Four centuries ago the MP and alderman Robert Herrick invited Christopher Wren senior, the father of the famous architect, to take a tour of his stately home and garden in Leicester.<\/p>\n

This meeting became a key moment in history that would guide archaeologists towards a world-famous discovery.<\/p>\n

Robert is the 12x great grandfather of Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine<\/em> reader Mandy Webb, who is delighted to have such a connection. \u201cDelving into my paternal grandmother\u2019s tree, I found the will of my 8x great grandmother Katherine Ayres who was born in 1665,\u201d Mandy explains. \u201cKatherine was the daughter of Frances Noble, a member of a wealthy family of Leicestershire landowners who also left wills<\/a>. These documents helped enormously in my search.\u201d<\/p>\n

The monument was inscribed ‘Here lies the body of Richard III, sometime king of England’ <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
\u201cThe monument was lost over the centuries, but Wren\u2019s writings remained. For nearly 400 years, they were the last written record of where Richard was buried.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert died in 1618, and his descendants sold the estate in the 18th century<\/a>. Municipal buildings were built on the site, and in the 20th century it became a car park.<\/p>\n
In 2012, a team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester<\/a> used old maps<\/a> to locate the site of the priory\u2019s church and Robert Herrick\u2019s lost garden. During their excavations a skeleton was discovered, and DNA testing<\/a> and carbon-dating proved it to be that of Richard III. His remains were laid to rest in a tomb in Leicester Cathedral<\/a>, which is also the burial place of Robert Herrick. The story is now told in new film\u00a0The Lost King<\/em>, starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still in a state of shock over this discovery, which I made in September 2019 and shared with WDYTYA? Magazine<\/em> on Facebook. I never imagined that I would have a connection to a key moment in history or to such a great man.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert was renowned for being generous and compassionate. He established the Herrick Bread Charity, which distributed loaves to poor households throughout Leicester. With money bequeathed in his will, the charity was able to continue for 250 years after his death. Robert also left some money to Trinity Hospital, Leicester, local churches and poor widows of the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cRobert Herrick feels like a hero to me in so many ways. I can\u2019t wait to discover more about his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
This article first appeared in <\/em>Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine January 2020.<\/em><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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