Peter The Wild Boy | Northchurch, Berkshire
Recent teachers’ strike (which we totally support) forced us to stay home again, but instead we decided to go sightseeing. I was telling my son all about The Wild Boy, who’s story I came across years ago while scrolling through instagram. We decided to visit his grave to pay our respects. It’s really a sad story in my opinion. I don’t want to think of all of the horrible things and people he must have encountered in his life.
Peter was like a real-life Mowgli. This boy of unknown origin was found by a farmer in German forest in May of 1724 at age of around 12 years old. He walked on all fours, preferred to be unclothed and loved to forage for acorns and twigs to eat. He was sent to a children's home but his huge appetite meant no food was left for the other children, so he was transferred to a nearby prison.
According to a brass tablet in the nave of the Herts church, within a year, the mysterious tale of this wild child had spread to England and "by order of the late Queen Caroline", he was brought over to live in the Kensington palace in England. The Wild Boy became a sensation and quite frankly a royal pet as his wild behaviour amused the royals and their guests. He once even kissed the prime minister’s wife. The Palace hoped to transform Peter into a civilized citizen, even employing a personal tutor, but their attempts weren’t very successful. Peter did not learn to speak. When he was naughty, he would be beaten with a leather strap.
His portrait is painted amongst other servants on the ceiling of Kensington palace.
Eventually the palace became bored of Peter's unusual behaviours and he was sent to one of the Queen’s bedchamber women called Mrs Tichbourne. She brought him down to Northchurch, a parish in Berkhamsted, which would remain his home for his adult life. He worked happily alongside the labourers at Broadway End Farm in Berkhamstead.
Peter liked to be barefoot, he loved to go to local woods (I assume it would be Ashridge Forrest) to colect acorns and twigs. He loved stargazing and looking at bonfire flames. Once he even walked to Norwich where he was arrested by the police, as he could not explain where he was from and who he was and he was taken for a spy. He was later given a collar, which read: "Peter the Wild Man from Hanover. Whoever will bring him to Mr Fenn at Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, shall be paid for their trouble."
Peter is now believed to have suffered from the rare genetic disorder known as Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, a condition identified in 1978, nearly 200 years after Peter’s death.
Peter died in 1785 at age of 72. He'll always be remembered at his final resting place, St Mary's Church in Northchurch, a parish in Berkhamsted. In 2013, on the advice of English Heritage, the grave was given the Grade II listing it deserves.
All the info you need…
St. Mary's Church, Northchurch 93 High St, Berkhamsted HP4 3QN
Free on-street parking
No facilites but there is a cafe nearby. Buggy friendly.
If you decide to visit Peter’s grave after reading my post, please be respectful and leave him a flower or an acorn.
