Legend of Faithful City

From the archive, first published Monday 26th Sep 2005.

AS the Guildhall reopens its impressive front doors, one wonders how many of those passing through will glance upwards and re-open a centuries-old controversy.

Generations of Worcester people have grown up believing that the small head in the centre is that of Oliver Cromwell pinned by the ears.

Nonsense, say the sceptics, and one has to admit that it certainly does not resemble how we believe he may have looked. Cromwell's death mask is reputedly held by a Worcester museum and there is certainly no resemblance. This is a satanic looking face which may well have been used to caricature someone universally disliked and is located between statues of Charles the first and second. Above, of course is Queen Anne.

It all ties up with the myth that Worcester owes its ancient title of "Faithful City" to an unswerving loyalty to the Crown during the Civil War when there is adequate evidence this existed from time immemorial.

True, Worcester was a heavily fortified Royalist stronghold which received quite a trouncing from the Parliamentarians, but the citizens and civic administration seemed to co-operate with whatever side was in power.

There are those who look at the head with its legal style collar wings and are mindful of the words "Devil's Advocate," once the Lord Protector's nickname. So is the head that of Oliver Cromwell or not? One thing is certain. The controversy does not go away by merely depriving the carved stone head of a coat of paint as happened last time the Guildhall frontage was re-decorated.

JOHN HINTON,

Worcester.

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