Perkins Mausoleum Christchurch Priory, follies and folly towers at follytowers.com (original) (raw)

P e r k i n s
M a u s o l e u m

Situated in the tranquil Priory Gardens of the 11th century Christchurch Priory in Dorset, you will find this curious structure.
A plaque inform us that it originally contained the body of a Mrs Perkins, who it seems had a fear of being buried alive. When you consider she lived in the 18th century and medical science was not as sophisticated as today, you soon realise it may, on the rare occasion, have actually occurred to some poor souls.

People were hopefully alerted to the 'deceased' calling out, before they were buried, otherwise the consequences truly horrific............

The plaque states :-

According to the "Smugglers of Christchurch" by E.R.Oakley this structure was a mausoleum of a certain Mrs. Perkins who died in 1783. This lady had a horror of being buried alive and requested that her body should not be interred, but that a fabric should be erected to receive it near the entrance to the free school then in St. Michael's loft of the priory so that the boys should hear if she revived, she also requested that the lid of the coffin should not be screwed down and the lock of the mausoleum constructed so as to enable her to open it in the spring. These wishes were carried out, but when her husband died in 1803 her body was removed the structure sold and re-erected on this present site.

View of the rear. Plan view showing rear curved alcove

But when you actually measure the structure, it appears that there would have been little room to contain a coffin, if the rear of the structure was intended to have been the shape we find it today.I would imagine that the whole affair was rebuilt in a different manner when it was moved, as the reference to the 'mausoleum constructed so as to enable her to open it in the spring' seems to imply there was door out of the structure, which clearly there is not now. The thickness of both the curved rear, and the front walls are unknown [ shown as a ? in my illustration] meaning the total available thickness of the structure in the middle is only 0.9m without making any allowance for the thickness of the walls(2.2m - **(B)**1.3m = 0.9m).If indeed she was laid to rest in the structure the only viable place seems to be either side of centre.Most likely the original design was a flat rear wall parallel to the front, this would have allowed a chamber about 2m wide inside the mausoleum.

Overall View of Structure.

The Inscription.

Christchurch Priory Website

Co-Ords: 416073 092614 SZ 160926

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