In 1648 after several months of illness, Cromwell died. Two years later in 1660 on the 29th of May, Charles II regained the English throne.
On a day in January 1661 the body of Oliver Cromwell was exhumed from Westminster Abbey and due to the embalming process, it was so well preserved that it was able to be posthumously executed by hanging.
After around 25 years the skull disappeared from the spike and for the next 300+ years it was passed around like some sort of trophy until in 1960 it ended up at a college in Cambridgeshire.
What exactly happened to the rest of Cromwell's body is unknown and remains a mystery to this day...
One of the many rumours is that his supporters took the rest of his body to Naseby Battlefield in Northamptonshire. The story goes that one of Cromwell's confidants asked him whilst he was dying what he wanted doing with his body after his death and Cromwell replied that he wanted to be buried at Naseby.
A variation of this tale is that Cromwell's body never went to Westminster Abbey at all and was secretly buried somewhere within the Naseby Battlefield where great care was taken to make sure that there were no signs of a grave having been dug. They even went to the extent of having the field ploughed and corn sown to hide any sign of his grave.
If this variation of the story is true and the whole of Cromwell's body is buried at the battlefield, then whose body was exhumed and hung? A tramp maybe? Some even said that Cromwell's corpse was swapped for what remained of Charles I...
However, in 1935 the skull was scientifically examined and confirmed to be that of Cromwell and has since been buried at the Cambridgeshire College that it ended up at. The exact burial point is unknown as it was specifically left unmarked so it could rest in peace.
Here are some photographs I have taken of the Cromwell Memorial overlooking the battlefield and possible place of burial:
Should the second paragraph read " In 1658" ?
ReplyDeleteYes it should! Well spotted and thanks for letting me know :)
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