300-Year-Old Linen Bedsheet Embroidered with Human Hair from a Severed Head Will Be Displayed in London

In what appears to be a bizarre display of affection, a 300-year-old linen bed sheet embroidered with a love message consisting of human hair suspected from a severed head. The one-of-a-kind discovery is set to be on display at the London Museum this October.

The designer of the embellished linen, Anna Maria Radclyffe, opted to stylize her old linen in memory of her late husband, James, who was beheaded in 1716 for treason.

James and the Human Hair Embroidered Bed Sheet

(Photo : Ollie Craig from Pexels)

James, the grandson of Charles II and the third Earl of Derwentwater, was only 26 years old when he was beheaded for treason due to his involvement in the first Jacobite rebellion. The story was later immortalized in the novel Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott in 1817.

The bedsheet, intricately decorated by Anna with a large heart-shaped wreath, flowers, and leaves, had the inscriptions that read, "The sheet OFF MY dear Lord's Bed in the wretched Tower of London February 1716 x Ann C of Darwent=Waters," BBC reported.

Experts believe that Anna could have used the hair from the severed head of her late husband. She could have also intertwined both of their hair to showcase her ardent love for James.

Anna was allowed to take charge of her late husband's body, including his severed head, after his execution on February 24, 1716, which allowed her to save locks of James' hair as a keepsake. The embroidered bed sheet is an extraordinary relic and may have taken several months to years to be created, according to the Curator of Social & Working History of the Museum of London, Beverley Cook.

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Anna Maria Daclyffe's Bereavement and Devotion

The care and devotion evident in the intricacies of the bedsheet is a testament to Anna's devotion to safeguarding the memories of her late husband long after his passing.

The one-of-a-kind bed sheet is only one of numerous personal stories in the museum's exhibition, revealing the impacts of public execution on the lives of numerous Londoners over centuries. The city witnessed numerous brutal deaths and executions from ordinary citizens to some of the most high-profile cases in history.

Before landing in the hands of private collectors, the bedsheet has been passed down through several generations of activists and supporters for years. It was acquired by the Museum of London in 1934. However, it was never put on display, according to DailyMail.

The exhibition hopes to bring forth the rarely told and tragic human stories behind these dark events in history, revealing the social, economic, and cultural impact of public execution over the 700 years it was in place.