Coincidences in life - Holy Blood Holy Grail & Charles Radcliffe
Posted by Carol_Noble at 11:37, 23 Sep 2008Recently, I was reminded of the many things that have had an effect on my life, which I have remembered or encountered. Many of them seem almost like a long set of coincidences.
My husband and I have always been interested in unusual things as many unusual things happened to us when we were younger.
Recently, I have been looking at the Shugborough Monument, whereby a carving of the Pouisson Painting (mirror image and with modifications) is stood. There are letters carved below which everyone thinks is a code and many have tried to decipher over the centuries.
My husband had mentioned to me about a link he had found between that monument and a quatrain in the Nostradamus Book, regarding two of the letters. I asked about this and he got out the Holy Blood & Holy Grail book and showed me a picture of the monument, along with the quatrain in the Nostradamus book of prophecies which we possess. He was right about the quatrain apparently referring to this monument, but as Nostradamus wrote his quatrain BEFORE the monument was made and before Poussin did his painting, was this prophecy on Nostradamus's part, or someone determined to make the quatrain come true? I don't know.
But then I looked at the Holy Blood Holy Grail book again and spotted the list of so-called Grand Masters of the Priory de Sion. Now I know that official historians say the Priory de Sion doesn't exist and that the papers mentioned in the book are a hoax, but I was surprised to notice that one of the Grand Masters was said to be Charles Radcliffe. When I first read this list the name meant little to me, but I work for a man who is also a Trustee and presently Chairman of a charity called, North Pennines Heritage Trust, and they have two sites, one of which is Dilston Castle & Chapel, in the north of England. This used to be owned by the Radcliffe/Radclyffe family, and Charles Radcliffe was the brother of the Earl of Derwentwater - James Radcliffe - who was beheaded after the Jacobite Rebellion in 1715. Charles Radcliffe apparently was in Newgate Prison after that rebellion, having been caught amongst a lot of the ordinary participants, and he later escaped to the continent with the help of his cousin, the Earl of Lichfield, whose family did own the Shugborough Residence at that time. It later was owned by the Anson family who raised the monument to commemorate one of their deceased relations.
Charles Radcliffe is said to have been involved in Freemasonry, and set up some lodges in France, as well as being involved with the Scottish Rite Freemasonry. He was also a known Jacobite supporter. Eventually, he was caught when he tried to help Bonnie Prince Charlie return to England's throne, and was eventually beheaded, instead of hung drawn and quartered because he styled himself the Earl of Derwentwater after his brother's death, and he was a grandson of Charles II as his mother had been an illegitimate child of that monarch, Lady Mary Tudor.
I was also fortunate to be able to decipher some old papers relating to the Radcliffe family, which as yet are not in the public domain. This was from a period BEFORE Charles Radcliffe was born yet this has all emphasised to me the importance of the Radcliffe family in the north of England. I would add that they were strong catholics at a time when catholics were hated in this country, the 1600s/1700s.
Under recent archaeological works at Dilston it is known that the ruined chapel was on the site of a previous chapel, one dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. As the Holy Blood Holy Grail were concentrating on the story of Mary Magdelene I find it a big coincidence that this earlier chapel had been dedicated to this particular person. I also find it strange that she was ever made a saint, especially as the catholic church has for centuries prortrayed her as a "whore".
There are also masonic symbols on some of the stone work of the chapel. It is hard to know if these were made during the newer chapels formation, or whether they had been part of the previous chapel and the stones recycled in the new one. But they would have been visible to the young Charles Radcliffe so perhaps they influenced his stance on freemasonry.
Since researching further, I have found that it is suggested that a royal person called Edwin had first formed a Masonic Lodge in England. Some put it to the brother of King Athelstan, from around the 900s. Others suggest that it may have been the King Edwin of Northumbria in the 7th Century. Whichever, the idea of a group of operative masons has been around a long long time! Northumbria at one time included the area of Dilston.
I have been interested in the history of my local area/region for some years. I have also been interested in the 1600s/1700s as I think this was a fascinating time, especially in the north of England.
Why I should have returned to this time period is a bit of a mystery because it came about unexpectedly, but I am researching once more into this and Charles Radcliffe is one person I will look at in more detail.
Any assistance in this would be appreciated!
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Comments
27 February 2011
49 weeks 2 days
Hello! I am wondering if you have completed more research? I too became fascinated with Dilston & Radcliffe by way of Anya Seton's DEVIL WATER when I was only 11. When I saw his name listed as one of the Grand Masters 40+ yrs later, I felt my life-long obsession (from across the pond) was somehow validated. Now, in continuing to study Mary Magdalene (another life-long passion), I 'find' your blog entry about Dilston Chapel which has quite shocked me. I am very interested to learn more. There are no coincidences. peace,
~lavinia~
3 June 2008
8 weeks 5 days
I am glad you found my entry of interest. I say that the points I made may be coincidence because people are determined to say most unusual things are nothing but coincidences. As it happens I don't believe in coincidences at all, only omens, signs, guidance, and precognition.
But I have to admit that recently I have been thinking about the Holy Blood Holy Grail again, and the work I did on the Radcliffe Papers. I have no new knowledge as such although I do intend to further my research later. My health has not been too good so I have been trying to do all I can to improve that.
I would add that I have been reading a book written in the early 19th century about Windsor Castle by W Harrison Ainsworth. It is about the time of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Although it recounts events like a fiction story, there are many points raised about the history of the castle which demonstrate he had thoroughly researched his story. One of the things that surprised me was such early confirmation of the fact that in the time of Richard the Lionheart he had given part of the government of England - the north - to the Bishop of Durham, Hugh Pudsery. The rest of the country was given to William Longchamp the Bishop of Ely. I already knew that Ely had captured and imprisoned Durham and forced the latter to give up the power the king had given him. This confirmation from an early source was welcome but I had not known that Windsor Castle had been given to Durham for his use, and that Ely insisted on getting control of that castle. The book had been found in a market place and was only 2 pounds to buy. It has no date but subsequent research indicates that it may have been written around 1842 as the author later had to buy the copyright of his early works of which this book was but one.
Now that I live in Co Durham, near the North Pennines, I am learning more about the area, and I think it is important to gain as much knowledge as possible about the area. My present limited knowledge will be added to, and when I do learn it I will make contact via this blog.
I would also like to thank Fahim Knight for his email regarding your recent post.
What I did learn when I tried to decipher the papers was how the process of writing in the 17th century changed throughout the century. I also learned that not all women could write as many made their mark; there were even some documents which were preprinted receipt forms with spaces for variable data to be entered by hand. There was only one document from the later period relating to James Radcliffe. After his execution the tenants tried to avoid paying death taxes on their land due to the monarch having executed the earl rather than have him die a natural death. The response insisted that the death taxes should be paid regardless.
For something to survive and thrive something else must die.
Carol A Noble