The government agency responsible for protecting English heritage is paying tribute to the family who inspired the colorful character of Captain Haddock.
France Télévisions – Culture Editorial
Published on 18/12/2024 18:11
Reading time: 1min
The tomb of Mary Haddock, mother of Admiral Richard Haddock, who inspired Tintin’s father, Hergé, has been classified as a historic monument, announced Wednesday 17 December the British government agency Historic England. Responsible for the protection of English heritage, it has just revealed its list of “17 remarkable and unusual historic buildings and places” which will henceforth be subject to protection.
Among them, a 17th century tomb century, located in Essex (southeast of England). Which is none other than the grave of a certain Mary Haddock, the mother of Admiral Richard Haddock who inspired the eponymous character in the comic strip Tintin : Captain Haddock. This impulsive, whiskey-drinking man, known for his swearing, is often described as the most popular character among Adventures of Tintinthe work of the Belgian designer Hergé.
Mary Haddock’s grave is “notable as a unique monument to a woman in a period of gender inequality“, writes the Historic England agency in its press release. Like Richard Haddock, the captain imagined by Hergé was a sailor. The grave of Richard Haddock’s grandfather, William Goodland, also appears in the list of classified monuments.
Other additions this year : a Baptist church in Bristol, southwest England, which houses a supermarket on the ground floor. Historic England has listed this building for years 1960 like a “striking example of post-war church architecture”. This annual ranking aims to highlight original and little-known heritage sites.
