Curse
The Curse of St Osmund
Ask Raleigh whether the curse worked.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Ruined Norman castle walls and gatehouse
- Legend from
- Manuscript pamphlet (c.1622) / Hutchins
- Tone
- Dark history
Whoever takes these lands from the Church shall be accursed, said the saint.
Sherborne's castle lands were given to the Bishops of Salisbury by St Osmund, who is said to have laid a curse on anyone who took them from the Church. A manuscript pamphlet of about 1622 lists those who suffered after holding the estate: Protector Somerset, sent to the Tower and executed; Sir Walter Raleigh, granted it in 1592 and later beheaded; Prince Henry, who died in 1612; and Robert Carr, who lost his fortune. Hutchins reprinted it as 'The Curse of Sherborne Castle', adding that even the Digbys had their share of misfortune.