It was my mother’s sixtieth birthday yesterday so a few of us went to Hever Castle for a day out. We stumbled across a book open in one of the rooms showing Anne Boleyn’s aunt, Lady Mary Henegham, who it turns out is my ancestor. Apparently we were still loaded and living in Norfolk until another one of my family was executed for regicide in 1648. I guess it doesn’t help your 17th century credit rating. If you knew my Dad, click on the link and you’ll see the likeness. What do you guys think? Does she look a bit like me? [Comments please]. Also saw some terrible chairs, the kind the author should be put in shackles for. Ping* and I went to the V&A last weekend to look at chinese chairs for my next sculpture. Much better.
Which reminds me, we had to postpone the Westminster show by one month for reasons of paperwork and publicity. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. I had a dream that ‘the skull of John the Baptist as a twelve year old boy‘ [click on ‘fundament’ image to the right] crumbled and needed rebuilding. This is not true. Actually I’m in the unusual pre-show position of having all my work ready to install over a month before!
Matt Hornby
According to http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk, William Heveningham was one of the judges at King Charles’ trial but refused to sign the death warrant. So he escaped execution at the Restoration, but, as you say, it would hardly help the family credit rating. I’ve copied the details below. (Remember that according to the Julian calendar then in use, the regicide took place in 1648, but according to the Gregorian calendar we use it was 1649!)
William Heveningham, Regicide, 1604-78
A Norfolk gentleman and Member of Parliament, he was active in the administration of East Anglia for Parliament during the civil wars. In January 1649, Heveningham was appointed a commissioner on the High Court of Justice for the trial of King Charles. Although he attended every session of the trial, he refused to sign the King’s death warrant. During the Commonwealth and Protectorate, he bought up many properties confiscated from the Church and from Royalists, and also speculated in buying army debentures. He was a member of the Council of State in 1649 and 1650.
Heveningham was probably the first of the regicides to surrender to the authorities at the Restoration in 1660. He was brought to trial in October 1660, found guilty of treason for his part in the King’s trial and sentenced to death. However, he successfully petitioned for mercy, claiming that he had tried to prevent the King’s execution, had opposed Cromwell’s tyranny and had contributed £500 to Booth’s Uprising in 1659. He was imprisoned at Windsor Castle, where he remained until his death in 1678.
[Updated: 4 August 2005]
David
Matt you are an absolute star! As usual coming up with the goods. I was looking for something in my inbox to make my day; I found it.