Saturday, 31 January 2015

A Living Colossus; the Surprising Irish Giant - Charles Byrne (1761-1783), the Hunterian Museum, London

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HRH visits Charles Byrne, the Irish Giant, at the Hunterian museum. The tiny skeleton  standing next to Byrne belongs to  Caroline Cracha...
Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Exquisite corpse – Marchesa Luisa Casati (1881-1957), Brompton Cemetery

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“Quite suddenly and simply by chance, I once met a bizarre lady while taking tea with some friends in London. She arrived wearing blac...
Friday, 2 January 2015

Barbe Maria Theresa Sangiorgi (1834-1893), Brompton Cemetery

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“Sculptural interest: a marble tomb featuring a sculpture of a youth strewing flowers on the grave, finely sculpted in a dramatic and e...
Tuesday, 23 December 2014

"The Lately Discovered Depredations at Lambeth Burial Ground" - grave robbing south of the river 1794.

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A shadow of its former self - Lambeth (or Paradise Row) burial ground in Lambeth High Street “At a short distance from the church is a...
Wednesday, 10 December 2014

No rest for the wicked; Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) original interment Westminster Abbey, head now buried Sidney Sussex College Chapel, location of body unknown

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Cromwell's coffin plate up for grabs at Sothebys. Oliver Cromwell’s gilt copper coffin plate was sold yesterday at Sotheby’s in Lon...
Thursday, 27 November 2014

Sharkbait - snatched from the Jaws of Death, Sir Brook Watson (1735-1807), St Mary the Virgin, Mortlake

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Worryingly the parish clerk at Mortlake was not sure if he was christening or burying the parishoners. Brook Watson, was a wealthy and ...
Friday, 21 November 2014

The poet, the muse and the abortionist; Ernest Dowson (1867-1900), Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery & Adelaide Foltinowicz (1878-1904)

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When fin de siècle poet Ernest Dowson died Oscar Wilde wrote "poor wounded wonderful fellow that he was… I hope bay leaves will be...
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Wednesday, 5 November 2014

The pills that cured all ills; James Morison the Hygeist (1770-1840), Kensal Green Cemetery

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“One of the most remarkable mausoleums....... in Kensal Green is the tomb of James Morison the Hygeist; this the originator of the fame...