Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-01-15
#iseellameuus geading.
SECRET ROOMS OF ENGLAND.
Trap Doors, Swinging Pictures an'
"Priests' Holes"


Owen, who devoted the greater part of
his life to constructing hiding places
for prosecuted priests.
The places were called priests
with the greatest skill and ingenuity,
in the principal Catholic houses all
over England.
AS Allan Fea shows in his very in
teresting book on "The Secret Rooms
of England" no precedents were al
lowed to bias the choice Of hiding
holes in those who designated them, for
the more remarkable the place the less
likelihood there was Of its being dis
covered. One house would have its
secret room in a chimney, entered from
the hearthstone, though cases are re-
corded in which a chimney not unsul-
lied by smoke has led to the detection
Of the prey; another would utilize a
sliding or swinging picture, like that
one in Lyme Hall, Cheshire; an inno-
cent looking settle" would prove the
would accommodate refugees.
At Union Court a curious place for
concealment exists in one Of the gables
close to the ceiling.
It Is triangular in shape, and is
opened by spring bolt that can be un-
latched by pulling string which runs
through a tiny hole pierced In the
framework Of the door Of the adjoin-
ing room. The door Of the hiding place
swings upon a pivot, and externally Is
thickly covered with plaster, so as to
resemble the rest of the wall, and Is
80 solid that when sounded there Is no
hollow sound from the cavity behind,
where, no doubt, the crucifix ind sa-
cred vessels were secreted.
Not, far off. in an upper garret, Is a
hiding place in the thickness Of the
wall, large enough to contain a man
standing upright. Like the other, the
door or entrance forms part Of the
plaster wall. Again, in one Of the
passages of this curious mansion are
further evidences Of the hardships to
which Roman priests were subjected-a
trap in the floor which can only be
opened by pulling up what exteriorly
appears to be the head Of one Of the
nails of the flooring; by raising this a
spring Is released and a trap door op-
ened, revealing large hole with mar
now ladder leading down into it. When
this hiding place was discovered in 1880
its contents were significant, viz: a
crucifix and two ancient petronels.
On the occasion that mass was to be
celebrated in these secret chapels 1t
was customary to inform the neighbor-
hood by some such understanding signs
as the hanging out Of linen to dry on
the hedges hard by.
The narrow escape Of some of the
prosecuted priests would fill several
volumes, and for thrilling excitement
that Of Father Blunt at Scotney Cas-
tie, the old house Of the d. rails on
the borders Of Kent and Sussex, is a
good example.
One Christmas night, toward the
close of Elizabeth's reign, the castle
was seized by party Of priest hunters,
who, with their usual mode Of proce-
dure, locked up the members Of the
family securely before starting on their
operations. In the inner quadrangle Of
the mansion was a very remarkable
and ingenious device. A large stone OF
the solid wall could be pushed aside.
Though Of immense weight, 1t was so
balanced and adjusted that 1t required
only a slight pressure upon one side to
effect an entrance to the hiding place
within. Upon the approach Of the en-
emy, Father Blunt and his servant
hastened to the courtyard and entered
the vault, but in their hurry to close
the weighty door a small portion Of one
Of their girdles got jammed in, so that
part was visible from the outside.
Fortunately for the fugitives, some one
in the secret in passing the spot hap
pened to catch sight Of this telltale
fragment, and called gently to those
within to endeavor to pull 1t in, which
they eventually succeeded in doing.
At this moment the pursuers were at
work in another part of the castle,
but hearing the voice in the courtyard
rushed into it and commenced batter
ing the walls, and at times upon the
very door of the hiding place, which
would have given way had not those
within put their combined weight
against 1t to keep 1t from yielding. 1t
was a pitchy dark night, and it was
pelting with rain, so after time, dis
couraged at finding nothing, and wet
to the skin, the soldiers put off further
search until the following morning.
Few hiding places are associated
with so tragic a story as that at Moyles
Court, Hants, where the venerable
Lady Alice Lisle, in pure charity, hid
two partisans of Monmouth, John
Hickes and Richard Nelthrope. after
the battle Of Sedgemoor, for which hu-
name action she was condemned to be
burned alive by Judge Jeffreys-a SEN
tence commuted afterward to behead-
ing. It Is difficult to associate this
peaceful old Jacobean mansion and the
simple tomb in the churchyard hard
by with so terrible a history. dark
hole in the wall Of the kitchen is ira
ditionally said to be the place of con-
cealment of the fugitives who threw
themselves on Lady Alice's mercy, but
dungeon-like cellar, looks a much
more likely place"
A weird story clings to the ruins OF
Minister Lovel manor house, Oxford
shire, the ancient seat Of the Lords
Lovel. After the battle of Stokes,