MessageToEagle.com -
In search for the truth about giants, our journey takes to the church of St. Mary located in Aldworth, an English village.
In this small parish there are several interesting figures that are
supposed to be life size representations, depicting knights all over
seven feet tall.
These people were the Aldworth giants, who people tried to erase from
history. The giants were members of the De La Beche family.
According to tradition these giants were also known by other names such
as John Long, John Strong, John Never Afraid and John Ever Afraid.
Church of St. Mary located in Aldworth. Image credit: Aldworth Village
According to Aldworth Parish,
"after Harold II and his house earls were defeated and killed on Senlac
Hill, Hastings in 1066, Duke William of Normandy crossed
the Thames at Wallingford and marched triumphantly on London. In the
following years
after the invasion, many of the Conqueror's sympathizers and supporters
crossed the English Channel in search of land and favours in the new
Norman Kingdom.
One of these was a knight from Flanders named de la Beche who, probably
as a result of services given to the king, was granted licence to build a
castle at Aldworth.
In addition to this he was given land and the right to build property
near Swallowfield, Compton, Bradfield, Yattendon and a second castle at
Mortimer.
The Doomsday Book, compiled from 1086 onwards, records Aldworth as
Elleorde and assessed the land value at one hundred shillings with
tillage potential of five
ploughs and woodland sufficient for ten swine. The inhabitants seem to
have numbered not more than twenty-five souls, all of
them simple folk, villeins, serfs and swineherd."
As previously mentioned, inside the church there are numerous huge effigies of the De La Beche family.
The effigy said to represent John Ever afraid no longer exists, but was
set in an alcove in the
outside wall of the church, which has now been blocked. It is said that
he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for worldly riches.
The bargain was that the Devil would claim his soul whether he was
buried inside or outside the church. Burying his body within the church
walls
meant that the Devil was cheated of his prize.
Sir Philip De La Beche second son of Sir Philip and Lady Joan, A
Knight of Berks. Committed to Scarborough Castle in 1322 but pardoned in
1327 by Edward III.
Image credit: My Grave Place Aldworth Giants
Sir Nicholas De La Beche, third son of Sir Philip & Lady Joan.
He was made Constable of the Tower of London and custodian of King
Edward III's eldest son, later known as the 'Black Prince'. He was
granted leave by the King to castellate his manor of De La Beche in
Aldworth and was co-founder of the south aisle chapel. He died in 1345.
Sir John De La Beche, eldest son of Sir Philip & Lady Joan. He
was a Knight of the Shire (Member of Parliament) for Berkshire in 1316,
and also Keeper of
Winchester Castle. Comitted to the Tower in 1322 by King Edward II, he
was eventually pardoned by King Edward III in 1327.
He lies in the armour of a knight, with dogs and a lion at his feet. He
died in 1328.
The damaged condition of most of the carvings, notably the headless Lady
Isabella, her husband John and the limbless and headless young John,
stems
from the 1650s when an Act of Parliament passed by the Cromwell regime
decreed "the demolition of monuments of idolatry and superstition".
It was too much for the
curate,
Thomas Longland, who was appalled by the sacrilegious acts of
destruction committed by the people and had no alternative but to resign
from St. Mary's.
Today, the castle of de la Beche, long since vanished, by the crossroads
at the Four Points, is now the site of the present de la Beche Manor,
and it was here that the identity of the Aldworth effigies was
confirmed. The site of the castle was being excavated in 1871 when a
seal was discovered bearing the name of Isabella de la Beche.
It is truly a shame that De Le Beche memorials were so badly damaged,
but at least some part were preserved for future generations so that
knowledge and memory of the Aldworth giants will not be lost .
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MessageToEagle.com -
In search for the truth about giants, our journey takes to the church of St. Mary located in Aldworth, an English village.
