Our Story
The Greek Tragedy
On Sunday 10th April 1870, three English tourists of distinction, Lord and Lady Muncaster and their 23-year-old friend, Frederick Vyner set off from Athens to visit the battlefield of Marathon. They were accompanied by Edward Herbert, who was secretary to the English Minister in Athens, a young Piedmontese nobleman Count Alberto de Boyl, and an English barrister, Edward Lloyd.
Despite being accompanied by mounted gendarmes, as well as the route having been pre-patrolled by soldiers, the danger of the brigands was ever present. Romilly Jenkins' account (1961), titled 'The Dilessi Murders' (published 1961) provides both an interesting insight into the politics of the newly constituted Greece of the 19th century, and how this day trip turned into a major international incident.
Frederick Vyner was the youngest son of Colonel Henry Vyner and his wife Lady Mary. His brother-in-law was Earl de Grey and Ripon who served in Liberal governments for both Palmerston and Gladstone from 1859 onwards. At the time of these events, he was the Lord President of the Council. In addition, Herbert's cousin, fourth Earl of Carnarvon, was the Minister for Colonies. Lord Muncaster himself, whilst only 36 years old, was a highly respected and decorated veteran from the Crimea.
There is no doubt the kidnap of this group reached the highest level of both government and the royal family. However, Prime Minister Gladstone was a leading voice in the censure of Palmerston's intervention in a previous Greek crisis twenty years prior, and was a committed non-interventionist when it came to a fledgling new democracy. Whether it was misfortune of time and place, a plot by the Greek opposition, or incompetence on the ground, the group once captured were increasingly in danger.
The ransom was raised but the brigands' demands inflated with each negotiation. Impatience led to a military push; the brigand code meant the hostages were executed as soldiers bore down on them. The nation was stunned, and when the bodies of Frederick Vyner and Edward Herbert arrived in Southampton, there was a respectful procession as muffled bells tolled. Along with Christ the Consoler, there are a number of monuments, including in York Minster and Ripon Cathedral.
The Memorial Church – Christ the Consoler
The architect was a man of genius, the London-based William Burges (1827-81), whose exquisite church of Christ the Consoler, Skelton-on-Ure, Yorkshire (1870-6), is perhaps his most perfect creation, and one that can bring the strongest of men to their knees.
The grieving mother and sister chose to mark Frederick's death by building two magnificent churches. Christ the Consoler was built on the edge of Lady Mary's estate, Newby Hall near Ripon in North Yorkshire. Even to this day, this is the only church with this dedication, and as the name suggests, it was built as a memorial and a parish church by a grieving mother.
The architect William Burges (1827-1881) was known to the family, which included Lord Bute for whom he had built Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch in South Wales. He was commissioned, and the foundation stone was laid on 17th May 1871. Not only was Burges one of this period's foremost architects, in Christ the Consoler he delivered a building as unique as its name and befitting such a commission. His builder was J Thompson of Peterborough, and the clerk of works was Sier of London, who had worked with him on the Cathedral in Cork.
Sitting on the edge of the Newby Estate and the small estate village of Skelton on Ure, this was no ordinary Parish Church. It is rightly considered as one of the finest examples of Victorian ecclesiastical design, and Burges engaged the very best craftsmen when it came to delivering the detail to which he was very particular.
