RFI: Cornet George Joyce

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Cross-dressing chum of Oliver Cromwell. Drew the short straw and had to wield the axe at Charles I's execution. When the monarchy was restored, Cornet George had to go back to his home village and pretend to be a woman to escape the attention of vengeful royalists. He changed his name to Jayne Joyce. But eventually he was located and MURDERED in a field.

Does anyone know where I can find any information about this? I've read books and searched websites, but they all seem to concentrate on military matters rather than this 'darker' stuff. There was a Blackadder episode about it, but I've never seen it. I've been trying to find out about this for a good few years, but to no avail. All I know is that it has passed down via folk wisdom (ie. the bloke over the road sometimes went on about it), otherwise I wouldn't believe a word of it. I'm not sure I do anyway, but it's a good story.

This is of interest to me because it's my home village too, and obviously this is the most interesting thing ever to happen there, apart from putting French bangers in cowpats.

Thanks in advance.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 17:50 (twenty-three years ago)

what's the village called?

i can't find that in any of my cromwell books, tho CGJ is in em: it doesn't say anything about wielding the axe though, more about the fact that — as the lowliest officer possible — he effected the recapture of charles which forced cromwell's hand and made charles's execution unavoidable (charles said, "by what commission do you hold me, sir" and joyce just pointed at the troop of armed men behind him)

he had been a digger: he went on to become a colonel and a land-speculator

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 25 September 2002 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

There was a Blackadder episode about it

There was?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 26 September 2002 03:29 (twenty-three years ago)

The village is called Blackfordby. I haven't found it in any Cromwell books either, the only book I've seen it in is a Blackfordby booklet which briefly retells the legend (if legend it is) and tells you where the deed was done (in a cowfield, like everything else). This appears alongside pictures of the vicarage tea party and so on. I'd be interested in knowing what books are worth reading, Mark. I don't think land speculation and cross-dressing are really compatible, are they? Hmmm. Thanks, by the way.

Ned, I think it was a Red Nose Day special or something. Someone lent me the audio cassette version, but my tape player chewed it up.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Thursday, 26 September 2002 07:15 (twenty-three years ago)

four years pass...

Yo! Put your hands up for Detroit, etc:

Apocryphal tales tend to abound about British villages, but given the connection between Ashby and Charles I, the following is more likely than most to be true. After the King was condemned to death for treason, four members of Cromwell's army detailed to escort him to London were forced to draw lots to decide who was to act as executioner. It is reported that Cornet George Joyce of Blackfordby was awarded this dubious honour. The story however does not end there. After the restoration of Charles II, Joyce was forced to flee the country, returning some years later not only to Blackfordby but to one of his family's farms. He did not feel himself to be safe, and so took the drastic action of disguising himself as a woman, calling himself Jane Joyce. Unfortunately, this did not secure his safety and he was stabbed to death whilst walking from Boothorpe to Blackfordby. The footpath to Boothorpe, off Driftside is still there and the parish records have an entry for the burial of "Cornet George Joyce" alias Jane Joyce in the chapel in 1674.

from:

http://www.localauthoritypublishing.co.uk/councils/ashby/blackfordby.html

― PJ Miller, Thursday, 24 May 2007 14:20 (eighteen years ago)

Speechless, eh?

― PJ Miller, Thursday, 24 May 2007 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

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