Cathedral Dean gets to grips with Cromwell's hated Mace

Mayor Rigby with Fr Witon

Source: Archbishops House

It avoided the clutches of Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century and has now found itself in the arms of the Dean of Westminster Cathedral on a visit to the Lord Mayor of Westminster.

Father Slawomir Witoń shouldered the 7.5 kilo Great Mace, kept in a secure cabinet at Westminster City Hall, after a meeting with Mayor Robert Rigby. Made of silver gilt and coated in 22-carat gold, the exquisitely wrought piece caught the eye of a furious Cromwell as he dissolved the Long Parliament in 1653. Legend has it a furious Cromwell caught sight of the Mace and snapped: "Take thy bauble from thy midst and destroy it."

However the Great Mace was smuggled into Westminster Abbey for many years. From there it took a circuitous route shrouded in mystery and worthy of the intrigues of Wolf Hall, at one point stolen and on another occasion allegedly surfacing in Jamaica.

However the 400-year-old hefty heirloom has for some years been safely kept at Westminster City Council and is used on civic occasions along with two others. The Dean was shown the correct way to carry a mace, shouldering it on the right side, where tradition has it the mace bearer can deploy the device as a weapon if anyone makes an untoward approach to the Lord Mayor.

The Lord Mayor, who is a Catholic, said: "I am sure Father Witoń enjoyed the historical irony of shouldering a Mace which Oliver Cromwell wanted rid of!

"It was great to meet the Dean in person and I look forward to building ever closer links with Westminster Cathedral during my Mayoral year. It plays a central part in serving Westminster's communities and projects like helping the homeless, both of which are important priorities to me as Lord Mayor."