Monkey bones reveal life of Castle eccentric
EXOTIC DISCOVERY TELLS EXPERTS MORE ABOUT MISS JANE KIRKBY
During Nottingham Castle’s three-year renovation, archaeologists found the bones of three monkeys, thought to have been kept there more than 200 years ago. JOSEPH LOCKER reports
BORN in January 1745, Jane Kirkby entered the world in great wealth, the granddaughter of the illegitimate son of the Earl of Chesterfield.
Her father, Richard Kirkby, was Rector of Gedling, and because of the family’s high standing Miss Kirkby eventually lived in the Ducal Palace at Castle Rock.
Yvonne Armitage, a former volunteer at Nottingham Castle, was intrigued by Miss Kirkby’s lavish lifestyle and began extensive research into her past.
Ms Armitage noticed from historical records that Miss Kirkby was said to have kept a pet ape on Castle grounds.
During the Castle’s £30m transformation, archaeologists unearthed the Georgian remains of three exotic monkeys, a discovery which has now painted a remarkable picture of the site’s aristocratic past.
The Post was invited into the castle grounds to find out more.
Ms Armitage said: “I came across a lady of rank living in an apartment with a lapdog and an ape.
“All we had was a surname which had two different spellings.
“You don’t tend to have records of women in history unless they have had a horrendous accident or were involved in criminal activity.
“Her grandfather was the illegitimate son of the Earl of Chesterfield. That gave us her link to the gentry.
“In 1791 she moved into her estate. The [Ducal Palace] was split into two apartments and the other one was lived in by a Mrs Plum.
“They hunted in The Park and Miss Kirkby held breakfast parties on the terrace.
“She was a very intelligent and kind woman.”
Ms Armitage said she now believes that the “ape” was perhaps exaggerated and instead referenced the recent discovery.
Marius Ilie, an archaeological zoologist, said excavations had been carried out on the castle grounds for the past few years.
While finding bones of pigs and cows, the team then found smaller bones which turned out to belong to Guenon monkeys from the Georgian period.
The only explanation, therefore, was that the monkey likely belonged to Miss Kirkby.
While well-looked after, evidence points to one of the monkeys having suffered from rickets. Another seems to have had malaria, and all three had extensive dental decay owing to a very poor diet.
Mr Ilie said: “They did fit with a trend that was typical of the age where people bought and kept exotic animals.
“We identified three individuals. One of them died as a juvenile. They would have been cared for but their diet was inappropriate.
“We have found dental cavities and one of them that made it to an adult had rickets – that can develop within three weeks if they are not fed a proper diet.
“It adds to the narrative of what an aristocratic life was really like. They would have probably been fed sweets, sandwiches and cakes.”
Among the bones found were teeth, femurs and hip bones. Mr Ilie said it was a “very rare” find, particularly as they were found where the new visitor centre has been built.
This was the location of the rubbish deposit, pointing to the fact the servants may have thrown them away when they died.
Miss Kirkby has been described as a flamboyant Nottingham rebel, particularly as her lifestyle went against the societal norms at the time.
Ms Armitage said she had two servants, Henry Church and Martha Meades, who were each awarded the then-vast sum of £2,000 upon her death.
They went on to live in The Park with their own servants as a result.
Much of Miss Kirkby’s wealth also went to supporting other women in the city.
Ms Armitage added: “Miss Kirkby clearly had enough money to be paying rent.
“Her apartment was on the northwest side with a large entrance. She paid £40 per year at first, up to £60 later on and no king’s taxes.
“She was a really unusual character. “She did not have children and she never married. I found her will and she was using that to give a hand-up to women in Nottingham.
“She was totally independent. A literate and educated woman.
“If she was out walking Henry Church would be walking behind her holding her dress. A black dress with a white feather.
“I started my research into her because of the monkey link, so it is fitting to end it here with this discovery.”
Miss Kirkby died on April 14, 1825, at the age of 80, and a plaque in her name can be found in Bingham.
Nottingham Castle will reopen to the public on June 21, from when visitors will be able to see one of her aprons and the bones for themselves.