A FAMOUS TALE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 74, 28 March 1930, Page 16

A FAMOUS TALE

"BABES IN THE WOOD"

REAL OLD-WORLD TRAGEDY

"CKUEL UNCLE'S" DEED

John de Grey, Baron Walsingham, recently died, leaving large estates in the County of Norfolk. His family was an ancient one. But of all his. possessions and claims to distinction there'was none which he valued more highly than the fact that he owned the wood where the "Babes of the Wood" of the famous nursery and pantomime tale were left to die by their wicked uncle. One of Lord Walsingham's ancestors was, it is asserted, the, father of the unfortunate babes, and another ancestor was the unspeakable uncle. That his family were involved in the crime did not embarrass Lord Walsingham in the least, for the legend has become hallowed by the centuries. Few old stories are more familiar than "The Babes in the Wood," but it will probably come as a surprise to many, says a writer in "Tit-Bits," to hear that these children and their heartless uncle were real people, related to some of tho great families in the peerage. Lord Walsingham's principal country seat was Merton Hall, Thetford. Upon the estate is a place called Wayland Wood, ana near the wood is a very ancient house called Griston Hall, reputed to be "the cruel uncle's house." It was here, according to tradition, that the babes were left by their uncle before they were taken out by his hired ruffians into the wood to die. The locality is wild and lonely, and. one feels that an atmosphere of sorrow and mystery still haunts the place. FATE OF THE OAK TREE. The great oak, under which the dead babes were said to have been found covered with leaves, was destroyed by lightning in 1879. Many people came to gather chips from the tree. To-day visitors frequently ask permission _to cut a stick of the wood as a souvenir. The tragedy is believed to have occurred about 1562, soon after tho reign of Henry VIII., who had close relations with the de Grey family. The story was first published in 1595 under tho title, "Babes in the Wood," with the sub-titio, "The Norfolk Gent, His Will and Testament and Howe he Cummytted the Keeping of His Children to His Owne. Brother, Who Delte Most Wickedly with Them and howe God Plagued Him for It." In the original version the name of the father was given as Arthur Truelove, obviously an invention. According to tradition he was a member of the Je Grey family. The author dared not venture to make ' dangerous statements about the powerful de' Grey family under their right name v The boy was called Cassauder, and the girl Jane, a name that was beginning to be fashionable in Henry VIII.'s reign. It was unknown in early English history, when the form used was Joan. The popularity of Jane was perhaps due to Jane Seymour, who boru tho only son of Henry VIII. A few years later the name gained more favour through sympathy felt for the unhappy Lady Jane Grey. Tho first Jane.., mentioned iv tho de Grey pedigree was Jane Bennett, who lived about 1560, and was the wife of William dc Grey, who owned Griston Hall, Merton, "the Wicked Uncle's bouse." She was presumably the mother of the babes. . The story is that tho Norfolk gentleman died as a young man, leaviug a son, aged three, and a daughter, aged two. Their mothor died at nearly tho same time, and the two children were placed in a dangerous position in that turbulent age. To each :hild the father left a handsome fortune, but he provided that if they died during their minority the money was to go to their uncle. The dying father entrusted the two children to the ere of his brother with solemn and earnest prayers to protect them. Soon after his brother's death the uncle hired two rufiians to murder the children. IN WAYLAND WOOD. One of the men relented and quarrelled with the othe*, whom he killed. The survivor, instead of murdering the children, left thorn-iii- WuyJand Wood, a gloomy place, where little children might, easily be lost. They wandered about, trying to satisfy their hunger with'blackberries, the .iuiee of which they mistook for blood. Finally they died at night of cold and terror." The story was put in ballad form soon after its first publication. According to a passage in the ballad, the robin red-breasts covered the children with leaves. After describing the tragedy, the narrative goes on to toll how everything went wrong with the uncle after hiswicked deed: —-~ ■•• ■" ' His barns were fired, his goods consumed, , His cattle died within tho field, ! And nothing with him staid. | The uncle's two sons deserted him' and went privateering in the Spanish Main. In the end— ; He pawned and mortgaged all his' land, Ere seven years camo about. The bad man was thrown in prison, tor debt, and there died iv misery. Before he died the ruffian he had employed and who. left tho children iv the wood confessed. The ballad concludes with a warning to those who are maae guardians of fatherless children to be faithful to their trust; . ' . i "THE WICKED UNCLE." It has now been, proved that there was at about this time a Robert de Grey who was much hated and got into many mysterious' difficulties. There 'is little doubt that he was the model for "the Wicked Uncle." The reconds show that Eamuna de Grey bought Griston Hall in 1541. ; The little boy's uncle was Robertjdo Grey, to whom the estate would descaad in case the life owner died without children. There had been a quarrel between Robert and his older brother, William, who nevertheless entrusted his children to him and loft him a legacy on condition, as his will of 1562 says, "that ho confesseth he hath offended me." i An oia document states that the little boy was lost unaccountably whilo on a visit to a relative. This fact <was perhaps embellished with romantic and tragic details to make up the popular story and ballad. Tho facts prove that Robert do G'rcy was much disliked among tho country people, both because ho was suspected of doing away with this nephew and for other reasons. He was several times imprisoned in Norwich, and in London, and was heavily fined. .• lie died a bankrupt. From tho time of his death the 'tragic legend became fixed on Wayland 'Wood. Robert de Grey, "the' Wicked Uncle," abandoned Griston Hull as his residence and set about1 rebuilding Merton. Hall, which is still the chief Feat of the de Greys. "The fact remains that the legend has boon passed down from generation to generation, and in tho summer time this wood is visited by many anxious to sec the spot -vhere the Wicked Uncle lost the 'Babes in the .Vood'and to view the old louse in which he lived," said tho present Lord Walsingham. "It has a groat fascination for children,

and older persons are nearly as much interested in it."

Merton Hall has also many strange legends connected with it. An ancient castle stood on the spot long before "the Wicked Uncle?' began the present building with his presumably ill-gotten wealth. A HAUNTED SPOT. Merton Park is a place alleged to be haunted by ghosts and goblins, witches and fairies. Eecently there was found here a human skeleton without a head buried with ancient coins and weapons. It is supposed that this was some unfortunate member of the family whose head had been removed on the block and whose body, alone could be recovered. Some people declare- that the headless ghost haunts the park at night calling for its lost head. The lives of two children sceni but a trifle in all the bloodshed and tragedies that have happened in this historic region, but the art of an old country ballad writer has made their story immortal. «_^__________