Lancashire Legends, Traditions, Pageants, Sports, &c./Part 1/Chylde of Hale
THE "CHYLDE OF HALE."
John Middleton, the "Chylde of Hale," was born at the village of Hale, in the parish of Childwall, during 1578, and was buried in the churchyard of Hale in 1623. His gravestone is yet shown about the centre of the south aisle, with the following inscription upon it in letters run in with lead:—"Here lyeth the bodye of John Middleton, the Chylde of Hale. Born A.D. 1578. Dyed A.D. 1623." He is said to have been nine feet three inches in height; his hand measured seventeen inches from the carpus to the end of the middle finger; and the breadth of his palm was eight inches and a half. Sir Gilbert Ireland took him to the court of James I., on which occasion some Lancashire gentlemen dressed him "with large ruffs about his neck and hands; a striped doublet of crimson and white round his waist; a blue girdle embroidered with gold; large white plush breeches powdered with blue flowers; green stockings; broad shoes of a light colour, having red heels, and tied with large bows of red ribbon; just below his knees bandages of the same colour, with large bows; by his side a sword, suspended by a broad belt over his shoulder, and embroidered, as his girdle, with blue and gold, with the addition of gold fringe upon the edge." In this costume he is said to have wrestled with the king's wrestler, whom he overcame and put out his thumb. This displeased some of the courtiers, and hence the King dismissed him with a present of £20. He returned home by Brazenose College, Oxford, which was then full of Lancashire students. While resident at Oxford his portrait was taken of full life size, and is now to be seen in the College Library. There is also another likeness of him preserved at High Leigh; and an original painting of the "Chylde" is kept in the gallery at Hale Hall, bearing the following inscription:—"This is the true portraiture of John Middleton, the 'Chylde of Hale,' who was born at Hale 1578, and was buried at Hale, 1623." About eighty years ago, the body is said to have been taken up, and the principal bones were for some time preserved at Hale Hall. The thigh-bone reached from the hip of a common man to his feet, and the rest measured in proportion. After some time, the bones were reburied in the churchyard, but whereabouts is not known. He could only stand upright in the centre of the cottage in which he resided; and tradition states that he attained his wonderful stature in one night, in consequence of some spells and incantations that were practised against him. The Rev. William Stewart, in his "Memorials of Hale, 1848," says that "the cottage is now inhabited by Mr Thomas Johnson, and is situated near the south-west corner of the Parsonage Green. A descendant of his family, Charles Chadwick, was living in 1804, and was more than six feet high. Some descendants of Charles Chadwick are now living of the name of Blundell, very similar in bulk to the 'Chylde,' but only of common size as to height." Another writer states, what is well known in the neighbourhood, that—"There exists a cavity in the sands near Hale, in Lancashire, where tradition asserts that, on one occasion the famous 'Chylde' fell asleep, and on awaking found all his clothes had burst; and so much had he grown during this short nap, that he doubted his own identity. On his way homewards, he was attacked by a furious bull; but so strong had he become, that he caught it by the horns and threw it to an immense distance. The bull did not approve of such tossing, and, consequently, suffered him to proceed without further molestation." A still more extravagant tradition relates that "he was so strong in one of his illnesses that his friends had to chain him in bed. When he recovered, two of the chains were given away; one was sent to Chester in order to keep the Dee Mills from floating down the river; the second was sent to Boston to prevent the Stump from being blown into the sea; and the third was lent in order to chain down his infernal majesty, who had been captured when suffering from an internal complaint! On another occasion, some robbers attempted to break into his mother's house; and had removed a window for that purpose; but, on being confronted by the "Chylde," they took to their heels, and never looked behind them till they reached the shores of the Mersey, at Liverpool. The bed said to have been used by this modern giant was exhibited at Hale until within these few years; and, if a genuine relic, proves him to have been of vast size.