FREDERICK BLIGH BOND & BROTHER JOHANNES

OF GLASTONBURY ABBEY

by Michael Colmer

THE FASCINATING STORY of the Victorian archaeologist Frederick Bligh Bond, a descendant of the Captain Bligh of the 'Bounty' fame, who was guided by spirits to excavate the famous Glastonbury Abbey.

For centuries the holy abbey at Glastonbury, Somerset was regarded as one of Britain's foremost sacred centres. Local legend insists that Joseph of Arimathea, the uncle of Jesus of Nazareth. visited this ancient site with his nephew during tin trading expeditions and here he planted his staff which took root to become the Holy Thorn of Glastonbury, still flourishing to this day.

But in the religious persecution of the 16th century Glastonbury Abbey was sacked, its treasures plundered and its abbot hung atop the nearby Glastonbury Tor for attempting to hide holy artifacts.

Early in the 19th century the trend towards cultural rediscovery brought the appointment of Frederick Bligh Bond to be director of excavations at the Abbey site. Bond's efforts exceeded all possible expectations, the abbey ruins were uncovered to a remarkable degree and this eminent Victorian gentleman published his scholarly work on the findings.

Had Bond rested upon these worthy laurels then it was obvious he would soon be awarded a deserved knighthood from the reigning Queen Victoria. But he was to take a step that was to send shivers down the spines of the Abbey's owners, the Church of England. In 1918 Bond published a second book, 'The Gate of Remembrance', in which he explained in great detail how he came to successfully reclaim such a remarkable ruin.

Under his other hat, as a leading member of the Society for Psychical Research, Bond joined forces with a colleague and sought help from spiritual sources. At 4.30pm on November 7, 1907 the two men sat down in Bond's offices and began an amazing experiment. The method they chose was simple. His friend, John Alleyne, closed his eyes and held a pencil loosely in his right hand. Bond placed his fingers lightly over the top and started to ask questions. The experiment worked astonishingly well and soon the pair were recording both questions and the replies in careful detail.

The answers came in a curious patchwork of Low Latin, Middle English of mixed periods and varying styles of contemporary English. Various 'communicators' announced themselves and offered suggestions, drawings and descriptions of the abbey in bygone days. But perhaps the most remarkable was one Brother Johannes, a monk who had been involved in constructing part of the original sacred building.

Johannes Bryant told them that he was born in September 1497 and died in 1533 and that his craft was stonemasonry. It took some time to establish this information because of the confusion between English and church latin. Part of the transcript for their very first session resolved this problem;

"Ye names of builded things are very hard in Latin tongue"' wrote Brother Johannes. " Transome, fanne tracery, and the like. My sone thou canst not understand. Wee would speak in the Englyshe tongue. Wee saide that ye volte was multi-partite yt was fannes old style in ye este ende of ye choire and ye new volt in Edgares chappel. ( signed) Johannes, Lap mason".

"But what is meant by lap mason ? ", asked Bligh Bond.

"Lapidator...stone mason, " the spirit replied.

The breakthrough came quite quickly. On November 26 - less than three weeks from starting this incredible experiment - Bond asked hopefully if Brother Johannes would tell them more.

"Johannes is striving for the glory of Glaston. There is much under the grass deep down and unrifled. The east of St. Mary's has a vault under the stairs and under the nave there are vaults- the destroyers feared, and the ruin of the walls hid the entrance in. Under the tower the volt is perfect, and many names of those buried therein very deep down."

"Where shall we commence to dig? " asked the archaeologist.

"At the east end. Seek for the pillars,and the wall(s) at an angle. The foundations are deep," responded the dutiful and ethereal stonemason.

Brother Johannes brought other communicators, like Brother Ambrosius who admitted; "Ambrosius the Cellarius wold speke to ye. And hee isne a scholar". But he did bring a monk who was to prove invaluable to the crusading archaeologist, "Ricardus de Tanton, who did make ye drawings for my Abbot Bere, wold tell you that which Ambrosius can not."

Having been linked to one of the original architects Bond plied his technical questions; "Which was the Chapel of St. Dunstan?"

"On the north side of ye Grete Church, at ye ende, near to ye newe chappel which Bere built," was the equally direct reply.

Bond pressed harder; " What was the exact length of the Church as completed ?"

"CCCXI in passibus. CCCXI at capella nova, CCCXI in tota longitude," was the instant response from the discarnate Richard Tanton. And it was only at this point that Bligh Bond began to realise the value of this highly unusual source. These roman measurements translated to 593.82 feet. Checking against historical records, Bond found a report on the original building by a commissioner working for Queen Elizabeth I which stated; "The great church in the aby was 594 feet."

Brother Johannes and his long dead monks were to provide Bond and Alleyne with many more fascinating discoveries; the black marble stone that marked the grave of the legendary King Arthur, data about a special kind of blue stained window glass, and many detailed plans and charts showing original constructions plus the names of the successive abbots who added their mark to the once great abbey at Glastonbury.

The furore which surrounded the publication of 'The Gate of Remembrance' turned this intriguing matter into a very hot issue indeed. On the one hand the censure of the Anglican church whilst on the other the growing interest in matters mystical which had fascinated both the Edwardians and the Victorians.

But despite this carefully documented evidence and the fact that there were clear indications given that further excavation would reveal even more glories, Bligh Bond was not asked to resume his work and the incomplete restoration of Glastonbury Abbey remains today- just as he left them.

There have been other examples of postcognition helping the fields of history and archaeology. Another Victorian discovery was psychometry, a way of 'metering the soul' of an artifact when held by an experienced sensitive capable of giving accurate feedback about the artifact's original owner and his or her lifestyle. But Bligh Bond's research and the proof remains unassailable.

Perhaps one day the work on this sacred building will be completed.