September 25, 2009 Winchester Geese – Shrine to the Outcast Dead.
After our last concert in London I stayed for a week more in London. While I was on the train from Bermondsey to London Bridge, I was pointed to the left by my host and friend, Llywelyn. It was a regular building site grey and ugly, nothing special.
He said that’s the Crossbones Graveyard where the Winchester Geese were burried. I looked a bit puzzled, and wondered, as it looked nothing like a burial site.
As it turns out, the place was used to buried the outlaws, people that could not be burried into consecrated ground from an unknown time in the Middle Ages. Being outcase, prostitutes were burried here too, ones that were apparently licensed by the Bishop of Winchester. Church always knew what business was. Then, in 1853 it was closed down “completely overcharged with dead,’ and further burials were deemed “inconsistent with a due regard for the public health and public decency.” And then in 1883 they sold it as a building site, used it as a fairground and now, now it is nothing. Locals are trying to get a permanent memorial for the 15000 people still lying underground. Right now they have a plaque and the gate is full of ribbons and notes of people of goodwill.
This whole story touched me very deeply. Partly because, as you know, for a very brief period of my life I used to be the part of the clergy, partly, well. Just because.
When I got home, I got a new piece of music by our harpist, Feri, and the lyrics I wrote, well it’s about the Winchester Geese. It’ll be interesting to see whether this song will ever be used or it will be burried in the Crossbones, too.
RIP The Outcast dead.
(All quotes are from Wikipedia, pictures are by myself)
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