Saturday 18 October 2008

Who Were "The Ghost" Children?

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Please press the "listen now" button under the heading of this posting to hear it spoken.


The fog was thick on that October night. The Leeds to London Express steam train shrieked its whistle into the chilly Autumn air. It sped through the foothills of the Cotswolds, passing grey stone cottages and ancient churches. The passengers sat huddled side- by -side on hard padded seats in the dim light of the flickering gas-lamps. Some were dozing, some awake, but they were all tired by the long overnight journey. However, the end of the line was only minutes away.

The driver, Ernest Aldington, was trying to make up five minutes time that had been lost earlier in the trip. The fog grew denser. Unbeknown to him and shrouded by that fog, a shunting engine puffed its way across the main fast line, towing behind it a line of heavily laden trucks that were destined for the station sidings at the village of Charfield.

Seconds later, the inhabitants of this village were abruptly awakened by a thunderous crash, metal ploughing into metal, woodwork splintering and the shrieking and screaming of terrified passengers. There was a roar of crackling fire and an inferno of billowing flames. As if this horror was not enough, a third train then ploughed into the crushed and broken wooden coaches of the now derailed express.

There was explosion after explosion as gas cylinders ruptured. The blaze grew worse. Villagers, dressed only in their nightclothes, ran to help - but little could be done. The intense heat drove them back, the light from the fire dispelled the fog and the full horror was to be seen. Some passengers had been thrown clear and, thankfully, forty-one people survived that terrible disaster. For the rest, nothing could be done. They were burnt beyond recognition. A doctor was called, Dr. H. Walsingham Ward. He was a highly respected, distinguished and very trustworthy man as well as being medically qualified. He had seen many a terrible sight in the trenches during the first World War but he found it hard to conceal his anguish at the horror that confronted him. Some of the people were identified by personal belongings only as slowly and painfully the clues were pieced together. Fifteen corpses were laid out on the railway tracks together with their mangled possessions.

It was then that the mystery began. Whilst combing the wreckage, two more pieces of burned remains were discovered, side by side in one of the crushed compartments near the front of the train. It was hard to believe they had been living creatures. There was only one clue. Two charred shoes, both nine inches long and certainly a pair, were found. They could have been the shoes of a young boy.

One week later, a coroner’s inquest returned verdicts of accidental death on the victims of that horrible accident on the 13th October 1928. The fifteen corpses were named. The remaining two were not. They were the ones brought out from that front compartment. Dr. Ward declared that, in his opinion, one was a boy aged about 11 years, the other a girl perhaps around the age of seven.

Thus the mystery of the Ghost Children of Charfield began. No person ever came forward to claim the remains, there were no reports of children having disappeared from anywhere. A further inquest proved to be of little help and only the fact that - “two unknown persons” - one approximately between the ages of three to seven years and the other , ten to fifteen years, met their deaths that night. Dr. Ward remained adamant about his findings. The victims were buried together and on the memorial was added “Two Unknown”.

Doubts soon began to creep into peoples’ minds. They found it hard to accept the evidence of Doctor Ward. Surely, two children could not die in such circumstances and never be missed or claimed? Some suggested that the two body parts found were, in fact, the mangled remains of just one other victim, possibly an adult. Dr. Ward would not be moved. He stated he was experienced enough to be able to determine the sexes, even in such mutilated remains. The police sergeant who had actually found the remains said he and his helpers were certain that the charred bodies they removed were definitely children.

Then Henry Haines came forward. He was a porter at Gloucester Station. He recalled that night very well indeed. The express was late arriving and he had to go through the carriages collecting and clipping tickets before the express could leave the station at four fifty-six a.m. He swore that he saw two children travelling alone near the front of the train. One was definitely a boy and the other a girl. He recalled the girl as sitting facing the engine, the boy was opposite her and there was a schoolbook face down on the seat next to him. It crossed his mind at the time that it was strange that the children were travelling alone, especially at night, but he was in a hurry so did not stop to speak to them which, he said, he regretted. He remained adamant that he had seen them despite all the heavy pressure being put on him to admit that he could be wrong, maybe he had made a mistake, maybe he just wanted his name in the news. Nothing would alter his story. He had seen those children. He maintained that all his life.


A popular magazine of the day tried to debunk the whole story, accusing Dr. Ward and Henry Haines of making false claims or having made gross mistakes.

The writer of the story had nothing to base these accusations on, except for the fact that he himself did not believe it was possible for the children to die in such a way and never be claimed. Some believed what they read, others remained sure that the doctor and the porter were telling the truth.

The story spread throughout Britain, Europe and even into America. Hundreds of thousands of people read about the two little victims. Months slipped by and nobody ever came forward to claim them as their own. Did someone know them? Were they keeping quiet because they had something to gain from the deaths? The rumours rumbled on and on.

Then, exactly a year to the day, October 13th 1929, Charfield was to witness a mysterious happening. A chauffeur-driven car stopped at the gates of the old cemetery. A woman emerged dressed in deep black with a long veil to hide her face from any onlookers. She carried a small posy of flowers. She took them to the victims’ grave, knelt for a few moments and then placed the flowers beneath the engraving “Two Unknown” and then she left. She returned on the same date the following year.

This was not the end of the tale. A few miles away in Bristol a sensational case arose concerning one of the most upstanding and respected citizens of the town, no less than the Chief Constable, a Mr. James F. Watson. He had misused public funds to send some of his officers on holiday. He was first suspended and then dismissed from his post. Now, Mr. Watson had played a massive part, along with his men, in the rescue work on the night of the Charfield crash. He suddenly disappeared from the City and then rumours began to spread that maybe he had some connection with the two children. A man came forward to say that he had seen Mr. Watson in the chauffeur driven car at the cemetery and that he had waited inside whilst the woman visited the memorial. No one knew where Mr. Watson had gone and no one seemed interested in searching for him. Then, just before Christmas 1930, a Bristol lawyer, Mr. Francis Hapgood, was contacted by his friend Mr. Watson. He received a telegram from London which said simply “Meet me, Waterloo Bridge ,Tomorrow Midnight - J.Watson.”

Mr. Hapgood took the train to London and met him on the Embankment by the Thames. Their meeting was very brief. They apparently shook hands and parted. What conversation passed between them was never revealed. Hapgood would never speak of it and took that secret to his own grave.

Two mornings later, the body of Mr. Watson was found in the pleasure gardens at Eastbourne, lying next to an open cut-throat razor. People were stunned when a an open verdict was returned. Open verdict? There were no signs of a struggle, his throat had been cut, an open razor was lying near him. How could there be an open verdict? It had to be suicide. So, there it ended. Mr. Hapgood refused to even discuss the matter and would give no details of what had been spoken of at their meeting. He died himself not all that long afterwards.

A medium visited the site of the crash scene, and she immediately felt the presence of two children, brother and sister and she was convinced they died on that awful night. After the suicide? of Mr. Watson, the lady in black was never seen again.


The mystery remains. Were Dr. Ward and the porter both mistaken? Had Dr. Ward made a wrong assumption as to what the remains were and then felt he could not back down because of his reputation? Was Mr. Haines, the porter just trying to make a name for himself? If they were indeed two children, why were they never claimed? They must have belonged to somebody, someone must have bought their tickets for that fateful journey. Did that person have something to gain by not coming forward? What connection had Mr. Watson to the children, if any at all - and who was the woman in black? The memorial still stands today although the inscription “Two Unknown” is barely legible now.

The mystery remains as strong today as it did all those years ago.


Who or what were the Charfield ghost children?



We shall never know
.

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22 comments:

  1. Fascinating Jeannette, I wonder could the mystery woman could have been royal or at least related to royalty, she certainly had something to hide. Whatever it was, she was the only person who appeared to grieve for those little lost children.

    Love Sandra xxxx

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  2. Another good one.... but sad the children were never identified...
    Have a blessed day!

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  3. I remember my grandmother talking about how this story was in the newspaper or hearing about it; I don't remember which, but it is certainly a fascinating story.

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  4. Another chilling story, Jeannette, and so perfectly told. Thanks again. Have a nice Sunday. All the best. Ciao. Antonella

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  5. dagnabit, jeannette, now i want to know the truth of the matter. i guess i will have to start doing some sherlock holmes work, lol.

    thanks for sharing.....

    regina

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  6. Perfect story to pass on as we get closer to Old Hallows Eve. Chilling, and ever so sad these children were never claimed. Great entry! (Hugs)Indigo

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  7. Hi
    I'm getting caught up here, I've had some bad days with a new medicine I'm taking, but today I've been able to sit up all day without being dizzy or sick. I just read through your stories that I missed....wow, some great entries. This last one was chilling, and so intersting, although I was sad about the children. Thanks for sharing all of these....you are remarkable.

    Pooh Hugs,
    Linda

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  8. What a tantalising tale ,As you say we will never know who those children or indeed the woman was,isnt it a pity we hadnt got DNA at that time ..love Jan xx

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  9. Hi Jeannette, I seem to remember you telling us this story before or am I wrong. I tried to listen to the story but oh that accent. Love Joan.

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  10. I enjoyed listening to that, what mystery can't imagine nobody coming forward to claim their children


    Yasmin
    x

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  11. you should write a book, it would be a best seller. I love reading these type of stories. Love ghost stories.
    (((hugs))))
    Love ya,
    Cindy xoxoxo

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  12. I love these stories. Fascinating! Really clever that blog reader thing isnt it!!! I agree with you I wish people would comment more on my blog. Laine xxx
    http://myphotolounge-heavenlybama.blogspot.com/

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  13. Whooops I left the wrong blogger link!! Of course mine is
    http://lainey-lainesworld.blogspot.com/

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  14. Hi Jeannette ,I enjoyed having the ghost story told to me ...love Jeanxx

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  15. Hi Jeannette, It's me again. I told my husband the story and he got very interested too. So we had a look on the Internet and found out that someone suggested that the two children were indeed on their way to/from a boarding school and that on their blue blazer there was the motto "Luce magistra" which is the motto of Queen Ethelburger's School (now College) a very famous boarding schhol near York in North Yorkshire (where I live!). The school was named after Queen Ethelburga, who married King Edwin of Northumbria and converted him to Christianity. The train that crashed was travelling from Leeds to Bristol and this school is only about 25 miles from Leeds. Their uniforms are still blue today!!!
    Ciao. Antonella

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  16. such a sad story...waiting the next...

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  17. Jeannette I love these stories you tell us ~ this one was really Sad I WAS SO SORRY THE CHILDREN WERE NEVER CLAIMED ~ someone must have known who they were ~ Ally x

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  18. O how sad not to know who those children were..but a great story my friend!~kbear

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  19. Ooooh, what an intriguing story. All of the secrets have gone to the graves with those who knew the truth. Interesting indeed. You always have the best stories...keep them coming please!

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  20. Very mysterious Jeannette. I wonder who the lady in black was too. I've heard about this story before, I guess it'll never be solved. Jeannette xx

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  21. Sad...and strange. Kids traveling alone, and no one there to ask for them? Very odd! Julie

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