Her Lieth a Rebel - Tuxford rebel stone
A curious wayside grave
By R B Parish
On the Newark road (the old A1) out of Tuxford is a small hard red stone obelisk, about four feet six inches high and once enclosed in iron railings. With the above inscription cut deeply on it.
Who was the rebel?
Unfortunately, who exactly the rebel was is unknown, but what is known is that he was a Jacobite. Local tradition tells that this Jacobite was being conveyed from Edinburgh to the Tower of London with others. At Tuxford one of the prisoners tried to escape, but did not make it, falling from the cart carrying them and broke his neck and died. The fact that some degree of ceremony was established at his burial, the town drum itself being used to attempt afford some military honours. It is recorded that a man was given a shilling to bury him standing upright. The monument being made of a red stone not locally found again suggests that he was important, otherwise why use it. Chetwynd-Staplyton (1968) states that up until 30 years of the date of the publication there were people still living whose descendents were at the burial of this rebel.
Remembered by the Scots
The A1 of course was the Great North Road, a road long famed as the route between London and the North. As a result the road was often traversed by Scots Drovers who took their cattle along this road. It is said that they resented the insult implied by the inscription and tried to deface it. Another legend says the pieces were used to cure toothache. However, it remains as legible as ever stating:
“Here Lieth the body of a Rebel 1745”
Sadly we will never know for sure who he was!
References
Chetwynd-Staplyton, M., (1969) Discovering wayside graves and memorials.