-> SNETNEWS Mailing List The information related here is from High Wycombe and the official publication when Lord le Desencer, or Dashwood as he is better know, re-opened the tombs in which Benjamin Franklin, who had been accused of being a satanist and a devil worshiper, and a womanizer, had been initiated ..... not to mention that when William Hogarth, who painted the picture of the old Hells Fire Club, engraved in characters dear the legend of this famous club - but these were the Illluminati, the Masonic Order of the Day, the Aristocrats....and Sir Francis Dashwood at the time, wasChancellor of the Exchequer.... During WWII the mighty 12 O'Clock High Air Force was stationed at High Wycombe; the original in their own way Black Sheep who flew he bombers over Germany and some of the bombs, the plates of William Hogarth had been melted down (copper plates) and dropped with ove to Hitler, from Wiliam Hogarth. No offense to the Germans intended; I still love the Red Baron, and have his picture on my mantle. HISTORY OF THE HELLS FIRE CAVES (There is in this the picture of Sir Franci Dahwood, Lord le Depencer, dressed as the Pope, indicating they were anti=Pope from a contmporary painting.) In the background, of course - a statue of Diana... The Hell Fire Caves wre originally excavaed some 250 years ago by Sir Francis Dashwood, Lord le Despencer, Chancellor of the Exchequerin 1762/3. Te halk was used to make the present main road between HIgh Wycombe and Wet Wycombe; the old road ran furthr to the osuth along the park wal, but so many carriges used to overturn in the ruts and mud, that it became most inconvient. The completion of the new road was marked in 1752 (and 200 years later to the year, the caves were reopened by Dashwoods descendent) by the erection of the Pedestal which still sands at the junction of his road and the Aylesbury Road. The Caves or Tombs are said to hve been subsequently used for the meetings of the MONKS OF MEDMENHAM" or the Knights of St. Francis of Wycombe". This ociety wasgenrally called the "Hell Fire Club". Their regular eeting place was at Medenham Abbey, abut eight miles away, where dressed as Franciscan Monks, they induled in evry conceivable form of vice and perversion, including the practice of Black Mass (now this is your Bohemian Club....and they have a waiting list for members).....The Poet Charles Churchill, a mmber of the Club, refrred to their activities in these words: "Whilst womanhood in habit of a nun, At Medman lies, by backwood monks undone". The Club started in about 1750 with twelve original "Brothers" who elected an "Abbott" each year. The privileged position was held by, among others, Sir Thomas Stapleton (Thomas de Greys, Abbott) and Sir Francis Dashwood (Franci of Wycomb). THE BROTHERS ARE GIVEN A PSEUDONYM to conceal their actual identities. John Wilkes became John of Aylesbury, and Paul Whitehead, a tward of the Club was known as Paul the Aged (straight out of the Acts in the Bible). Medmenhan Abbey was used at weekends throughut most of the year, whilst about twice each summer, a Chapter or Full Meeting, lasting several days was convened. On the occasions, "Nuns" wre introduced and the Club's Constitution required them to be of "cheerful, lively disposition, to improve the genral hilarity of the company" (and that sure sounds like something Ben Franklin wrote)....At first these "Nuns" consisted of the wive of ocal squires, but when their husbands discovered what ws happening, and objected, les reputable women wer procured from London. Although the Abbey was stil being used by the Club in 1770 the Brotherhood of St. Francis really broke up in 1763 as a result of political disagreements (these were over really the pending American Revolution as the club divided on this also) among the members and a practical joke. John Wilkes (who's great-great grandson was John Wilkes Boothe through the mother) had secretly hidden a baboon dresed as the Devil in a box in the chapel. He later releasedit during a Black Mass service, and the wretched animal leapt onto the back of Lord Sandwich , who, terrified out of his wits ran out of the chapel shouting "Spare me gracioius Devil, thou knowest I was only fooling:. There were many other meetings which were held in the Caves or Tombs. THE ROBING ROOM Note: This Bohemian Club puts on red robes I understand..... The Hell Fire Caves run in a northrly direction under West Wycombe hill; they were cutout in a symbolic and suggestive manner to form a uitable setting for the wild orgies of these eighteenth century rakes - the entrance is through a large Gothic courtyard with wals of fint which resembles a roofless church; a low vaulted pasage leadsnorthwards into the bowel ofWet Wycombe Hil...... A hort way from the entrance you come to a small chamber on the right of the pasage caled the Robing Room....this was ued for storing waxed tapers and candles and may also have been ued as a dressing room. The Brothers generally wore the brown habits of the Franciscan Order, although they alo wore white flowing robes at Medmenham Abbey, and on formal occaions, CRIMSON AND BLUE WITH A SILVER BADE "love and friendhsip" (now this sounds ike Bohemian Club robes) in the mitre and on th gown. A few steps on you wil come to some devil's heads carved in the chalk. There are several of these to be found in the Caves, some very finely carved. The original pick marks can alo be clearly seen, for these Caves were entirely excavated by hand. Sir Francis Dashwood paid these miner a "hilling a head" per day for htis monumental work. After circling a giant pillar you will find the numerals "XXIIf" clearly marked up on the left wal. It has been suggested that this ha something to do with the legendary secret paage and the old vilage rhyme: "Take 20 steps and rest awhie; Then take a pick and find the stile; Where once I did my love beguile". And then end of this long pasage you wil enter the catacombs...a series of pasages rather ike the vaults of a church or a small labrynth....past the catacombs youwillnotice steps leading upwards in the direction of the Mausoleum...... BANQUETING HALL This is one of the largest man made chalk Caves in the world. Round the wals are four monks cells for the "private devotions" of the Brothrs. In the ceiling you can see the hook from which a lamp was hung at the meeting of the Hell Fire Club [now this is engraving I have - Charity in the Cellar, hogs head of wine, Rosicrucian Lamp....pyramid stance....and all taking a Saintly pose] The following ancient decription of it is intteresting: "In he middle is a pool of water caled the Styx, said formrl tohave been deeper and only to be crosed by boat [Benjamin Franklin once crossed this] Nowit is bridged by stpping stones leading to a lrge lofty circular cave in the roof of which is a hook for hanging lamp, and in this caave it i asserted that the Club held their meetings after the break up of Medmenham..." [And this is true, because I have the official engraving] Even now after over 250 yers, you can stnd in the styian blackness and picture the fale "Monks" carousing and singing their wicked songs (and Benjamin Franklin wrote a few of those too). If their banquets here were anything like thoe at Medmenham Abbey, and other meeting places, they must have been very sumptous. Now my words: Here we not only have the Bohemian Club, but in essense a real Mafia....and that XXIIF does have very, special meaning....22. Imagine for a moment that scene 200 years ago beneath a large cnopy a reflectory table set with fine silver and glass; powdered flunkeys erving dish aftr dish of delicious food, carefully prepared at West Wycombe Houe, and wine fromits cellars (Sir Francis leftabout 6,000 (?) worth of wine at hi death in 1781.....at one end sits the Abbot, Sir Francis Dashwood, IN A SPLENDID RED HABIT EDGED WITH FUR; nex to him Paul Whitehead, Steward of the Club, a mal thin man with a mean, cynical face; the large fat monk on his left is Bubb Doddingston;, Lord Melcombe Regis, and cloe friend of Frederick, Prince of Wales;heappears to be highly amused by the stories of hisneighbor, Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, who was renowned for his ugly looks and charming manners. Yu might also recognize John Wilkes, the celebrated Member ofParliament for Middlesex who was exiled to France forhis violent newpaper attacks against George II and hi Ministry; William Hogarth, Painter (and I have a lot of his original engravings) to King George, and Thomas Potter, son of an eminent Archbishop of Canterbury, and an unfrocked priest. There are perhap twenty members here, althug only the inner twelve will be admitted into the most intimate rites....at the last of the Pot is finished, the Abbott ries, proposes a Toast to the "Devil", and htis is followed by further toasts to various dieties and lewd and blsphemous songs. After the Nuns have joined the company, the twelve "inner" Brothrs tottroff towrd the "Inntr Temple" to concude their indencent rites. And so on, etc. etc. Is added tht they regret that the song and psalms of the Club, some of which were written by Benjamin Franklin and Wilkes (who got caught and was used against him in Parliament) of the Cubarenot fit for publication. And it is said they can only guess at the rites which took place in the secrec of this uberranean temple. SUMMATION: Far above stands Lord le Despencer's Mausoleum, built in 1764 with money specially bequeathd by Lord Melcombe Regis for the construction of a suitable tomb for members of the Dashwood famiy and of the Hell Fire Club. Here in 1775 an elaborte ceremony took place when Paul Whitehead's heart which he had left to Lord le Depencer (Dashwood) as a memorial of its owner's wawrm attachment ot the noble funder, was laidin amarble urn. Charles Churchill ( with whom Hogarth lad a terrible falling out) suggested that the epitaph should read: "May I (can worse disgrace on man befall?) Be born a Whithead, and baptised a Paul". Now remember he took his name from the Acts in the Bible, his second name of "Paul the Aged". The heart of Paul Whitehead was frequently taken out and shown t visitorsuntil it was stolen in 1839.....and you know what I think.....I think Paul Whithead's Heart is in San Francisco the confiscated and stolen property taken by this Bohemian Club, and from all indications, this wild and unruly buch too do a bit of devilry when they meet......but how much damage can they do....only the Inner Circle of the 12 and 22, know for sure. Dashwod, Hogarth and Benjamin Franklin all became very good friends; when Benjamin Franklin was Postmaster General he became great friends with Lod Le Depencer, whotoo had become a Potmatr Genral...a Churchill so wrote, to decorate his fall. Together, Dashwood and Franklin composed a revised Boof of Common Prayer for the Church of England....The purpose they said was a humanitarian one - to prevent the old and faithful from freezing to death thrughong ceremonies in cold churches, to make the services so short as to attact the yung and lively, and relieve the wel disposed form the inflection of interminable prayres. Dashwood, the great Lord le Despencer died in 1781...and is buried in the crypt under the Chuch on the Hil. In 1952 (that was a goodyear) Mr. Francis Dashwood, a descendant of Hel Fire Francis, opened once again the Hells Fire Caves....and one can almost imagine the days of Francis and the Monks - their riotious festivities.....but history does not acknowledge the fact that these men were the intelligensia of the day, all were high degree Masons.....and a lot more was done in those caves than one would think...see WWII and the Duke of Bedford, who often entertained the old 12OClock High - and wonder. Colleen -> Send "subscribe snetnews " to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -> Posted by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Colleen Jones)
