Jenkes Flashcards
In 1577…
Rowland Jenkes was a Roman Catholic book seller. Having been accused of spreading anti-protestant propaganda, and insulting the protestant Queen Elizabeth I, he was sent to gaol to await trial for, and I quote, having a foul and saucy mouth
Jenkes was found…
guilty in the summer assizes and was sentenced to be pilloried by the ears. (But Tommy what is being pilloried by the ears) I hear you ask. So what would happen is the guard standing opposite the prisoner in the pillory would grab the top of the prisoners ear, attach a nail to it and BANG! He would go through the same process with the other ear
However, just because…
the pillory is located in this cell doesn’t mean that’s where Jenkes would be based, no no. He would be out in the streets of Oxford for all to see. The public walking past would even throw grim objects at Jenkes including mud, stones and even rats. As a prisoner myself I will give you all the opportunity to throw rats at me
So back to the story…
when Jenkes learnt of his fate, he spread a violent curse on the court. On that very day, over 600 men in Oxford started to grow sick and within a week over 300 men had died
The victims included…
the high sheriff of Oxford, the magistrates, the judge, the jury and even scholars from Oxford university. What was odd was that no women, children, poor folk or prisoners died. This is despite the prison and court room being together on this site. The old court room was torn down and this became a great mystery in Oxford
Today historians…
they don’t believe in curses. They think the deaths were caused by jail fever which we know today as typhus. This likely spread as a result of overcrowding and poor sanitation in the prisons
But prisoners would…
often build up immunities to these diseases; they grew sick of course but did not always die. It is important to note that no women, children or poor folk were allowed in the courts because they were not considered important enough
So, Jenkes along with…
many other sick prisoners, went straight from the prison to the court and likely spread the jail fever which was filled with the rich and important men of Oxford. As for Rowland Jenkes he had a happier ending. He fled the country and moved to Flanders, what is known now as Belgium, to become a baker. After all, you don’t need your ears to be a baker
Historians are still…
confused as to whether Jenkes’ curse was legitimate. This is because the many men that returned to their families, doctors and servants did not pass the disease on to anyone else. The only people who perished were the men in that courtroom. Gaol fever or curse? We’ll let you be the judge. I’ve already shown the disgusting rats we have here in this cell so I think it’s about time we move to a more dignified cell. Follow me as we head next door
