Often considered one of the greatest English Medieval Kings, Edward I was known as the
Hammer of the Scots.
He was a large and intimidating man, who inspired fear in his subordinates, and he was held
in great respect as not just a King but as a military leader and soldier.
He was responsible also for a full scale conquest of Wales, and he established English rule
and built a huge number of castles which were settled in by English people.
He was so well respected, that he was brought in to arbitrate disputes between the claimants
to the Scottish throne.
He ruled England for around 35 years, but following his death, 400 years later his remains
were tampered with, and his coffin was opened by a curious dean of Westminster Abbey.
Still today his tomb can be seen inside the abbey, but what is the story of the breaking
into the tomb of Edward I?
The death of Edward I was not a shock, and it had been coming as his health progressively
got worse over the last three years of his life.
He suffered from a painful and prolonged illness, and throughout 1306 and in the early part
of 1307 the King’s household made a number of purchases of foreign medicines, ointments
and even leather leggings to help keep away some of his problems and pains.
His legs were often dealt with and he wore compression tights also, and he also had a
neck brace made.
Edward I suffered with aching joints, which were very painful and he often also took herbal
baths and drank pomegranate wine and a cordial which was made from crushed amber, musk, pearls
and gold and silver.
His health would go up and down, and some months he would be mobile, but others he would
be carried around.
He would manage to inspect his soldiers on the border for a final campaign in Scotland,
and despite the threat of his death he refused to give in.
The final years of his life were dominated by war, in Gascony and in Scotland.
Throughout the first 7 years of the 14th century, Edward fought for control over a divided Scotland
and declared himself it’s King.
He considered Scotland part of England and his Kingdom, and he took advantage of the
squabbling Scottish barons to seize control himself.
Often there were Scottish counter revolts and this resulted in English campaigns north
of the border, but still the King was very ill.
He must have known death was on the horizon, and he continued to assault his enemies in
a brutal way.
He would have many of Robert the Bruce’s brother’s executed along with other Earls.
He even ordered Bruce’s wife daughter and sister to be hunted down and held in prisons
and convents, and two of them were even held inside cages in the rooms of Roxburgh and
Berwick Castle.
It’s even been suggested these cages were suspended over the castles walls, with exposure
plaguing the women, with the snow and rain lashing down on them, but these rumours more
than back up Edward’s brutal reputation.
Edward I was keen to bring Robert the Bruce to his knees, and at the start of July 1307
he assembled an army further north.
But the King would contract dysentry during this, and by the time the army reached Burgh
by Sands, Edward was resting in his bed.
However early the following death, Edward’s servants entered his chambers to wake up the
King, and as they lifted him from his bed, he fell back in their arms.
The English King was dead, and the news of the King’s death was kept quiet to ensure
that the enemy would not know, and that the English would not desert from his cause.
Letters were sent south to one of the oldest and most loyal earls and servants of the King,
and another letter was sent to Edward’s second wife, and following this Edward of
Carnarvon then received the news at Westminster, and he then claimed his birth right and was
crowned King Edward II.
Edward I’d body was sent south where it arrived at Waltham Abbey in Essex, and was
laid in state.
Vigils were held here and prayers were said for his body, and preparations were made for
the funeral by September.
By mid October the King’s body was moved from Waltham Abbey to the monastery of the
Holy Trinity, before it eventually went to St Pauls.
It then was moved to Westminster Abbey for the funeral, which was conducted the following
day.
A solemn ceremony was held for the King, and Edward I was laid to rest wearing his coronation
robes which included a red silk tunic, and cloth of gold on the lower garments.
A crown was placed on his head, and the sceptres were placed in his hands marking his royal
state.
He was then interred in a plain black purbeck marble tomb, and there was no ornate effigy
placed on top of it.
In the 16th century, the Inscription Edward The First Hammer of the Scots is here was
added, but the tomb was very plain despite his status.
It’s believed that this may have been at the request of Edward I himself, as there
are accounts that he had said that he wished for his body to be boiled down to bones after
his death, which would have been very rough.
This was so that his bones could then be taken on a return journey to the Holy Land on a
crusade, and this may be why the tomb was kept plain, meaning it was easy for people
to obtain his remains and body to then boil it down when the moment came.
But this showed you the true warrior spirit of Edward I.
However in 1774, Edward I’d tomb was opened by the Society of Antiquaries.
They had been given permission by the Dean of Westminster.
The stone on top of his tomb was just resting on the rest of the tomb, meaning that it was
not properly sealed and that they must have done this to allow easier access to his bones.
Inside was the King’s stone coffin which was placed ontop of a fine layer of rubble.
His body was found wrapped in a cloth which had wax soaked on the inside which was touching
the King’s skin.
The crown was still on the King’s head, but when the waxy cloth was pulled away, the
King’s body was revealed, and over his face was a decaying red silk.
The King was found to have been six feet 2 inches tall, giving Creedence to his nickname
of Longshanks, meaning tall or long limbed.
His body was incredibly preserved as the low humidity and coolness of the air had kept
Edward’s body in good condition.
This means that chances are that the remains of the other King’s and Queen’s resting
nearby in the abbey are also possibly well preserved.
Edward I’d body was found dressed in a red silk damask tunic, with a stole of thick white
tissue across his chest, which was set with gilt and semi precious stones.
He was wearing a royal mantle of Crimson Satin, and a cloth of gold lay from the waist down.
In his right hand was a sceptre with a cross of copper gilt, and in his left hand was a
5 foot rod with a white enamel dove.
As mentioned he wore a gilt metal crown, and his hands and feet were intact.
It was said of his body, ‘‘The chin and lips were entire, but without any beard; and
a sinking, or dip between the chin and the under-lip, was very conspicuous.
Both the lips were prominent; the nose short, as if shrunk; but the apertures of the nostrils
were visible.
There was an unusual fall, or cavity, on that part of the bridge of the nose which separates
the orbits of the eyes, and some globular substance possible fleshy part of the eye-balls,
was moveable in their sockets under the envelope”.
King Edward I was buried almost in the coronation robes which he may have worn when he became
King, and this is similar to what royalty wear today on their coronation.
He was a brilliant King who would be a constant thorn in the sides of the Scottish and also
the welsh, and he was a conquesting King.
However when his coffin was opened over 400 years after his death, his body was found
in a remarkable state, and with this it’s unbelievable to think that there are many
other King’s and Queens buried nearby in sealed tombs, that may be very well preserved.
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