Description

A cat with wages paid four times a year; a bishop cursed by a witch; and a lady descended from a swan. These are a few of the delightful stories from Exeter Cathedral’s past, unearthed by a lifetime of research into the Cathedral and its archives by distinguished scholar Nicholas Orme.

We also learn of the man who arranged to have himself displayed as a corpse; the problems of riding to London in 1562; John Betjeman’s mischievous visit to Exeter in the 1930s; and the absent-minded bishop, Lord William Cecil, who allegedly telegraphed to his wife ‘Am in Ilfracombe. Why?’

“An enthralling book of stories about the Cathedral’s past.” – Western Morning News

“A sparkling jeu d’esprit … Orme puts the grin into Lohengrin and the cat into Cathedral.” – The Spectator