Читать книгу Haunted Britain and Ireland: Over 100 of the Scariest Places to Visit in the UK and Ireland - Derek Acorah - Страница 44

Red Lion Square, in the West End, is said to be haunted by three famous parliamentarians: Oliver Cromwell, John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton. They were all involved in sentencing King Charles I to death at the end of the Civil War. Bradshaw was president of the trial and was afterwards appointed Permanent President of the Council of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by Cromwell. Cromwell himself became Lord Protector and his son-in-law Henry Ireton was appointed Lord Deputy.

After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, a court was appointed to try those regicides who were still alive. Ten were found guilty and were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. Ireton had died in 1651, Cromwell in 1658 and Bradshaw in 1659, but they were all posthumously tried for high treason, found guilty and also sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. In January 1661 their corpses were exhumed from Westminster Abbey, dragged to the gallows at Tyburn, hung in chains and decapitated. The decomposing heads were then displayed on poles outside Westminster Hall, while the rest of their remains were thrown into a pit in a field. This has since become Red Lion Square and the ghostly parliamentarians have been seen walking across it, deep in conversation.

See also Oliver Cromwell’s House at Ely, page 41.

Red Lion Square, London WCIR