_Legend of Sir Richard Baker, surnamed Bloody Baker_.--I one day was
looking over the different monuments in Cranbrook Church in Kent, when in
the chancel my attention was arrested by one erected to the memory of Sir
Richard Baker. The gauntlet, gloves, helmet, and spurs were (as is often
the case in monumental erections of Elizabethan date) suspended over the
tomb. What chiefly attracted my attention was the colour of the gloves,
which was red. The old woman who acted as my cicerone, seeing me look at
them, said, "Aye, miss, those are Bloody Baker's gloves; their red colour
comes from the blood he shed." This speech awakened my curiosity to hear
more, and with very little pressing I induced my old guide to tell me the
following strange tale.
The Baker family had formerly large possessions in Cranbrook, but in the
reign of Edward VI. great misfortunes fell on them; by extravagance and
dissipation, they gradually lost all their lands, until an old house in the
village (now used as the poor-house) was all that remained to them. The
sole representative of the family remaining at the accession of Queen Mary,
was Sir Richard Baker. He had spent some years abroad in consequence of a
duel; but when, said my informant, Bloody Queen Mary reigned, he thought he
might safely return, as he was a Papist. When he came to Cranbrook he took
up his abode in his old house; he only brought one foreign servant with
him, and these two lived alone. Very soon strange stories began to be
whispered respecting unearthly shrieks having been heard frequently to
issue at nightfall from his house. Many people of importance were stopped
and robbed in the Glastonbury woods, and many unfortunate travellers were
missed and never heard of more. Richard Baker still continued to live in
seclusion, but he gradually repurchased his alienated property, although he
was known to have spent all he possessed before he left England. But
wickedness was not always to prosper. He formed an apparent attachment to a
young lady in the neighbourhood, remarkable for always wearing a great many
jewels. He often pressed her to come and see his old house, telling her he
had many curious things he wished to show her. She had always resisted
fixing a day for her visit, but happening to walk within a short distance
of his house, she determined to surprise him with a visit; her companion, a
lady older than herself, endeavoured to dissuade her from doing so, but she
would not be turned from her purpose. They {68} knocked at the door, but no
one answered them; they, however, discovered it was not locked, and
determined to enter. At the head of the stairs hung a parrot, which on
their passing cried out,--
"Peepoh, pretty lady, be not too bold,
Or your red blood will soon run cold."
And cold did run the blood of the adventurous damsel when, on opening one
of the room doors, she found it filled with the dead bodies of murdered
persons, chiefly women. Just then they heard a noise, and on looking out of
the window saw Bloody Baker and his servant bringing in the murdered body
of a lady. Nearly dead with fear, they concealed themselves in a recess
under the staircase.
As the murderers with their dead burden passed by them, the hand of the
unfortunate murdered lady hung in the baluster of the stairs; with an oath
Bloody Baker chopped it off, and it fell into the lap of one of the
concealed ladies. As soon as the murderers had passed by, the ladies ran
away, having the presence of mind to carry with them the dead hand, on one
of the fingers of which was a ring. On reaching home they told their story,
and in confirmation of it displayed the ring. All the families who had lost
relatives mysteriously were then told of what had been found out; and they
determined to ask Baker to a large party, apparently in a friendly manner,
but to have constables concealed ready to take him into custody. He came,
suspecting nothing, and then the lady told him all she had seen, pretending
it was a dream. "Fair lady," said he, "dreams are nothing: they are but
fables." "They may be fables," said she; "but is this a fable?" and she
produced the hand and ring. Upon this the constables rushed in and took
him; and the tradition further says, he was burnt, notwithstanding Queen
Mary tried to save him, on account of the religion he professed.