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The Author’s Foreword.
With the permission of the Home Office, and with the approval of the Rev. Lord Byron of Thrumpton Hall, Notts., the Byron Vault in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Hucknall Torkard, was opened on June 15th, 1938, in the presence of
Mr. F. Seymour Cocks, M.P. of the Broxtowe Division, of Mansfield.
Mr. J. Holland Walker, M.B.E., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S„ of Nottingham.
Mr. N. M. Lane, Surveyor to the Diocese of South- well, of Mansfield.
Mr. J. C. Woodsend, of Nottingham.
Dr. T. L. Llewellyn, of Nottingham.
The Vicar of Hucknall Torkard.
The Churchwardens and
The Secretary of the Church Council.
The Vault was closed in 1852 when the body of Ada, the Poet’s daughter, wife of the Earl of Lovelace, was buried within its walls. No one has seen inside the Vault since that time, except perhaps the few workmen who in 1872 restored the slab which covers the entrance to the tomb, and those who, when the Church was enlarged in 1887-8, were employed in building the brick wall at the east end of the Vault, to which reference is made in the pages of this book.
The re-opening of the Vault was not undertaken to satisfy a morbid curiosity, but to establish some archaeological points of general interest with regard to the existence, or otherwise, of a crypt. At the same time the opportunity was taken of making a thorough examination of the Vault, and the results of that examination are published in this book. The work was reverently carried out, and on the morning of June 15 special intercession was offered at the Altar for the souls of those members of the Byron family whose bodies had been laid to rest within the Vault.
I must acknowledge my indebtedness to those who were associated with me in this work for their valuable co-operation—to
Mr. F. Seymour Cocks, M.P., for kindly approaching the Home Office on my behalf.
Mr. J. Holland Walker whose assistance as an Antiquary was invaluable.
Mr. N. M. Lane for the plans and drawings of the Vault.
Mr. J. C. Woodsend and his workmen for the skilled and reverent way in which they removed the large slab at the entrance to the Vault, and restored it to its position.
Dr. T. L. Llewellyn, who placed his professional services at my disposal.
Mr. Claude Bullock, our local Photographer, whose very excellent photographs are reproduced in this book.
It was my original intention to publish no more than a description of the Vault in an illustrated booklet. I have however, yielded to the persuasion of my friends to include in a larger volume:
- The results of some recent excavation work: which I have carried out, and their bearing on the history of Hucknall Torkard Church. These, I was assured, would be of interest not only to residents in the town, but to the large number of visitors who hold the Church in veneration on account of its association with Lord Byron.
- The interesting records of the Baptisms and Burials of members of the Byron family which are to be found in the ancient registers of the Church.
- A short concise life of Lord Byron, which for the ordinary reader might provide an introduction to the story of the Vault.
For thirty-one years I have been the custos of Byron’s body, and during this time I have been brought into contact with thousands of people from all parts of the world, who have made pilgrimage to the Church to pay tribute to the memory of the great Poet. In conversation with these pilgrims I have been surprised to discover what a very limited knowledge the majority of them had of the story of his life. They had neither the time, nor the inclination, to delve into a lengthy biography, nor yet did they display any interest in the controversies which have- raged round his life, but the questions which they raised led me to the conviction that they had sufficient interest to read, and would welcome, a short biography setting forth the main facts of his life. Whether what I have written is the kind of story that they want, remains to be seen, but I had the pilgrims in mind as I wrote it.
The story contains no new information about Byron, and existing information has not been treated in a strikingly unusual manner. I have, however, kept Byron’s romance with Mary Chaworth to the fore, as I believe this to be the real tragedy of his life.
I do not know from what sources I have culled the facts of Byron’s life. During the past year I have read for the third time Byron the Man by R. L. Bellamy, The Pilgrim of Eternity by John Drinkwater, and Byron by Andre Maurois. With these books fresh in my mind, I am most indebted perhaps to their authors.
In the work of excavation, to which I have already made reference, I had the assistance of Mr. J. Holland Walker the Antiquary, Mr. N. M. Lane the Surveyor, and the brothers Robert and James Bettridge, who worked indefatigably and skilfully with spade and pick, saw and chisel. Gratefully do I acknowledge their most valuable help.
I have included a large number of illustrations in this work. Many of them are from photographs of pictures and articles of Byronic interest at Thrumpton Hall and Annesley Hall. Lord and Lady Byron, and Colonel and Mrs. Chaworth-Musters not only gave me their gracious permission to reproduce them, but they extended to me most courteous consideration, and went out of their way to render every assistance in their power.
I acknowledge the courtesy of the Nottingham Corporation in allowing me to include in the illustrations reproductions of pictures at Newstead Priory,
For valuable advice in the production of this small work I am indebted to Mr. Kenneth Folkes and Mr. Sidney Race of Nottingham, Mr. W. A. James, Librarian, Southwell, and Mr. G. H. Nettle of Hucknall.
The information about the Byron Plate which I am able to give in the second Chapter is based upon the expert opinion of Mr. E. Alfred Jones, M.A., F.S.A.,
Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
In preparing this work for the Press, my Colleague, the Rev. A. M. Catley, and Mr. Herbert Clarke have given me much assistance.
The Vicarage,
Hucknall Torkard,
Notts. May 10, 1939.