Sir Walter Raleigh's head case - new clues

Up to today I knew four things about Sir Walter Raleigh, all gleaned from reading a Ladybird Book c.1964: that he introduced tobacco to England from the New World; that concurrently he introduced the potato; that in an act of chivalry he once laid his cloak in a muddy street at the feet of Queen Elizabeth I (proof here); and, finally, that he was beheaded in the reign of James I. From memory the Ladybird book didn't mention why but it seemed a bit unfair after he'd put himself about so much.

Imagine life without those contributions: no chips with your fish, no pie and mash, no cheese and onion crisps, no Spud-U-Like, no unkind Wayne Rooney jibes; no cigarette lighters or cut glass ashtrays, no Brief Encounter or Casablanca, no Rizzlers, no Sherlock Holmes or Tony Benn, and a much lower incidence of lung cancer.

Today, however, I learned a little bit more about Sir Walter, not all of which you will find on Wikipedia so pay attention. The information was uncovered by a posse of distinguished former and existing FT journalists who describe themselves collectively as "The Old Lags" (see this earlier note). Some old lags below (and at the pub, bottom).Organised by Maggie Urry and John Willman, the Old Lags meet monthly to walk, talk and enjoy a good lunch, sometimes supplemented by a cream tea, opportunity permitting.

Today's walk, around West and East Horsley in Surrey, was put together by Bill Hall who has walked all over the place in his time. This was a pleasant leafy walk in glorious sunshine in mid-October. It took in many of the Lovelace Bridges (rather fine bridges built at the bidding of the first Earl Lovelace so he could avoid the dips when riding through his woods.But the high spot, for me at least, was probably St Mary's Church, West Horsley, if only because it cleared up a few points the Ladybird book neglected (they were pretty thin books. All the same you wouldn't imagine Horrible Histories missing these details).

After Sir Walter lost his head his body was interred in St Margaret's Church, Westminster. As an alleged plotter against the king, not withstanding his conviction on the flimsiest evidence, custom and practice would have dictated that the head be mounted on a spike and displayed above London Bridge.

But whether out of compassion or an acknowledgement that he'd been the victim of a stitch up, his head was handed to his wife who kept it with her for the rest of her life (another 29 years). When she died her husband's head was buried at her home, West Horsley Place, but later it was transferred to a new resting place which happens now to be situated under St Mary's church organ. This must be music to his ears.

Some time ago, according to one of the chaps looking after the church during our visit, St Margaret's made a tentative approach, asking if they might have the head - to complete the set, so to speak; but St Mary's declined. This church doesn't do anything in haste. Its tower was built around a ladder in about 1120 and there the ladder stayed until "about" 2000 (I like the vagueness about the later date in the online account) when workmen managed to extricate it, and now it hangs from the wall. Some ladder. The St Mary's congregation is rightly proud of its church and has recently uncovered some frescoes (right) that would have been painted over during the Reformation.

Returning home, I was shocked to discover that Raleigh's beheading was carried out to appease the Spanish Ambassador for the kind of seaborne raid that was pretty common at the time. If you read some of the things Raleigh said ahead of his execution he didn't seem to mind very much. I suppose when you've sold the country on potatoes and tobacco everything is down hill after that.
Footnote: The vintage Ladybird book site pays homage to the publisher's contribution to education. Ladybird was founded in 1915 and if you'd bought its ABC Picture Book for very young children in that first year you would have found that A did not stand for Apple but for Armoured Train. I can only imagine the others: B for Boche, Bayonet? C for counter attack, campaign, cut to pieces?