This statue was maliciously decapitated in 2016 by some not-so-merry locals, who felt that wrestling with a Victorian statue made good nighttime entertainment. The next morning, the head and shoulders were found on the floor beside the body. The statue had stood outside this antique shop for around 50 years and was much loved by the locals. As a result, money was soon raised for surgical reattachment, and the resurrected man stands once more on St Andrew Street.
The statue was brought to Hertford from London by the owner of the antique shop that shelters it, and is believed to be a Victorian rendition of William Caxton (1422-1491), the first person to introduce a printing press into England. I don’t know why he was brought here, but if it is Caxton he does have a link with the county town: Hertford became home to Britain’s first paper mill. Caxton may have used paper from the mill, as it certainly provided paper to Wynkyn de Worde, a business partner of Caxton. Whether his supposed identity is true or not, his decapitation has certainly given him added fame.
Copyright Debbie Smyth, 23 February 2021
Posted as part of Lens-Artists Letter S
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Travel with Intent 
Great guy made even greater after decapitation. And mending. Maybe an idea to get more famous? I like him.
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Sssuperb.
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Thankssss John 🙂
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Good to hear it was restored
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I do like a happy ending! Nice post.
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I’m glad they fixed it. The face looks pleasant.
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So glad it’s restored Debbie, thanks for putting up this lovely post❣️
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It would her been a big loss – it seems to have a character of its own
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Good to hear the statue has been restored by raising money locally!
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LOL Debbie – I had a chuckle at the demise and subsequent restoration of the statue. One has to wonder about those who perpetrated the decapitation but good to know folks cared enough to raise the money to restore the poor fellow!
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Wonderful image and story behind it. Glad you were able to join us, Debbie!
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How sad to read this, how lucky they restored it thanks to the collected money.
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And they did a great job
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Nice statue, so glad that it is mended!
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Some people’s strange idea of fun … but in this case, it seems to have resulted in the statue and its story being more appreciated. I bet the Jolly Japesters weren’t caught.
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I’m not sure if they were caught – CCTV was released but dark and blurred
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Mindless violence! You could kick their heads in, couldn’t you? 🙂 🙂 No, honest- it wasn’t me! It’s a lovely thing, Debs. Glad it’s restored.
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That made me smile.
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🙂 🙂
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Aha, Jo the local cop 🙂
For light reading I’ve been enjoying some crime-tackling in Arizona and the main character may well be based on you – she is even named after you (almost). The Joanna Brady series by JA Jance 🙂 🙂
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I’ll have a look for her out of curiosity. Not really my kind of thing 🤔💕
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