The Martyrdom of St Edmund

The Mediaeval wallpaintings at Pickering church date from around 1450-1460, but, as part of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, they were covered over and forgotten until their accidental rediscovery during repairs to plasterwork in 1852. Due to a dispute between the then Vicar, Rev. F. Ponsonby, who disapproved, and the Archbishop, who favoured them, the wallpaintings were once more covered over, this time with a coat of whitewash. In 1876, the Rev G.H. Lightfoot decided to remove the whitewash and start the process of restoring the wallpaintings to their former splendour. The wallpaintings tell many of the stories of early martyrdom and the saints, as well the life of Jesus and Mary. The one reproduced above is the Martyrdom of St. Edmund, who was born in 840, and was King of East Anglia at the age of 14. In 869 the invading Viking army defeated Edmund's forces at Hoxne: the Danish commander offered to let Edmund remain as King if he renounced his Christian religion, which Edmund refused to do. On 20th November, 870, Edmund was martyred. He was stripped, tied to a tree, shot with arrows and later beheaded. The inscription to the right of the wallpainting reads: "Heaven blys to hys mede, Hem sall have for his gud ded" (Heavenly bliss is his reward for his good deed). Page designed by & copyright of Yobunny 2003