THE CANNIBAL DEAN

See Also: ANIMALS Aquaria; THE CUSTOM OF THE SEA; CHRISTMAS Food, Christmas Pudding; FOLK TRADITIONS Urban Legends, Sweeney Todd; THE GAIA GUY; MEAT; MUSEUMS The Natural History Museum, Sir Richard Owen; REDONDA; WESTMINSTER ABBEY Deans

The Rev Dr William Buckland had a distinguished academic career at the University of Oxford as a geologist. His intellectual hinterland was wide and he took a particular delight in natural history. His interest in comparative physiology extended to eating just about any animal that he could. The only thing that he found that tasted worse than mole was bluebottle.

Upon one occasion Buckland visited his friend Edward Harcourt the Archbishop of York, who was a collector of curios. The prelate displayed some of his treasures to the cleric. These included the embalmed heart of King Louis XIV of France. The archbishop told the reverend professor that the organ had been bought by the 2^nd Earl Harcourt, who had been in Paris during the French Revolution. He had purchased it from the foreman who had been charged with dismantling the Sun King's tomb. The archbishop then moved on so that he could present the next item. However, he noticed that the academic was no longer by him. He turned around and saw that his guest was where he had just left him. Buckland was holding the heart and examining it closely. The reverend professor then exclaimed, I have eaten many strange things but have never eaten the heart of a king before. He then took a bite from it, chewed what he had bitten, and swallowed the mouthful.

Upon another occasion Buckland was given a tour of a cathedral. During it, his guide proudly displayed to him the statue of a martyr that seemed to express blood. The academic dipped one of his fingers into a small pool of the red liquid. He then placed the bevermillioned digit into his mouth and considered the flavour. After a short deliberation he declared that it was bat urine.

In 1845 Buckland was appointed to be the Dean of Westminster Abbey. As such, he became celebrated for the scientific salon that he maintained. His guests were sometimes fed with the exotic meats upon which the Buckland family would dine. These included alligator, hedgehog, ostrich, rat, tortoise, and puppy. He also proved to be a highly conscientious church official. He practised the Gospel by seeking to alleviate the conditions of acute poverty that were to be found within a few hundred yards of the Abbey.¹

It is possible that the cleric's diet had its revenge upon him. His final years were spent suffering from a brain disease. The condition incapacitated him totally.

Location: Westminster Abbey, The Sanctuary, Westminster Precincts, SW1P 3PA (orange, turquoise)

Website: www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/william-buckland

¹. The rookery in Westminster was known as The Devil's Acre.

David Backhouse 2024