After I told this story on air the other day, I received a request from Neil & Gina in Essex to repeat it on the BLOG. So here's how the stroy unfolded.
It was the late 17th century when the Lord of the Manor, farmer and country gentleman had incestuous intercourse with his young daughter Alice. The infant was spirited away after birth so as not to cause a scandal. He was brought up in the Foundling Hospital and on coming of age left to become an itinerant land worker. In the meantime, Alice's mother and father had both passed away and she inherited the Manor. One day Christopher (that was his name) came to the village of Martham in Norfolk and applied for a position of labourer. Alice gave him the job and through hard work he eventually reached the position of Farm Bailiff. The couple fell in love and married.
One fateful Sunday morning he was changing his linen when Alice inadvertently entered the room and immediately spotted a familiar mark on his shoulder. Instantly, she recognised him as the son she never knew. Although struck with shock, she managed to explain to him what had happened but the effect upon her meant that from that day she never left the bedchamber and gradually sank and expired after a few months. Such was this effect on Christopher that shortly after he passed away but not before he'd instructed the undertaker to put this inscription on the tombstone.
Here lyeth the body of Christopher Bunaway departed this life 18th October 1730 aged 59 years - and there lyeth Alice, who by her life was my Sister, my Mistress, my Mother, and my Wife died February 12th 1729 aged 76 years.
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