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Baronet unearths remains of English Civil War soldier on his estate complete with helmet... but there's no sign of his head
- Sir Benjamin Slade found bones while digging driveway to clear drain
- Soldier, probably a Roundhead, buried in grounds of his home in Somerset
- 17th century fighter was 'caught trespassing and executed'
By Nick Enoch
PUBLISHED:05:40 EST, 1 April 2013| UPDATED:05:41 EST, 1 April 2013
An aristocrat was shocked to find an unusual obstacle while digging up the grounds of his estate to clear a blocked drain - the remains of a soldier from the English Civil War.
Sir Benjamin Slade made the grisly discovery under the driveway of his family pile, the 13th century Maunsel House near Bridgwater, Somerset.
He believes the human bones, found encrusted with clay along with tattered clothes and a rusted helmet, belong to a murdered Roundhead.
Sir Benjamin Slade with the English Civil War helmet he dug up in the grounds of his 13th century estate near Bridgwater, Somerset. He had been digging under his driveway to clear a blocked drain
One theory is that after fleeing a battle during the war, waged from 1642 to 1651, the soldier was caught trespassing by Sir Benjamin's ancestors, ardent Royalists, and executed
And despite unearthing the lobster tailed helmet, worth around £5,000, the man's skull was nowhere to be seen.
The baronet, who hires out his estate in the village of North Newton for weddings, reckoned the unfortunate soldier's head may also be buried somewhere on his property.
One theory is that after fleeing a battle during the war, waged from 1642 to 1651, he was caught trespassing by Sir Benjamin's ancestors, ardent Royalists, and executed.
Speaking to the Sunday Express, Sir Benjamin - whose ancestor Richard Maunsel was killed by Roundhead troops under the command of Oliver Cromwell - said: 'Nobody knows what happened to him because he died nearly 400 years ago.
'There are some records but they are slim and obviously my ancestors were not going to advertise what happened to this poor chap.
Roundheads march victorious past fallen Royalists after the English Civil War's final Battle of Worcester in a modern-day re-enactment
'Maybe he had a heart attack and fell down a hole but I very much doubt it. I'm not aware of this land ever being a battleground so perhaps he came here and wasn't welcomed by my Royalist ancestors and killed.'
When he first made the find, Sir Benjamin - whose ancestors also fought in the Crimean War and had links to Horatio Nelson - had hoped there would be some form of gold or other treasure.
But after giving the remains a thorough cleaning with WD40 spray, none was found.
Keith Hartwell, a military consultant with Mullocks Auctioneers in Shropshire, believed the discovery was genuine.
He said: 'It was found near some of the Civil War battle areas. I'd say it was an escaping Cromwellian but it seems he may have been unlucky to bump into Royalists.'
ENGLAND DIVIDED: A NATION DESCENDS INTO CIVIL WAR
When King Charles I took the throne in 1625, his reign was met with almost immediate murmurs of discontent
When King Charles I took the throne in 1625, his reign was met with almost immediate murmurs of discontent.
His was a style of governance defined by religious dogma and a stubborn opposition to parliamentary rule.
This bred feelings of alienation and deep mistrust in pockets of England, while in Scotland tensions with the English boiled over into bloody conflict.
The embattled king was forced to form a parliament in 1640, and within this a vocal and highly critical Puritan faction began to grow.
When a violent Catholic rebellion broke out in Ireland, disagreements over how to respond split England in two, and in 1642 the English Civil War broke out.
The Royalists, based largely in the north and west, fought for the king, while the Roundheads, also known as Parliamentarians, came mainly from the south and east.
They took their nickname from their preference for closely cropped hair, which set them apart from the ringlets of courtly Royalists.
The battles that followed saw Charles's forces, bolstered by the Welsh and Cornish, clash with a Roundhead army swollen with Londoners.
The Royalists looked to be on the brink of victory in 1643, until their enemies joined forces with the Scots.
In 1644, the king's men suffered a crushing defeat at Marston Moor, North Yorkshire, effectively conceding the north. A further loss at Naseby, Northamptonshire, was the final nail in the coffin.
The king gave himself up to the Scots and they promptly passed him on to their Roundhead allies, who were in the early stages of establishing a republican regime.
He was executed in 1649, but not before inciting further clashes known as the Second Civil War.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302239/Baronet-unearths-remains-English-Civil-War-soldier-estate-complete-helmet--sign-head.html#ixzz2PFPlXWr4
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