Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2018 January 11

= January 11 =

Bring Me the Head of Henry Grey
Well, not necessarily bring me his head, but tell me where it is. Our article on Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk says that in 1920 it was in a glass case in St Botolph's Aldgate, and available for viewing by suitable persons. Our article on the church does not mention it. Is it still there? Can one still see it? DuncanHill (talk) 01:59, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Apparently it was later sealed in the church's vault, but was removed in 1990 and buried in the churchyard: .  There seems some disagreement over whether it could plausibly have been the duke's head. Warofdreams talk 05:11, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks (can't read the second link). It seems a shame one can't go and have a look at it any more. DuncanHill (talk) 14:41, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Here is an old photograph of the head to assuage your disappointment. He hasn't aged well. Alansplodge (talk) 22:25, 11 January 2018 (UTC)
 * That reminds me of Will Cuppy's assessment of archaeologists' assessment of the mummy of Khufu/Cheops: "They all agreed he had not been a well man. (He looked awful.)" ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 13:15, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * A slightly more concise report of the head's interment is at LONDON ARCHAEOLOGIST 1990 vol 6.10:
 * "St Botolph, Aldgate T Q 3358 8120 (Julian Ayre, Sean O’Connor) SAB87. Excavations took place between April and July 1990 inside a crypt at the S end of the church of St Botolph-without-Aldgate, before conversion of the crypt into offices... This [earlier] crypt was filled with burials and sealed in the 19th c, except for the later interment of a head, reputedly that of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, executed in 1554. The excavators recovered this head and the parish reinterred it in the churchyard".
 * I imagine they put up a headstone ...--Wehwalt (talk) 00:18, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * And the boy wins a cigar! ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 13:13, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * I have now added this information to both articles. Alansplodge (talk) 12:46, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Thank you Alansplodge, Warofdreams, and Wehwalt. DuncanHill (talk) 13:52, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Finally. another picture of the head is at A History of the Minories, London (p. 351) by Edward Murray Tomlinson, the last vicar of Holy Trinity. I'm not sure that it's his best side. Alansplodge (talk) 16:47, 12 January 2018 (UTC)
 * I have added that last image to Henry's article. If anybody thinks that bad taste has exceeded morbid curiosity, feel free to take it down again. Alansplodge (talk) 21:15, 12 January 2018 (UTC)