Tomb of Dicky Pearce, born 1665, died 1725 (sculptor carved 1728 by mistake). The last of the court jesters, he was Henry Howard, 11th Earl of Suffo
Tomb of Dicky Pearce, born 1665, died 1725 (sculptor carved 1728 by mistake). The last of the court jesters, he was Henry Howard, 11th Earl of Suffolk's Fool, but eventually entered the service of the Berkeley family at Berkeley castle, Gloucestershire. (James, 3rd Earl and 11th Baron of Berkeley). In 1725 during a performance he overbalanced from the minstrel gallery and fell to his death. The question has been raised - did he fall or was he pushed? He had apparently made fun of one of Lord Berkeley’s guests who had taken offence. His epitaph, written by Dean Swift, reads "Here Lies the Earl of Suffolk's Fool, Men calld him Dicky Pearce / His Folly served to makes Folk laugh / When wit and mirth were scarce/ Poor Dick at last is dead and gone / What signifies to cry / Dickys enough are still behind / to laugh at by and by. Buried XVIII June MDCCXXVIII Aged LXIII Years"
Size: 3869px × 4961px
Location: Berkely, Gloucestershire, England, UK
Photo credit: © Jean Williamson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1725, 18th, ad, berkeley, berkeleys, british, burial, c18th, century, character, chest, church, churchyard, comedian, comedy, court, dean, dicky, earl, england, english, epitaph, famous, fool, georgian, gloucestershire, grave, gravestones, graveyard, headstones, historic, historical, inscribed, inscription, isles, jester, jesters, kingdom, local, mary, monument, pearce, place, profession, south, st, stone, suffolks, swift, tomb, united, village, virgin’, west
