Will you hear a Spanish Lady,
How an English man she woo'd.
Tho' he held her as his captive,
Ever gentle was his mood.
Tho' by birth and parentage of high degree
Much she wept when orders came to set her free.
"Gallant captain, shew some mercy
To a lady in distress,
Leave me not within this city,
I shall die of heaviness;
'Tis an empty mockery to set me free
While my heart in prison still remains with thee...etc
Sometimes you don't have to travel far to find a good story. This tiny, greenstone and chalk church is about two miles from our village. It is surrounded by horse paddocks, with a manor house right next door, and a handful of cottages dotted around. The church is still a place of occasional worship. Luckily for me it is left unlocked, so I was able to explore it at my leisure.
This is one of the tales it has to tell...
The year was 1594 when a force of 150 ships and some 8000 soldiers set sail from England, their aim was to lay siege to the Spanish Navy in the port of Cadiz. Among the soldiers was Sir John Bolle of Lincolnshire, a captain in the army of the Tudor Queen Elizabeth I. John Bolle was 34 years old, handsome, and chivalrous, a gentle man.
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| image of Sir John Bolle borrowed from flickr |
The Spanish fleet was destroyed and the town was taken.
Hostages were seized, and among those prisoners assigned to the care of John Bolle was an exceptionally beautiful young woman of noble birth and great wealth, thought to be Donna Leonora Oviedo.
During the 13 days of the siege John Bolle treated her with such courtesy and kindness that she fell deeply in love with him, although, (so the story goes) he remained faithful to his wife.
Upon her release, beautiful Donna Leonora threw herself at his feet, professed her love and begged to be allowed to travel with him to England. John Bolle explained that he had a wife and family waiting in England.
Heartbroken, Donna Leonora presented him with many gifts, including jewels for his wife, a bed and bed coverings, caskets of plate, and a portrait of herself wearing a green dress and black veil. Donna Leonora then took herself off to a nunnery, where she spent the remainder of her days...
This sad story has been retold in the ballad 'The Spanish Layde's Love' which was composed shortly after the fleet returned...(see top tab).
John Bolle and his family lived at Thorpe Hall in Louth...much altered and added to over the centuries.
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| Image of Thorpe Hall borrowed from allseasonsuk.co.uk |
The gifts which Donna Leonora showered upon Sir John were brought back to Thorpe Hall. Unfortunately the portrait was sold many years ago, but Louth museum purchased a beautiful red velvet coverlet, with silver lace borders, which is said to have been among the gifts. Sir John's family is said to have felt her presence at the Hall and his heir, Sir Charles Bolle always had an extra place set at the dinner table for her.
It is still said that the 'Green Lady' haunts Thorpe Hall, she is supposed to sit near a particular tree in the grounds, waiting for her love.
Sir John Bolle died in 1606, aged 46 years. He is buried in this little church, along with other members of the Bolle family.
The manor house next door was built in the mid 1500's, it was the home of the Bolle family until the much grander Thorpe Hall was built.
St Leonard's Church has its origins in the 10th century, although there have been many alterations and additions since. These days it is suffering badly. Great chunks of plaster have fallen from the walls, green damp marks are everywhere, there are lots of bird and bat droppings inside and it feels neglected. I'll post about it another time.
What a lovely tale of historical romance! Fascinating. Jx
ReplyDeleteHello Jan, I'm glad you enjoyed it too. These little stories are yet another reason why I love our quiet country churches.
Deletehow lovely to learn something new about somewhere so close to home. Lovely post x
ReplyDeleteHello Dom, Isn't it surprising - I've always thought it was a cute building, but hadn't a clue about the story. During Bluebell week I think they do tea and cakes in an effort to raise funds.
DeleteGosh, that's 'Stockholm syndrome' gone crazy!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Hello Jane, I prefer to think of it as an historical romance!
DeleteI love these tales of love lost, but how gallant was John to stay faithful to his wife! What history you have near by to enjoy, XOXO
ReplyDeleteHello Susan, I have passed this little church so often - admiring the horses as well as the church building but knowing nothing of the romantic story. The other day I had time on my hands and took myself off for a peaceful wander round it - you can imagine my delight as I read the story on the pin board and then followed it up with some research of my own. I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing about it.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing these stories! I hope the church can be saved.
ReplyDeleteHello Mitch, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I saw you on the Spanish news clip - so handsome, so fluent, so brave! (I avoid cameras at all costs!)
DeleteHow intense. How short Sir John's life. An how much more interesting your story than from a guide book.
ReplyDeleteHello Joanne, He had a short but adventurous life. You can imagine what fun I have had imagining him riding out past our village, all those years ago. A few snippets here and there, plus the power of Google, helped to pull the story together. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteIf the green lady stayed behind in Spain, I wonder how her ghost managed to get to England. It does makes for a fine romantic tale though. It's a shame the little church is falling down. Too many old buildings are left to fall into ruin when they could have been saved.
ReplyDeleteHello Ms Sparrow, The power of love, I guess! I think the basic structure of the church is sound, thank goodness. Last year was exceptionally wet and I think either the roof leaked, or the drainage system couldn't cope, hence the creeping damp and falling plaster. It has become a mausoleum for the Bolle family, I suppose. Sir John's line died out in the 1700's.
DeleteI have never seen such a tiny and pretty church...how many people can it actually hold?
ReplyDeleteHello John, I'm so glad you like it too. I think there is seating available for perhaps 36 people, and possibly standing room for 10 more...so it is small. The walls are painted yellow ochre, as they would have been - unfortunately the wet weather and damp means that they are now discoloured with green and black patches of damp. Such a shame.
DeleteA lovely little church and a great story too. Love your new Header.
ReplyDeleteHello Molly, It is a gorgeous little church in a lovely setting - doubly beautiful because of the pampered horses who live in the paddocks round the manor house. I just love these little country churches!
DeleteA tragic but beautiful love story. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHello Bonnie, Such a sad story, but you can imagine how surprised I was to find out about it - and the fact that Sir John is buried within the church so close to where we live. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteThose ancient single, or two, cell country churches are wonderful. If only all conquerors treated their prisoners so well!
ReplyDeleteHello Cro, They really are wonderful places. Lincolnshire has over 600 churches, I have barely begun working through them. Sir John Bolle must have been quite a gentleman.
DeleteRomance, honour and sadness...you are surrounded by so much history. It makes a dramatic story. You wrote it well!
ReplyDeleteHello Lavender Dreamer, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the story. These little church buildings are a delight in themselves, but it was a bonus to find out about Sir John.
DeleteWhat a sweet, sad story! It's always SOOOO interesting when you give us a bit of history! Loved the photos as well!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a restoration project is in order.
ReplyDelete