Comments on: Kirby’s Eccentric Museum https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/01/12/kirbys-eccentric-museum/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Mon, 14 Jan 2019 10:50:38 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Steve Hanscomb https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/01/12/kirbys-eccentric-museum/#comment-1251742 Mon, 14 Jan 2019 10:50:38 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=171796#comment-1251742 Great article. I live a few miles from where the Hermit in the first picture lived (Dinton, rather than Denton) and there is a curious tale connected with why he was a hermit.
His name was John Bigg and lived from 1629 to 1696. The story goes that he was possibly the executioner of King Charles the first. His friend, the MP Simon Mayne lived at Dinton Hall and was one of the MP’s who signed Charles’s death warrant. When the monarchy was restored, Mayne was sentenced to death for his part in the execution, but died in the Tower of London before his appeal was heard.
John Bigg, fearing a similar fate, or feeling remorse at his part in the death of the king, became the hermit, living in a cave under Dinton Hall.
He began to make his own clothes, mostly from leather. He would take donations of food, but only ever asked for scraps of leather, which he used to repair his hand made shoes. These shoes eventually made their way into the Ashmolian Museum in Oxford, where they remain to this day.

]]> By: Caroline Murray https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/01/12/kirbys-eccentric-museum/#comment-1251305 Sat, 12 Jan 2019 11:39:02 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=171796#comment-1251305 This reminds me of another collector of the ‘wonderful’: https://bit.ly/2D5qxqp

]]> By: Mathilde Grange https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/01/12/kirbys-eccentric-museum/#comment-1251295 Sat, 12 Jan 2019 10:25:31 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=171796#comment-1251295 Fantastic, fabulkous collection. Thanks.

]]> By: Jill Wilson https://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/01/12/kirbys-eccentric-museum/#comment-1251289 Sat, 12 Jan 2019 09:07:25 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=171796#comment-1251289 Excellent stuff! I particularly love Mademoiselle Lefort and think the Signora Josephine looks a bit ‘trans’ too..

]]>