(ORDO NEWS) — In the simple, tiny church of St Mary’s, Aldworth, there are nine stone statues of what became known as the “Aldworth Giants”, so called because they are all over 7 feet (2 meters 13 centimeters) in height and are images of members of the de la Bechet life size.
After Duke William of Normandy crossed the English Channel and captured London, his supporters followed him in search of land and wealth. Among them was the de la Bechet family.
They received numerous possessions and built two castles, one of which was in Aldworth. Although the castle no longer exists, the last descendants of this family live in the church.
The de la Bechet family was very powerful in the first half of the 14th century and many members of the family represented in the church were knights. Sir Robert, the eldest family member buried here, was knighted by King Edward I, and his grandson, Sir Philip, was Edward II’s valet and Sheriff of Berkshire and Wiltshire in 1314.
He and his sons took part in the rebellion against King Edward II in 1322. However, the opposition was defeated, but, by a lucky chance, they were captured and imprisoned for five years instead of being beheaded.
In 1327, Edward III, who was now king, released them and restored their lands and positions to them.
Sir Philip’s son Lord Nicholas became an integral part of the English Empire under Edward III. He served as steward of the province of Gascony, constable of the Tower and guardian of the first son of Edward III until his death in 1346.
While their lives were impressive, de la Bechet’s memorials are even more impressive. They fill a small church, as if reminding the audience of their larger-than-life achievements.
The first members of the family to be seen upon entering the church are Sir Robert de la Bechet, his son Sir John and John’s son Sir Philip, who are under the arched outline along the northern wall.
Sir Philip had six sons and a daughter: John, Philip, Nicholas, Edmond, Robert, Edward and Joan. In the nave of the church is an image of Philip’s first son, Sir John, as well as Sir John’s wife, Isabella, and his younger brother, Lord Nicholas de la Bechet.
Lord Nicholas’ brother, Sir Philip, and their mother, Lady Joan, lie along the south nave of the church, also under arched stone canopies.
The last surviving statue is of Lady Isabella’s son John, who died in 1340 at the age of 20. It is believed that it was at this time that the statues were created, since this family soon died out.
Although the stone monuments can still be seen today, they were vandalized during the Cromwellian regime and are therefore badly mutilated, missing limbs and other details.
The greatest damage was done to Lady Isabella and young John, who are missing their heads. One statue has disappeared completely – this is John the Ever-Afraid.
So who, pray tell, is this John Ever-Afraid? Legend has it that the magnificent stone memorials found in St. Mary’s Church actually belong to giants known as John the Long, John the Strong, John Never Fear, and John Always Fear. This explains the huge size of the statues.
If almost nothing is known about the previous three, then the legend of John Ever-Fearing is quite well-known. It says that he sold his soul to the devil for earthly riches.
According to their deal, the devil could take John’s soul after death, regardless of where he was buried – outside or inside the church. Having deceived the devil, John buried his body in the walls of the church, and his statue was placed in an alcove on the outer wall of the church.
What happened to John Forever Afraid? It is said that his body was buried under the wall, where there is an arch on the outside.
The mystery of his missing statue may never be solved, although there are theories about where it ended up. One such theory is that it was moved to St Lawrence’s Church in Hungerford.
The parade, which takes place during the summer outdoor Corn Exchange event throughout the West Berkshires, tells the story of John the Ever-Afraid.
In an Irish outdoor theater production, masked puppets take to the streets as an 18-foot giant puppet representing John the Ever-Afraid emerges from hiding. Confused after 600 years of sleep, he must elude the devil and his minions. This is a family event dedicated to the mystery surrounding this local legend.
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