Grave of the Last Court Jester

This grave is located in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Dicky Pearce was the last court jester to be employed in England. Born in 1665, he was employed by the Berkeley family at Berkeley Castle, and worked directly for the Earl of Suffolk.

According to the legend, Dicky had insulted one of Lord Berkeley’s guests earlier in the evening, and they were quite offended by it. While playing the hurdy gurdy, high above the hall in the Minstrel’s Gallery, falling to his death.  There is a question there though… would such an accomplished musician and jester fall from a space he was undoubtedly familiar with, or was he pushed in retaliation for his earlier words?

That’s a secret that Dicky (and anyone else up in the Minstrel’s Gallery with him that night) took to his grave.