Sir John Weller-Poley mystery at Boxted church
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Sir John Weller-Poley mystery at Boxted church by Adrian S Pye as part of the Geograph project.
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Sir John Weller-Poley mystery at Boxted church
Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 20 Dec 2016
The alabaster monument of John Weller-Poley from a distance has nothing unusual or remarkable about it. But a closer look at his left ear will reveal a golden frog. It has never been fully explained as to why it is there. Numerous stories surround the ear-ring. Some say it is the source of the nursery rhyme 'A frog he would a wooing go'. Another suggests it is an emblem of honour bestowed upon him from France. In Boxted Hall a 1567 portrait of Sir John aged 20 also shows him wearing the golden frog ear-ring. On the back of the painting it states that he was knighted for services against the Spaniards when the Duke of Parma besieged Bergem-op-Zoom, but does not explain the wearing of the golden frog ear-ring. A close-up of the ear-ring can be seen here http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5230507
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Image Location
Latitude
52.122389
Longitude
0.664204