William Stukeley was born at Holbeach, in Lincolnshire. His story was one of great knowledge, skill and expertise. It was also the story of a man with a vivid imagination and an obsession with a prehistoric people unlike other scientists of his day.
William Stukeley was an antiquarian (or archeologist) of the highest order. He was well respected in the scientific community and among other things, credited with assisting in saving the Society of Antiquaries after James I abolished it due to shady dealings (Hawkins, 1967). Having a keen eye for documenting, surveying and drawing his sites, Dr. Stukeley would put his skills to work around Great Britain. These sites would later be published in his first book entitled Itinerarium Curiosum (Observations from a Journey) in 1724.
Although his merits as an antiquarian had made him well known to the scientific community it was not until he acquired a full original copy of John Aubrey's book One Stone Circle: Temple Druidism (Hawkins, 1967) that he would become famous. It was this book that captivated William Stukeley, resulting in an obsession for him. This focus resulted in his ignited a rebirth in English early ancestry and would forever link him with Stonehenge and the Druid Cult.
John Aubrey’s book had been published sixty years before Dr. Stukeley ever laid eyes on it (Burl, 1980). Aubrey's book documented his findings at Stonehenge and concluded that there was a Celtic/Druid culture that had existed before written records. However, he never speculated as to what Stonehenge could have been used for (Burl, 1980). Dr. Stukeley was captivated and quickly went to investigate the site (Lincolnshire-web). He was not disappointed. He was quoted as saying “It cannot but be the highest pleasure imaginable to a regular mind, to walk around and contemplate the stately ruin…”(Hawkins, 1967). In a word, Dr. Stukeley was in bliss.
Fortunately, Dr. Stukeley had an eye for detail. He would document everything he saw with great accuracy, which led to the findings of Cursus, an earth formation to the north of Stonehenge. He also tried to prove the builders of Stonehenge used a system of measurement called a ‘druid cubit' (20.8 inches) (Hawkins, 1967).
Stukeley also gave modern archeologists the first written understanding of the true use of Stonehenge when he plotted key points of reference indicating the summer and winter solstice, as well as other key markers (Hawkins, 1967). He published two books in which these accomplishments would shine: The books Stonehenge: a Temple Restored to the British Druids (1740), and Aubrey: a Temple of the British Druids (1743) (Lincolnshire Web). These books would convey his abilities as a professional and a scientist. His technical abilities would also prove invaluable as they would give him credibility for the rest of his career and insulate him from his critics.
His critics did not have to look hard to find evidence of William Stuckeley’s fictional side. His books revealed that William Stukeley had a gift for story telling. Drawing from John Aubrey’s concepts of the Druids, Dr. Stukeley would create stories that leave many fiction writers in awe. Creating what we know today as the Druid Cult, he developed elaborate priesthoods and secret ceremonies (Linconshire Web). It seemed as though nothing was safe from a Druidian connection.
In fact, because of Dr. Stukeley's enthusiasm towards the Druids, modern historians find it difficult to give full credit to John Aubrey, who first sketched out the idea in his book. Clearly, it was Dr. Stukeley who would breathe life into the legend (Burl, 1980). Often times, his stories would have no archeological or historical basis. They were simply and completely fabricated, but would remain one step ahead of his critics when he published the Itinerarium Curiosum 2 (1776) (Burl, 1980).
William Stuckeley’s data has been useful to people researching even today. He broke new ground in the antiquarian field and was a leader in his research techniques. With his extremely subjective content, Stukeley has succeeded in perverting the way people view Stonehenge and that period in British history. When you think of Stonehenge, to one degree or another, you are connecting to the imagination of William Stukeley. Gerald Hawkins put it best in his book Stonehenge Decodedwhen he said, “He succeeded in both confusing and clarifying the situation.”
Hawkins, G. (1967). Stonehenge Decoded. New York: Dorset Press.
Burl, A. (1980). Rings of Stone: The prehistoric stone circles of Britain and Ireland. New Haven: Ticknor & Fields.
Lincolnshire-web.co.uk. Logocrat 2000. (19 February, 2001)
By Jason Hamond