William Longespee in Salisbury
Illegitimate son of Henry II of England. Was was one of the few who remained loyal to King John during the baron rebellion. Later joined the cause of John's young son, King Henry III of England
Died not long at Salisbury Castle allegedly poisoned by Hubert de Burgh. First person buried in the Cathedral
William Longespée's tomb was opened in 1791. Bizarrely, the well-preserved corpse of a rat which carried traces of arsenic, was found inside his skull. The rat is now on display in a case at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.
His numerous descendants include Kings Edward IV and Richard III, Mary, Queen of Scots, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Sir Winston Churchill, Diana, Princess of Wales, and the English queen consorts of King Henry VIII; Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.
William Longespee in Salisbury
Illegitimate son of Henry II of England. Was was one of the few who remained loyal to King John during the baron rebellion. Later joined the cause of John's young son, King Henry III of England
Died not long at Salisbury Castle allegedly poisoned by Hubert de Burgh. First person buried in the Cathedral
William Longespée's tomb was opened in 1791. Bizarrely, the well-preserved corpse of a rat which carried traces of arsenic, was found inside his skull. The rat is now on display in a case at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.
His numerous descendants include Kings Edward IV and Richard III, Mary, Queen of Scots, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Sir Winston Churchill, Diana, Princess of Wales, and the English queen consorts of King Henry VIII; Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr.