someone standing there. If you visit the Pub, on the wall you will see the clock that was stopped when the bomb exploded (10:40pm).
The next strike was on a cycle club, to the West of Gray’s inn. Then Gray’s Inn itself. At Portpool Lane his incendiary bombs killed three children and injured 25 others.
Maxim Gun
Near here are the workshops where Hiram Maxim developed the Maxim Gun that killed so many in the trenches in WW1. Unfortunately, the design was not kept as a state secret and in the War No Man’s Land was being strafed by British, French, German, Russian and later in American versions of the same gun. He had the idea for it when as a child his shoulder was broken by the recoil of a shotgun. He realised that the recoil could be used to load the next bullet. This created a machine gun that was far superior to the Gatling Gun.
A Bomb called the Love Gift
Hatton Garden and Farringdon were also hit, and the Zeppelin continued to Smithfield. The Zeppelin had one 660 lb bomb on board. Mathy’s ‘Love Gift’ fell on St Bartholomew’s Close. It shattered all the building fronts and killed 2 men running for cover when they emerged from a pub.
The Zeppelin kept north of St Paul’s and next bombed City workshops and warehouses in Wood St, Addle St, Basinghall St and Aldermanbury – just missing the historic Guildhall. He also failed to bomb the Bank of England which was a mere 300 yards south,
Searchlights were now scouring the sky and anti-aircraft guns were firing, but they were ;all firing too low’. An American reporter, William Shepherd wrote:
‘Among the autumn stars floats a long gaunt Zeppelin. It is dull yellow – the colour of the Harvest Moon. The long fingers of searchlights, reaching up from the roofs of the city are touching all sides of the death messenger with their white tips. Great, booming sounds shake the city. They are Zeppelin bombs falling- killing – burning. Lesser noises – of shooting – are nearer at hand, the noise of aerial guns sending shrapnel into the sky.’
The final bombs were released over Liverpool Street. Just by the station, an explosive bomb hit a No 35a bus, wounding the driver and killing the conductor and some of the passengers. Another bomb landed by a No 8 bus, killing the driver and 8 passengers.
Mathy turned north towards Edmonton and climbed to over 11,000 ft as an anti-aircraft gun on Parliament Hill put a shell uncomfortably close to the Zeppelin. He returned safely to Germany where he reported to the Kaiser. The raid killed 17 people, injured 78 and caused half a million pounds worth of damage. It was the most effective raid of the war.
The authorities in Britain were faced with a stark reality which was that a single German Airship could fly through the heart of Britain, into its Capital and bomb its people without any defensive measures capable of resisting attack. Although when we consider the horrors of civilian deaths in the 20th and 21st Centuries, the shock of random attacks on civilians should not be underestimated.
I will conclude Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Mathy’s story on October 1st, and add more images to this page.
Thanks to Ian Castle and his book ‘London 1914-17 ‘The Zeppelin Menace.
September 3rd was Cromwell’s Lucky Day. This was because it was the date of two of his most famous victories. On September 3rd 1658 he refused to accept that he was dying because it was his lucky day. Unluckily, he was wrong.
The Battle of Dunbar September 3rd 1650
Engraving of Charles I
After the execution of King Charles I, the Scots chose Charles II as their King. This changed the Scots from allies of the English Parliament to enemies. The Lord General of the New Model Army, Thomas Fairfax, refused to lead an attack on their erstwhile allies. So Oliver Cromwell was promoted to command. He launched a preemptive attack but the army was ill prepared, and the campaign seemed in danger of failing. They took Arthur’s seat and bombarded Edinburgh and Leith from its heights. But they could not take Edinburgh.
In need of supplies, Cromwell retreated to Dunbar, which is on the North Sea, close to the Firth of Forth. The Scots advanced on Dunbar, and Cromwell came out to meet them. After a hard battle, the English Calvary outflanked the Scots and the Battle was won. Pride, Monk, Lilburne and Lambert were all involved in the Battle. Cromwell claimed to have killed 4,000 Scots and captured 10,000. Scottish sources suggested over 1,000 Scottish casualties and 5,000 prisoners.
The Battle enabled Cromwell to seize control of Edinburgh, and Leith. So he could then cross the First of Forth and attack Fife, where he was also successful.
Cromwell interpreted the overwhelming victory as a
“A high act of the Lord’s Providence to us [and] one of the most signal mercies God hath done for England and His people”.[ (Wikipedia)
Meanwhile, the Scottish Army marched South in to England. in an attempt to raise the support of English Royalists. King Charles II was now with them, They hoped Cromwell would be held up in Fife, but he wasn’t. He secured Perth and put General Monck in charge in Scotland. Lambert was sent to harrass the Scottish Army as they marched south. Meanwhile, Cromwell forced marched his way to the Tyne. General Harrison had collected fresh troops from Newcastle and joined Cromwell. Thomas Fairfax came out of retirement and raised troops in Yorkshire. The Southern troops were collected at Banbury by General Fleetwood. 14,000 militia men from the trained bands of London joined the march to intercept the Scottish Invasion.
The Battle of Worcester September 3rd 1651
The decisive battle took place at Worcester, which the Royalist occupied. It was an unusual battle in that it took place on both sides of the River Severn. Cromwell delayed the start of the battle to build two pontoon bridges. This meant he could reinforce his troops on either side of the River. It also delayed the start of the battle to his lucky day.
The pontoon bridges proved decisive. The Parliamentary side had over 30,000 troops while the Royalists only 16,000. Cromwell could shore up besieged formation with troops from the other side of the River. The Royalists were pushed back to the High Street. Here, they rallied to allow King Charles II to escape. And that was the end of the Second English Civil War. (The first being the defeat of Charles I, the second the defeat of Charles II).
Charles II made a hair-raising escape from England, hiding in an Oak Tree. Eventually, finding a ship on the South Coast at Shoreham, in Dorset to take him into a long exile. (see my post on Charles’ escape here🙂
Of the Scottish army, perhaps 3,000 men were killed and 10,000 taken prisoners. Some prisoners were conscripted into the New Model Army and sent to fight in Ireland. Many of the rest (perhaps up to 8,000) were forced into indentured labour. They were sent to New England, Bermuda, the West Indies or the Fens. Others were taken to London and detained in prison camps. One of which was at Tothill Fields in Westminster. Conditions were often appalling, leading to death by disease and malnutrition.
American Presidents pay their respects to the ‘famous’ Battlefield.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited the site of the Battle in 1786. Adams reported:
‘The people in the neighborhood appeared so ignorant and careless at Worcester that I was provoked and asked “And do Englishmen so soon forget the ground where liberty was fought for? Tell your neighbors and your children that this is holy ground, much holier than that on which your churches stand. All England should come in pilgrimage to this hill, once a year”‘
And indeed will now only see the battle as one of the many battles of the Civil War. Generally, we are not aware of its special significance.
Cromwell’s Death September 3rd 1658.
By now, the Monarch in all but name, Cromwell, the Lord Protector fell ill, probably of malaria. Then, when weakened, his kidney stone infection turned to septicemia. On August 30th, there was a mighty storm, the like Europe had not seen for hundreds of years. And there was talk of the Lord taking him away in the furious storm. As he weakened he was asked to name his successor. He appeared to affirm when the name of his son Richard was spoken to him. But, it wasn’t very clear. He rallied, perhaps hoping that if he could survive to September 3rd, he would overcome his illness.
On the day, he said to his doctors ‘I tell you I shall not die this hour; I am sure on’t …. I speak the Words of Truth upon surer grounds than Galen and Hippocrates furnish you with.’
But he died on his lucky day. He was given a splendid funeral and was buried in state among the Kings and Queens in Westminster Abbey. And then in 1660 dug up, executed posthumously at Tyburn and buried under the Gibbet.
The Master of St Giles, National Gallery. ‘St Giles and the Hind’ This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer.
St Giles
Today, is St Giles’ Feast Day. His story is mostly unknown, but his legend holds that he was a hermit who had a pet Hind in the Arles District of France sometime after the fall of the Roman Empire. The hounds of King Wamba (a Visigothic King) were chasing the deer, and shot an arrow into the undergrowth. The King and his men followed to discover Giles wounded by the arrow, protecting the hind, who he held in his arms. The hounds were miraculously stayed motionless as they leaped towards the hind. Wamba, which apparently means ‘Big paunch’ in Gothic, also had a Roman name: Flavius. Giles was injured in the leg, although the image above shows the arrow hit his hand. Wamba set him up as an Abbot of a Benedictine Monastery.
St Giles is, therefore, the patron saint of disabled people. He is also also invoked for childhood fears, convulsions and depression. He was very popular in medieval Britain, with over 150 churches dedicated to him, including four in London. Perhaps the two most famous are St Giles Without Cripplegate in London and St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.
St Giles Cripplegate, photographed by the Author at night from the Barbican Centre.
St Giles Cripplegate
St Giles was built in the 11th Century, rebuilt in the 14th Century and again in 1545-50 after nearly being destroyed by fire. It survived the Great Fire of London, being just beyond the extent of the Fire. But it was badly damaged in the Blitz, although the Tower and the outer walls survived.
Oliver Cromwell married Elizabeth Bourchier here. John Foxe of the Book of Martyrs, John Speed, the Cartographer, Martin Frobisher, the explorer and John Milton, the Poet were buried here.
Shenanigans with Milton’s Coffin
Milton’s coffin was opened in 1793 and he was said to have looked as if he had just been buried. One of those present, then, had a go at pulling Milton’s teeth out. A bystander helped by hitting his jaw with a stone. The few teeth Milton had left in his head were divided between the men, who also took a rib bone and locks of his hair. The Caretaker then opened the coffin for anyone who wanted to see the corpse!
From the London City Wall Trail.
Cripplegate
St Giles is without Cripplegate. It is one of the Gates in the City Wall (originally the North Gate of the Roman Fort). It may be named because St Giles made it agood place to gather for those trying to beg alms for their disabilities. An alternative explanation it from the Anglo Saxon crepel, which is an underground tunnel which is said to have run from the Gate’s Barbican to the Gate. Or perhaps because of the cure of cripples when Edmund the Martyr’s remains passed through the Gate in 1010.
The Corner Tower of the London City Wall, the Barbican in the background, and the tower of St Giles’ Church behind the Tower. Photo by the author
First Published in September 2024, and revised in 2025.
