The Childe Of Hale

Hale is famous for it`s quiet nature, cottages and countryside, but most of all for it`s most famous inhabitant who lived here more than 300 years ago. His name is John Middleton and was born in Hale in 1578, but is more commonly known as "The Childe Of Hale"! Even before he was 20 years of age, his height reach a staggering 9 foot 3 inches.

It is not clear if John Middleton ever married as there is no reference to this in the church marrage register, which dates back to 1572. Gilbert Ireland took on the giant as a bodygaurd, but it could be more so he took him on, for more than show rather than protection?

John Middleton died on August 23rd 1623, as entered into the Hale Church death register. His name is given and "Childe Of Hale" is written along side in pencil. His grave lies on the south side of St Mary`s church surrounded by iron railings.

In 1768 John Middletons remains were removed from his tomb/grave by the schoolmaster and Parish clerk, Mr Bushell. They were then taken to Hale Hall for preservation and were mesured. It was during this that it was discovered that his thigh bones each stretched from the hip of an average sized man to his foot. His hands were also mesured and found to be 17 inches from the carpus to the end of the middle finger and 8 and a half inches across the palm. Later his remains were re-interred into St Mary`s churchyard where they are now today!

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In the same manor as people throw coins into a fountain for good luck, the same appears to be happening on the Childes grave, can you spot the coins?

A close up of the Childes grave reveals the inscription,,

Here lyeth the bodie of John Middleton the Childe Nine feet three Borne 1578 Dyede 1623

The Childe`s cottage still stands today, with it`s white washed walls and sloping thatched roof which has recently been re-thatched due to years of neglect. In the gable end which faces onto Church End/Church Road, you can see two windows high up, these windows have legend about them that when the childe slept, he had to have each foot hanging out each window in order to lie the full length of the cottage asleep.

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An old Elm tree once stood opposite St Mary`s church for many years, unforunately it became diseased.

Instead of removing it completely, it was decided to do something with it. Now we have a grand carving of the Childe Of Hale!

If you ever visit Speke Hall, be sure to have a look at the giant portrait of John Middleton that hangs in the great hall

Little is known about his childhood, but there are many legends about him. One of these legends is still the talk of the village, and was once told to me by my mother when I was a child myself. This is the most famous of legends connected with John Middleton. One day by Hale Lighthouse he sketched out on the sand an outline of a giant man bigger than himself. He then lay down withing the lines of the sketch and went to sleep, wishing that when he woke up he would be the same dimensions of the giant sketch. Once he awoke he found himself to be of the same size of the giant drawing he had sketched out in the sand.

Hale Village Online © 2005-2008

The website for the historical village of Hale in Halton