ST JOHN’S TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD (From Worcester News)

ST JOHN’S TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD

9:40am Tuesday 11th December 2007 in Community

St John's Townswomen's Guild held their Harvest Supper meeting in October and enjoyed a beetle drive after the meal.

This month we were pleased to welcome a new member and also the return of two members who had been unwell.

The walking group enjoyed good weather for their walks to the Knapp and along the river at Upton.

Dr Katherine Lack kept the whole meeting enthralled with her illustrated talk about the Worcester Cockleshell Pilgrim. She explained that the fully clothed 15th century pilgrim was found with his staff buried near to one of the pillars of the tower in the Cathedral in 1987. Apparently, this find is unique because nowhere in Europe has a pilgrim been so perfectly preserved. Dr Lack surmised from her extensive research that he probably completed his journey to Compostela in Spain around 1450.

The pilgrim was clothed in a simple tunic and a well-preserved travelling cape. His knee boots were of leather and showed a lot of wear. His staff was of ash with a double prong at the bottom, which would have been used as a weapon against wild animals, and a help in crossing rough terrain or rivers. Instead of the traditional scallop shell worn by pilgrims of that time, our Worcester pilgrim carried a cockleshell.

Strangely the staff was painted purple - a very rare dye at that time so the pilgrim was probably an affluent dyer. From research, Robert Sutton, of Worcester, was such a man. He was well-known in Worcester, lived opposite St Andrew's Church, and in his will be asked to be buried in the cathedral. He also left money for new vaulting in St Andrew's church spire, which can be seen to this day.

Dr Lack's book The Cockleshell Pilgrim is a wonderful story of the probable journey undertaken by pilgrims at the time he lived. Her slides gave an insight into the type of countryside, the places where pilgrims could stay and the type of food they needed. Pilgrims encountered many hazards on their long journeys and it is amazing how many returned to their homes.

The whole evening was most enjoyable and we now realise what a wonderful heritage we have in the long history of Worcester and its people.

The next meeting of the Guild will be on Thursday, January 17, at 7.30pm in Bromyard Road Methodist Church Hall when John Walton will give a talk entitled Morocco - The Land Of The Berber. Visitors are most welcome to join us.