Sir Francis Dashwood and the Hellfire Club
The Legend behind Dunston Pillar
I have developed quite an interest in the places and history of my home county of Lincolnshire in England. The deeper you look the more remarkable the history becomes, such is the case with a neighbouring village called Dunston just off the A15. Following on from my recent return to Tupholme Abbey I researched other old buildings in the area and the history behind them and Dunston Pillar would prove to house a colourful past…
Sir Francis Dashwood was born in London in 1708, a friend of William Pitt the Elder he left England in 1726 for a particularly eventful tour of Europe before returning to his homeland to form the infamous Hellfire Club. The club consisted of prominent members of English society; politicians of the houses of parliament and the lords as well as doctors and poets, all with a penchant for wine and women. The club was never known as the Hellfire Club during its lifetime, its true name was the ‘Order of the Friars of St. Francis’ and despite tales of debauchery including devil worship it was in all probability somewhat less harmless.
Dashwood was indeed a colourful character, he created a labyrinth of caves and tunnels which bore some quater of a mile into a hill in West Wycombe and which still exists today. At the time it was said to be used for drunken orgies but Dashwood always insisted it was done to create work for the local community. Despite claims that he was a devil worshipper he still managed to climb to the highest levels in British politics. He became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1762, a job he admitted he was hopeless at before being made Postmaster General in 1766.
Whatever the rumours about the activities of Dashwood and the Hellfire Club what is certain is that he was a Lincolnshire land owner and because of his concern for the welfare of travellers he built a ‘land lighthouse’ high above his estate between Sleaford and Lincoln. The area at that time was notorious for highwaymen including the most famous of them all, Dick Turpin, and his idea was to shine a huge bright light as a deterent to any would be robbers.
So Dunston Pillar was born, an impressive landmark built by an equally impressive man….
The pillar underwent two changes following Dashwood’s demise. In 1808 the lighthouse had rotted and the Earl of Buckinghamshire ordered the removal of the light and replaced it with a bust of King George 111 to celebrate the king’s fifty year reign. By 1940 the bust along with the top thirty feet of the pillar were removed for the safety of low flying aircraft. The bust of the king can still be seen at Lincoln Castle.
How to Find Dunston Pillar
10km south of Lincoln on the busy A15 road it is close to the junction of the B1178 at Tower Lane. Grid Reference 008619. The pillar is set away from the roadside and partially shrouded by trees.
Miles
what a great day trip or day out in Lincolnshire. Thanks also for including the direction on how to get to Dunston Pillar !
We should be keeping out history and heritage alive here in Lincs and posts lie this help us do so.
Great picture and a great write up - I should certainly look to join the Hellfire Club if were still extant today
Best
Rod
August 24, 2008 @ 8:40 am
Rod,
Think it might have been too tame for you
Miles
August 24, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
Miles,
How very fascinating! Great atmospheric photo with it too. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. We really don’t appreciate the history around us, do we?
Elsie
August 24, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
Elsie,
We don’t appreciate our heritage enough, you’re quite right. It’s a shame because history can be quite fascinating, and sordid!!
Miles
August 24, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
Miles,
A marvellous insight into local history and something I knew nothing about until now. The naughty Mr Dashwood is an interesting character….. do we know if the lighthouse was a success in deterring highwaymen or merely a place for them to hang out after a long night fleecing the unsuspecting good folk of Lincolnshire?
Lincolnshire is probably where the whole Hellfire club was hatched after a particularly arduous turnip planting session, Dashwood thought he’d spice things up a bit.
The Romans must have had a few Hellfire clubs around Lincoln…… not to mention the Iron Age marsh dwellers. We should set our ‘diviners’ to debauched activity (mine only go up to ’smut’
) and see what we can dig up next.
Cid
August 27, 2008 @ 11:02 am
Cid,
I hear he had something of the Colin Firth (or whatever his name is) about him!
Thought you might be interested in old ‘dashers’
Miles
August 27, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
Miles,
I doubt very much that old Dashers could compete with dear Colin
My ancestor, it is said, was stood waiting for a hot date with Dick Turpin when she spotted the tower….. he meantime looked up and was deterred, some might say it was nothing to do with the tower 
Cid
August 27, 2008 @ 6:11 pm