The skull of Theophilus Brome (Chilton Cantelo)

THE OBJECT

Human remains. Theophilus Brome of Chilton Cantelo, Somerset, died on 18 August 1670 aged 69 and was buried in the church of St James, where his inscribed stone survives. By tradition he asked that his head be taken off before burial and kept at the farmhouse by the church, and a skull has been kept there since — at Higher Farm, in a cupboard. The writer Daniel Codd was shown it in February 2010 and noted the lower jaw missing and that it seemed to have been varnished.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

John Collinson recorded it in 1791: the tenants 'have often endeavoured to commit [it] to the bowels of the earth, but have been as often deterred by horrid noises, portentive of sad displeasure', and a sexton digging a grave for it 'broke his spade in two pieces' and swore never to try again. Codd thinks the wish was 'very natural, given the era in which he died': his tomb lies under the church wall nearest the farm, so head and body were kept apart but as near each other as possible.