The Chilwell Ghost - A new Investigation
Price: £5.99
Historical background
Early in the 19th century certain events occurred in the village of Chilwell, near Nottingham, which for a short time made the village a centre of attention, brought the crowds flocking, and resulted in the legend of Chilwell Ghost.
Over the years, a number of “myths” arose about the Chilwell Ghost, such as that it was that of a woman who had been murdered by her husband who then cut off her head, or that a pedlar had murdered a family in a cottage, which was subsequently haunted by their restless spirits. These are just two of the tales that were part of the local folklore. It is, of course, not surprising that after so many years the truth of what really happened gradually faded. As the years passed by, only a dwindling number of local people knew something of the true story, that it actually concerned a pedlar who went missing and was believed by many of the villagers to have been murdered by the inhabitants of a particularly lonely cottage; and that this cottage was subsequently believed to be haunted by the ghost of the pedlar.
From time to time, occasional references to the Chilwell Ghost have appeared in local newspaper articles, and books of local interest have contained brief accounts of the story. However, until the late 1990s, no serious attempt had ever been made at a detailed investigation into the true facts surrounding the story; to try and find contemporary accounts of the events; to establish if and when a murder really did take place and whether this event had any connection with the subsequent reported haunting; and to identify the actual persons involved.
The Chilwell Ghost - A New Investigation is the result of painstaking research by A. R. Dance into an intriguing episode in Chilwell's otherwise unremarkable history; a real life historical detective story and an attempt to solve a 170 year old mystery.
The book
What actually happened at the Chilwell Ghost House? Was it really haunted as many people believed? Did a murder take place there and did the ghost of the murdered man return to haunt the house? Who were the people involved, what were their names, when were they born and when did they die? When exactly did these events take place – if they really did happen?
These are just some of the questions which many people in the area may have asked themselves over the years but have been unable to find the answers to. For many years the author had asked himself these questions. Unable to find the answers, he began his own investigations. The results are contained in this book.
Based primarily on original source material and historical records, many of which have never been published before, this intriguing book tells the true story behind Chilwell’s curious legend. It will appeal to those interested in local history, or anyone who simply enjoys a good mystery story. The book is illustrated with photographs, maps and reproductions of old documents and newspaper articles.
Reviews
'The author has applied remarkable detective skills to examine the story to assess the truths and half truths ... he delves deeper than any so far into a 170 year old mystery which still captures the imagination.'
(Nottingham Evening Post)
'Read and much enjoyed The Chilwell Ghost. It's a model for the presentation and interpretation of evidence.'
(Colin Dexter, author of Inspector Morse)