14 KEV. DR. GEE — FAMOUS TREES IN HERTFORDSHIRE. 



longed to the Duchess of Buccleugh, who is introduced into Scott's 

 ' Lay of the Last MinstreL' This was Anne, Duchess of liuccleugh 

 and Monmouth, representative of the ancient Lords of Buccleugh, 

 and widow of James, Duke of Monmouth, who was beheaded in 

 1685. Of her Sir Walter says : — 



" She had known adversity, 

 Though born in such a high degree, 

 In pride of power, in beauty's bloom. 

 Had wept o'er Monmouth's bloody tomb." 



Lay, Canto 1, Introduction. 



And, says the tradition, on her husband's execution she beheaded 

 sundry of the forest oaks in the Park. This may have been done 

 from morbid sentimentality; or from a wish to save them, as some 

 suppose, from confiscation ; or rather, perhaps, fi-om a somewhat 

 spiteful wish to prevent their ever being used as timber in that navy 

 of which her husband's cruel uncle, James the Second, was so proud. 

 Wliatever the motive (which could scarcely be excusable, much less 

 praiseworthy), the tradition holds good as to the fact. And I 

 understood Lord Ebury to say that it was with reference to this 

 special legend, that Froude, the historian, encouraged him to believe 

 that wherever tradition is clear and strongly-rooted, and consistent 

 with common-sense, there is truth in the main fact asserted. I 

 think, therefore, we may continue to believe that these Moor Park 

 pollards had the historical origin attributed to them. 



There is another kind of tradition which has made some trees 

 famous, or at least notorious. It respects those trees which grow 

 out of tombstones or from the crevices of vaults. Certainly some 

 trees do seem to choose such spots. I imagine that a seed having 

 found its way there and expanded in peace, was at first encouraged 

 from the sentiment that it was pretty, and afterwards that it afforded 

 a pleasant canopy to the tomb. Not until too late was it found tliat 

 the intruder was master of the situation. With relentless force it 

 crushed the monument into which it had intruded, and altogether 

 took possession of the memorial. 



Just such an intruding sycamore stands in Aldenham Churchyard, 

 and has made small account of stone slabs and of iron railings. But 

 a case, better known, is in Tewin Churchyard, in the tomb of Lady 

 Anne Grimston, through which have grown several stems of more 

 than one kind of tree. Our forefathers, who scarcely seem to have 

 been wiser than ourselves, fitted on a startling legend to these trees. 

 It is that Lady Anne was in lifetime an unbeliever, and that she 

 arranged with some survivors (as sceptical as herself) that if there 

 were another world a tree should grow out of her vault to announce 

 the fact. Lord Verulam has given me leave to discuss the tale with 

 you. He feels strong in the evidence there is of the fair profession 

 of this poor slandered lady, and has given me extracts from her 

 house-books. She certainly conformed to the reqiiirements of 

 religion and lived in all such ordinances blameless. Clearly she 

 went to her parish church, and in her carefully kept account books 

 we find that she put up her horses, as do her successors at Gorham- 



