‘A Yorkshire Tragedy’

What to post about today? It’s either feast or famine. Could I muse misty-eyed about the feast day of a venerated Roman soldier who was born in Turkey of Greek stock and who (probably) never set foot in England and (also probably) never slew a dragon.

Or I could celebrate the birthday in 1564 of the Bard. Or remember his death on his 52nd birthday in 1616.

But whilst on Shakespeare, another play the great man was once thought to have penned is ‘A Yorkshire Tragedy’, which tells the true story of Walter Calverley who, on this day in 1605, murdered his two young sons, and seriously wounded his wife, in a drunken frenzy¹Shakespeare, William. A yorkshire tragedy. By Shakespear. Printed by R. Walker, next the White Horse-Inn in Fleet-Streeet, M.DCC.XXXV. [1735]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CW0114631211/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=GDCS&xid=03f817ef&pg=1. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.²Wikipedia Contributors. “A Yorkshire Tragedy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Yorkshire_Tragedy. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021..

Calverley was an English squire, who lived at Calverley Hall, between Leeds and Bradford, and was arrested on his way to murder another son, a baby who was with his nanny³Wikipedia Contributors. “Walter Calverley.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Calverley. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021..

At his trial in York, Calverley refused to enter a plea, and was pressed to death by having heavy stones placed on his chest until he suffocated. His refusal to enter a plea meant he would avoid forfeiture of his property, and his heirs would still inherit his estate. If he was executed his property would go to the Crown. The practice was abolished in 1772⁴Wikipedia Contributors. “Crushing (Execution).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crushing_(execution)#Crushing_under_common_law. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021..

The story inspired several works of literature, including ‘A Yorkshire Tragedy’ which was attributed to William Shakespeare. Nowadays, the academic consensus using “stylistic analysis” is that this is incorrect and the actual author of the play is likely to have been Thomas Middleton, a fellow Elizabethan playwright⁵Wikipedia Contributors. “Thomas Middleton.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Middleton. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021..

Today’s photo is of Sheepwash in Crabdale, a popular honey pot. The track is High Lane (the old drove road). It has recently been ungraded making it far easier to drive for anyone with a 4WD vehicle. I have always thought this was a byway open to all traffic but a sign says motor vehicles are prohibited.

• 1
  Shakespeare, William. A yorkshire tragedy. By Shakespear. Printed by R. Walker, next the White Horse-Inn in Fleet-Streeet, M.DCC.XXXV. [1735]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CW0114631211/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=GDCS&xid=03f817ef&pg=1. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.
• 2
  Wikipedia Contributors. “A Yorkshire Tragedy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Yorkshire_Tragedy. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.
• 3
  Wikipedia Contributors. “Walter Calverley.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Calverley. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.
• 4
  Wikipedia Contributors. “Crushing (Execution).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crushing_(execution)#Crushing_under_common_law. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.
• 5
  Wikipedia Contributors. “Thomas Middleton.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Middleton. Accessed 23 Apr. 2021.