Revisiting Old Jimmy Garlick

Yesterday I recieved an email regarding a post I wrote last May, about a mummy interred at the church of St James Garlickhythe, in the City of London. Referred to as ‘Old Jimmy Garlick’, no one knows who he really is. As a student in 1982, I took a photograph of this poor fellow.

I wasn’t sure what happened to the body after my visit, but apparently sometime afterwards, he was placed into a modern casket with a bit more dignity than a glass fronted case. This was kept in the bell tower. Unfortunately due to new bell ropes being installed after the recent Diamond Jubilee, Jimmy needed to be moved again, hence the email. No recent photograph was available to include in a history of the church.

I’m glad he now appears to have a permanent resting place. As said in the previous post, he was stored in the crypt in 1982, and was an unwelcome spectator of  builders working beneath the church. They moved him into a dark corner, face to the wall, so he couldn’t watch them!. I was asked to move him back to a position that was more suitable for a mummy – ie not damp! Moving dead bodies around is an odd thing, but strangely, there was absolutely nothing spooky about this at all. In fact ‘Old Jimmy’, close up,  almost had a smile as he wobbled in an undignified manner, whilst I dragged the casket bit by bit into the middle of the crypt!.

Thanks to John Sutton from St James Garlickhythe, for the photograph, and for the new information.