On Friday, March 17 there will be a ceremony to mark the 280th anniversary of the murder in the churchyard of St Mary’s, Rye, of Alan Grebell, the mayor of Rye at the time.
Paul Goring, our town crier starts his cry at the Buttermarket at 12 noon and Rev’d Christopher Breeds will say prayers in the Clare Chapel in the church followed by our present mayor Andi Rivett laying a wreath on Grebell’s tomb in the church.
Paul Goring will lead a themed walk, In the Footsteps of a Murderer at 3pm starting outside the town hall.
Tickets can be booked through the town hall and the heritage centre
Later in the day Isabel Ryan will be giving readings from John Ryan’s book, Murder in the Churchyard. Details of when and where will posted as soon as confirmed.
The picture of the skull is the all that is left of John Breeds who murdered Allen Grebell and is kept in the loft of the town hall. On Tuesday it is being loaned to the National Maritime Museum for an exhibition. The body of John Breeds was exposed in a cage for all to view for many years on Gibbet Marsh near Rye.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .
Did John Breeds have a burial ? If not what is the history of his remains? Is this skull really that of the John Breeds convicted of the murder.?
If it is, should his skull be given a Christian burial.
Hi Judith – no, part of his sentence was that he could never be buried. After 280 years he is still serving his sentence, making him Britain’s longest-serving prisoner!
Yes, these are his genuine remains. They are usually kept in the Town Hall attic, but are being temporarily loaned to the National Maritime Museum from next week onwards.
From 1743 to 1792 they were displayed, in the Gibbet cage, on a gallows on Gibbet Marsh. In 1792 they were transferred to the church, and kept on display in one of the front chapels there. In 1862 a new Rector decided that the skull was not an appropriate object to be displayed in a church, so they were moved to the attic of the Town Hall, where they have remained ever since.
While he was on public display, local people stole most of his bones to make soup, believing it could cure “marsh fever” (rheumatism), so only his skull – still in the Gibbet Cage where he has been for 280 years – is left, today.
Rye is too fond of him to bury him – over a century ago, when world-famous author, Henry James, was living in Lamb House, a visitor (Ford Madox Ford) complained that Rye was more proud of its murderer than its writer!
Paul Goring thank you for your full and very interesting answer.
Poor man ‘being the longest serving prisoner ‘ as you wrote.
May be today if tried he would have been declared unfit to have a trial due to his mental capacity to stand trial..
If you are still in town in the evening of the anniversary (Fri 17th March), why not drop into Rye Variations where the incredible Poet and Performer Northern Nick will be reciting his poem ‘danced at the end of a noose’ which he wrote about the murder. You can see his performance of the poem from our Christmas edition here https://youtu.be/4kdJEldrZkM
UPDATE: Isabel Ryan’s illustrated reading of John Ryan’s “Murder in the Churchyard” will take place at 2pm on Friday 17th in the Clare Chapel of St Mary’s Church (the “reserved for quiet” chapel to the left of the main door), alongside Allen Grebell’s tomb. All are welcome!