Curse
Grey Dolphin
The horse that saved his life would cost it.
See it clearly
- What's there
- Effigy tomb with a carved horse's head
- Legend from
- Sheppey tradition; Barham, Ingoldsby Legends (1837)
- Tone
- Dark history
Sir Robert killed the horse to beat a prophecy. Years later, he kicked its skull on the beach.
Sir Robert de Shurland of Sheppey killed a friar who refused to bury a drowned sailor. To win the King's pardon, he swam his horse Grey Dolphin out to the royal ship. Coming ashore, an old woman prophesied that the horse that saved his life would one day cost it, so he killed Grey Dolphin there and then. Years later he found the bleached skull on the beach, kicked it, and cut his foot on it. The wound turned bad and he died. His tomb in the abbey church has a carved horse's head at his side.