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Published on September 20, 2024 06:00

The Ghost of Hampton Court

Friends,

I have recently been doing some research on Executioners during the 15th,16th, and 17th Centuries. It’s a grim topic, I know, but it’s interesting to look into the study of societal norms and religious beliefs. Now, before you start asking me questions, please note that I will write a blog about it soon.

And I have an idea for a future book….

But I digress.

As I dug through the dusty basements of ghost stories- I came across the names of two women with the same execution date- 13 February 1542.

Not really strange in the scheme of things regarding Henry VIII’s time as King of England. He was known for being a little ‘reactive’ to perceived disrespect or adultery claims. A little too friendly with executioners if you ask me.

While Anne Boleyn is mentioned more often than not, we never really talk about the young girl who met the same ruthless death a little less than six years later.

Katherine Howard.

Who was she?

Cousin to Anne Boleyn and King Henry’s 5th wife.

A young girl of 15 or 16 (birthday unknown) pushed into the bed chamber of a man who was 49/50 years old.

A teenager swept up in the drama of royal scandals and political intrigue.

A woman who needed someone to protect her from the scheming of couturiers twice her age who would use her for their own means to more power.

You may be wondering why I decided to jump off the train of witches, mythology, and spooky. The answer is simple. It is believed that Katherine’s ghost is still running through the corridors at Hampton Court, trying to find King Henry to plead her case.

Possibly in hopes of finding forgiveness for her crimes.

Most likely looking for her head.

For that reason, I felt like a blog should be dedicated to Queen Katherine and remembering that a young girl lost her life and is not just a character in a Broadway musical.

Time Lines

In all honesty, trying to describe the downfall of Katherine is a 3,4,5, maybe even 15-blog series. There are so many spiderwebs of moving parts that it is hard sometimes to make sense of it all. Nevertheless, I have broken it down as best I could for you.

Jul 9, 1540- King Henry annuls his marriage to Anne of Cleves.

Jul 28, 1540- King Henry and Katherine are married in a private ceremony.

Aug 8, 1540- King Henry publicly acknowledges Katherine as Queen.

November 1541—King Henry learns that Queen Katherine may or may not have had relationships with Henry Mannock (a music teacher), Francis Dereham (who called her ‘my wife’), and Thomas Culpepper, who was not only her cousin but also her fiancée at some point, all before her marriage to him.

While this all started as petty gossip, Katherine didn’t help herself by appointing Francis Dereham as her private secretary, which, looking back, may have added some validity to the charges against her.

Letter from Thomas Culpeper to Kathrine Howard.

Add to the boiling pot that Katherine’s friends and former lovers confessed! Now, under normal circumstances, I would say we could legitimately ignore the ‘confessions’ because we know they were typically made under torture.

Except for a tiny thing… there is a letter. A letter from Thomas Culpeper that could only be described as a love letter. Ironically, according to historians, he was not tortured. He admitted to having ‘thoughts’ about bedding Kathrine but never acting on them.

In my book, this proves Katherine was most likely not having a sexual relationship with Culpeper. But maybe the relationship was a little more friendly than it should have been.

Side note- I will include a link at the end where you can read Katheirne’s progression of confessions as her interrogation continues.

Changing laws

On February 7, 1542, Parliament passed a Bill of Attainder that declared it treason for a woman who was not ‘pure’ to marry the king. Because of this bill, Katherine was now not considered ‘chaste’ before marriage and, therefore, guilty as charged.

An Act concerning the Attainder of the late Queen Katharine and her Complices, 11 February 1541, Parliamentary Archives, HL/PO/PU/1/1541/37H8n33

It is interesting to note here that a Bill of Attainder differs from a law. The charges in the bills were usually considered treason, but they didn’t have to ‘satisfy’ the legal definition of that or any other crime.

In other words, the Bill of Attainder would be written so that it was tailored to make an action criminal when it was not considered criminal when performed.

For example, before Katherine’s marriage to King Henry, no law stated that the future Queen had to be a virgin. Then, because of all these rumors hitting the fan- wham, bam- it is suddenly illegal.

And considered to be treason!

The Final Days

Feb 10, 1542- Katherine was taken to the Tower of London, and her execution was scheduled for three days later. According to the woman who was with Katherine in her final moments, she spent the night prior practicing.

The teenage Queen was so scared of a botched execution that she spent hours kneeling and laying her head on the executioner block so that it was in the perfect position for a swift death.

Feb 13, 1542- Katherine was executed—a swift death by a sharpened axe.

Directly following her body being carted to the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, her friend and cousin to Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Rochford, laid her own head on the bloody butcher block and fell to the same fate.

According to records, both women were buried under the altar in the chapel near Anne and George Boleyn’s bodies.

Ghostly sightings.

According to gossip and legend, after Kathrine Howard was arrested, somehow, she broke free from her guards and ran down what is now called the Haunted Gallery, screaming for King Henry.

And the screaming continues to this day.

Or does it?

There are some different theories about who the ghostly intruder is at Hampton Court. Some say it couldn’t be Katherine Howard because, at the time of her arrest, King Henry did what he did best—hid from the drama. He wasn’t even at court.

Some say it is the ‘Grey Lady,’ long thought to be King Henry’s nursemaid, Dame Sybil Penn, who died of smallpox in 1562 and had her remains removed from her grave in 1829.

Or it could be Queen Jane Seymour who died at Hampton Court, giving birth to King Henry’s only son.

Maybe it’s all three women? Or it could be none. There are plenty of souls of people who died at the hands of scheming men and women who all wanted to be ‘in charge.’

Final thoughts.

If Katherine’s soul is still unable to cross, it might be because she is looking for her friends. Maybe she is still trying to plead for their lives, not hers. I have no proof. I just have a feeling that Katherine’s last moments would have been spent mourning her friends and not herself.

Regardless of who still walks the halls of Hampton Court- the lives of innocent children deserve to be remembered. And no matter how Hollywood or Broadway wants to portray Katherine- we must not forget this- she was a child when she was sentenced to death.

Click here to read Katherine’s ‘confessions’ and decide for yourself whether she was guilty of treason.

Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post The Ghost of Hampton Court appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

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Published on September 16, 2024 06:00

The forgotten story of the Salem Witch Trials-Dorothy Good

Friends,

Photo: ad for tours of the “Old Witch Jail and Dungeon” showing the 1930 historical marker. Courtesy of Nelson Dionne Salem History Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, Salem, Massachusetts.

I am not a big fan of talking about the Salem Witch Trials, mainly because so much has been written about them, and there are literally hundreds of historians with more knowledge and insights into the details than I have.

But I was surprised when I stumbled across an article about a small girl I knew very little about. A child whose name is rarely mentioned because the story is so heartbreaking that you want to go back in time and slap the crap out of the key players.

The discovery of Dorothy Good’s life led me down a research rabbit hole and forced me to break my vow of silence. Now, I want you to know that we will discuss the Salem Witch trials in some of my upcoming blogs, not as an overview of what happened but as a focus on the affected people.

We will dive into their lives before, during, and after this bleak moment in American history

For today, we will focus on the youngest accused witch of the Salem Witch Trials.

Backstory

1692- Salem, Massachusetts. It took only a year for a witch hunt to become so inflamed in North America that it ended with nineteen people hanged, one man tortured to death, five people dying in prison, and up to 200 people being arrested on the charges of witchcraft.

Sarah Good was one of the first women to be accused.

Now, poor Sarah had one of those lives where if she didn’t have bad luck, she would have no luck at all. Her father committed suicide, her first husband died with no money to his name, and her second marriage was to a dead-beat man named William.

Unfortunately, Sarah was forced to rely on the good graces of her neighbors to survive. As we know, neighborly love only lasts for so long before welcomed guests become a burden and an outcast of society.

As you can imagine, this was not a high point in Sarah’s life. If you have ever been back east, you know that summers are hot and winters are brutal. A home is essential to survival, but with no money, job prospects, or even a ‘good name,’ Sarah was a bit of an emotional wreck.

So much so that it is noted that she often muttered curses at people who turned her and her family away.

Records of Sarah’s life or marriage to deadbeat William are shaky at best, so we cannot pinpoint when Dorothy Good was born. But we do know for a fact, according to town ledgers, that Sarah and her daughter were in Salem Village (now Danvers) before 1692.

Accusations

It was easy for Sarah Good to be drawn into the witch hunt. She was unwelcome, unwanted, and on the fringes of society. I hate to admit this, but she probably looked like a witch. Sarah’s family didn’t have money for clothes or proper nutrition, and, as we know from that period, bathing wasn’t a daily activity.

So, it is easy to imagine that Sarah and her family looked like a hot mess.

And when Sarah was accused of witchcraft, I am pretty sure that no one batted an eye. Honestly, the town was probably a little relieved because, with her in jail, they didn’t need to worry about caring for her or her child.

To make matters worse, at the time of her arrest, deadbeat William went so far as to tell the magistrates that ‘he was afraid that she either was a witch or would be one very quickly’ and that she was ‘an enemy to all.’

A few weeks after Sarah’s imprisonment, a warrant was issued for Dorothy. She was four at the time.

We don’t know for sure where Dorothy was staying at the time of her mother’s incarceration, but a small side note in Chaples Upham’s 1867 book Salem Witchcraft mentions that she might have been staying at Benjamin Putnam’s home. The book mentions that ‘whoever performed the service probably brought her in his arms, or on a pillion. The little thing could not have walked the distance from Benjamin Putnam’s farm.’

The arrest warrant for Dorothy GoodThe Charges

You might wonder what a four-year-old could have done to invoke the community’s wrath. I know I did.

Quit simply, Dorothy’s crime was that she had a pet snake that the local clergy and magistrate considered to be her familiar (a witch’s companion).

And Ann Putman, a 12-year-old prime accuser of the witch trials, had the following to say about her:

“I saw the Apparition of Dorothy Good, Sarah Good’s daughter who did immediately almost choke me and tortured me most grievously: and so she hath several times since tortured me by biting and pinching and almost choking me, tempting me also to write in her book, and also on the day of her examination, the Apparition of Dorothy Good tortured me during the time of her Examination and several times since.” – The Deposition of Ann Putnam, 3rd March 1692
Guilty

Dorothy was officially arrested and thrown into the Boston Jail before being transferred to the Ipswich Jail on 24 March 1692 because of overcrowding.

Initially, Dorothy was with her mother and baby sister, Mercy, but Sarah Good was taken to Salem to stand trial on March 25th, 1692. According to local gossip, when she was found guilty of witchcraft, Sarah yelled at the judges, ‘I’m no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink.’

She was executed on July 19, 1692, along with four other women.

There are no records of what happened to Mercy other than we know she died before Sarah was hanged.

Dorothy was confined for 34 weeks and four days, being finally released on 10 December 1692 when her father paid $50.00 for her bail and board. No records survive of who took care of her or what happened during her incarceration- but we can assume she was looked after by the other men and women who had been falsely accused.

What happened next?

After her imprisonment, Dorothy was sent to live with her father and his new wife, and that deadbeat William sued the Great and General Court for health and mental damages on behalf of his daughter and was awarded a sum of thirty pounds sterling.

According to records, in 1708, Benjamin Putnam, the same man who supposedly carried her to jail, was given a sum for her daily care. Dorothy would have been twenty at the time.

Denver Post (Denver, CO) 14 Jun 1935, page 17

Regular payments were sent to Putnam until his death in 1715.

After that, Dorothy disappears from the records until September 5, 1720, when the Salem selectmen ordered ‘Doro Good’ warned out of town.

Now, to ‘warn’ someone out of town means they are considered transient or nonlegal inhabitants and are forced to leave. In Dorothy’s case, it was because she was pregnant, and the town wasn’t too keen on wanting to take on the burden of caring for her or her illegitimate child.

Two months later, in November, the town treasurer notes that Nathaniel Putnam (Benjamin’s son) was given 20 shillings to care for ‘Doro Good’ and her daughter, Dorothy.

Dorothy stayed with Nathaniel for two years, and her child was forced into an indentured servant contract, which stated she would work for Nathaniel until she turned 18 or got married.

The saga continues.

Before we dive into this next part, the records show that Dorothy was passed from one caretaker to another. She was considered a stain on the community, had periodic outbursts, was hard to manage, and was a burden to anyone ‘forced’ to care for her.

It is no surprise. Dorothy must have had a hard time processing that she was reliant on the same townsfolk who murdered her mother and imprisoned her as a toddler on a false claim of witchcraft.

Photo: the Old Salem Dungeon, 4 Federal Street, Salem, Massachusetts. Courtesy of Nelson Dionne Salem History Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, Salem, Massachusetts.

Or the fact that her father was one of the first people to corroborate the story that led to her mother’s arrest and then left Dorothy in miserable conditions for 34 weeks as he was out and about finding a new wife.

Maybe it’s because she became an unmarried mother, which leads me to believe that someone took advantage of her, using her mental instability as a reason not to take responsibility for her or the child’s care.

Imprisoned again

All this aside, we know from records that Dorothy ended up in the House of Correction on June 4, 1722. She would have been 34 at the time.

After serving 18 weeks, Dorothy was released to the care of Robert Hutchinson, who was paid for her upkeep for three months.

Then, she disappears from the records for three years. In 1725, her name appeared in the House of Corrections records for a second time.

I would be doing no service to facts if I didn’t mention that the House of Corrections was not a jail but a workhouse for able-bodied people who were causing a nuisance. I can not speak on the conditions, but from what we know historically, it was not pleasant. Those who were ‘sentenced’ to time generally suffered mentally and physically from the living situation and treatment.

Then there was more…

Robert Hutchinson comes back into the picture when he was paid in October 1725, ‘relating to the case of Doro Good, her being with child before he took her out of the House of Corrections last spring and her having a child.’

This is another point in history where we have to make assumptions. We do not know if Dorothy was abused in the workhouse or if she started a relationship with someone and ended up pregnant with her second child.

What I do know from historian Rachel Christ-Doane, is that Dorothy was transported to Concord, Massachusetts, and the Salem Selectmen paid for her stay when she had a son.

Shuffled around again

Now, bear with me; things get weirder. After Dorothy returned to Salem with her son, she was bounced from Robert Hutchinson’s house to his son, John’s. John dies a year later, and Jonathan Batchelder takes her in.

Pause for effect.

Jonathan Batchelder is the same man who, at the age of fourteen, testified against Sarah Good at her trial.

It gets murkier; Dorothy and her young son, William, were indentured to Jonathan.

Dorothy stayed with Jonathan for over a decade. Ironically, it might have been her most stable home—except for the pesky issue that she liked to wander and would often ‘escape.’ It is implied that during this time, Dorothy suffered greatly from mental instability and was known to be angry, defensive, and overall- not a pleasant person to be around at times.

We also know Jonathan was paid handsomely for her care.

Lost to history

Unfortunately, this is where Dorothy Good’s story ends—the last ‘known’ record of her time in Salem is in 1738. No further information can be found on her children, but we assume they lived until adulthood and may have had their own families.

There was a notice published in the New-London Summary on 14 Aug 1761 that reported a ‘woman transient vagrant person’ was found dead in a bog meadow. After a half-ass investigation, a jury declared it was the body of Dorothy Good.

But no one knows for sure.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard to imagine what life was like for Dorothy, other than we can assume it was dismal at best. Honestly, Dorothy didn’t stand a chance at having a happy and productive life. And her story might not have been remembered if it wasn’t for dedicated historians who refused to stop researching the lives of those affected by the witch trials.

One reason Dorothy’s story isn’t more well known is that her name is butchered on several occasions in the records. She was often referred to as ‘Doro’ or ‘Dorcus,’ and her story would have been easy to overlook unless you were willing to spend the time connecting the tiny dots.

I am thankful for the historians, especially Rachel Christ-Doane, who refused to give up on Dorothy Good.

Her name deserves to be remembered.

Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post The forgotten story of the Salem Witch Trials-Dorothy Good appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

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Published on September 12, 2024 06:00

The forgotten story… Dorothy Good

Friends,

I am not a big fan of talking about the Salem Witch Trials, mainly because so much has been written about them, and there are literally hundreds of historians with more knowledge and insights into the details than I have.

But I was surprised when I stumbled across an article about someone I knew very little about. Someone that isn’t discussed in polite company because the story is so heartbreaking that you want to go back in time and slap the crap out of the key players.

Photo: ad for tours of the “Old Witch Jail and Dungeon” showing the 1930 historical marker. Courtesy of Nelson Dionne Salem History Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, Salem, Massachusetts.

This led me down a rabbit hole of research and prevented me from gilding the edges of my books as I should have or preparing for my upcoming talk about Myths, Legends, and Mysteries.

It has forced me to break my vow of silence. Now, I want you to know that we will discuss the Salem Witch trials in the following few blogs, but not as an overview of what happened but instead as a focus on the affected people.

We will dive into their lives and what happened to them before, during, and after.

For today, the person in question is four-year-old Dorthy Good.

Backstory

1692- Salem, Massachusetts. It took only a year for a witch hunt to become so inflamed in North America that it ended with nineteen people hanged, one man tortured to death, five people dying in prison, and up to 200 people being arrested on the charges of witchcraft.

Dorthy Good’s mother was Sarah Good, one of the first women to be accused of witchcraft. Poor Sarah had one of those lives where if she didn’t have bad luck, she would have no luck at all. Her father committed suicide, her first husband died, and her second marriage was to a dead-beat man named William.

Sarah was forced to beg to survive. Now, records of when and where Dorthy Good was born are hazy. Sarah and William jumped from home to home, relying on neighbors for shelter and food. But what we do know for a fact is that Sarah and her daughter were in Salem Village (now Danvers) before 1692.

As you can imagine, this was not a high point in Sarah’s life. If you have ever been back east, you know that summers are hot and winters are brutal. A home is essential to survival, but with no money, job prospects, or even a ‘good name,’ Sarah was a bit of an emotional wreck. So much so that it is noted that she often muttered curses at people who turned her and her family away.

Can we blame her?

Accusations

It was easy for Sarah Good to be drawn into the witch hunt. She was unwelcome and unwanted on the fringes of society, and I hate to admit this, but she probably looked like a witch. She didn’t have money for clothes, probably didn’t bathe as much as she should have, and didn’t have the proper nutrition, so I think she looked like a hot mess.

William, the fool, even went so far as to tell the magistrates that ‘he was afraid that she either was a witch or would be one very quickly’ and that she was ‘an enemy to all.’

A few weeks after Sarah’s imprisonment, a warrant was issued for Dorothy’s arrest. We don’t know for sure where Dorothy was staying at the time. A small side note in Chaples Upham’s 1867 book, Salem Witchcraft, mentions that she might have been staying at the home of Benjamin Putnam and that ‘whoever performed the service probably brought her in his arms, or on a pillion. The little thing could not have walked the distance from Benjamin Putnam’s farm.’

The arrest warrant for Dorothy Good

Dorothy’s crime? She had a pet snake that the local clergy and magistrate considered to be her familiar (a witch’s companion). And Ann Putman had the following to say about her:

“I saw the Apparition of Dorothy Good, Sarah Good’s daughter who did immediately almost choke me and tortured me most grievously: and so she hath several times since tortured me by biting and pinching and almost choking me, tempting me also to write in her book, and also on the day of her examination, the Apparition of Dorothy Good tortured me during the time of her Examination and several times since.” – The Deposition of Ann Putnam, 3rd March 16992

Dorothy was officially arrested and thrown into the Boston Jail before being transferred to the Ipswich Jail on 24 March 1692. She was four at the time.

In the beginning, Dorothy was jailed with her mother and baby sister, but Sarah was taken to Salem to stand trial in June and then executed on July 19, 1692. Her sister, Mercy, died sometime during this period- but I can’t find records of when. All we know for sure is that when Sarah was incarcerated, she was given a blanket and two more for her children.

Dorothy was confined for 34 weeks and four days, being finally released on 10 December 1692 when her father paid $50.00 for her bail and board. No records survive of who took care of her or what happened during her incarceration- but she had the spirit of a warrior and managed to stumble away from the horror as the Salem Witch Trials were coming to a close.

What happened next?

Buckle in because the rest of the story gets more heartbreaking. After her imprisonment, Dorothy was sent to live with her father and his new wife. We are not sure for how long because records are fuzzy at best. But we do know that Benjamin Putnam, the same man who carried her to jail, was given a sum for his care of Dorothy, maybe as early as 1708 (she would have been twenty at the time).

Denver Post (Denver, CO) 14 Jun 1935, page 17

Regular payments were sent to Putnam; from that record, we think she was under his care until his death in 1715.

Then she disappears for four years.

Until September 5, 1720, when the Salem selectmen ordered ‘Doro Good’ warned out of town. Now, to ‘warn’ someone out of town means that a person is considered to be a transient or nonlegal inhabitant, and they are forced to leave. In Dorothy’s case, it was because she was pregnant, and the town didn’t want to take on the burden of caring for her or her illegitimate child.

Two months later, in November, the town treasurer notes that Nathaniel Putnam (Benjamin’s son) was given 20 shillings to care for ‘Doro Good’ and her daughter, Dorothy.

Dorothy stays with Nathaniel for two years, and her child is put under an indentured contract, which states she will work for Nathaniel until she turns 18 or gets married.

It can’t get worse. Can it?

I wish it couldn’t, but it does. Before we dive into this next part, the records show that Dorothy is passed from one caretaker to another. She is considered a stain on the community and has periodic outbursts.

I wonder why. Maybe because she was surrounded by the people who killed her mother and imprisoned her as a toddler for having a pet snake? It could be because her father is a shitbag who was not only instrumental in her mother’s execution but then also threw her out of the house.

Or the fact that she becomes an unmarried mother, which leads me to believe that someone took advantage of her, using her mental instability as a reason not to take responsibility for her or the child’s care.

Photo: the Old Salem Dungeon, 4 Federal Street, Salem, Massachusetts. Courtesy of Nelson Dionne Salem History Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, Salem, Massachusetts.

All this aside, we know from records that she ended up in the House of Correction on June 4, 1722. Dorothy would have been 34 at the time. She is there for 18 weeks before she is released to Robert Hutchinson, who was paid for her upkeep for three months.

Dorothy disappears for three years from the records.

She reappears in 1725 when she ends up in the House of Corrections for a second time. Now would be a good time to mention that the House of Corrections was not a jail but a workhouse for able-bodied people who were causing a nuisance.

Then there was more…

Robert Hutchinson comes back into the picture when he was paid in October 1725, “relating to the case of Doro Good, her being with child before he took her out of the House of Corrections last spring and her having a child.”

According to historian Rachel Christ-Doane, Dorothy somehow gave birth to a son in Concord, Massachusetts (miles away), and the Salem selectmen paid for her stay there.

Now, bear with me as we quickly go through the following few homes. Dorothy was bounced from Hutchinson’s house to his son, John’s. John dies a year later, and Jonathan Batchelder takes her in.

Pause for effect.

Jonathan Batchelder is the same man who, at the age of fourteen, gave testimony AGAINST Sarah Good at her trial. What in the backwards world? Who in the hell thought having Dorothy stay with Jonathan was a good idea?

It gets murkier; Dorothy and her young son, William, were indentured to Jonathan.

Dorothy stayed with Jonathan for over a decade. Ironically, it might have been her most stable home—except for the pesky issue that she liked to wander and get lost, but we do know Jonathan was paid handsomely for her care.

Lost to history

Unfortunately, this is where Dorothy Good’s story ends—the last ‘known’ record for her in Salem is in 1738. No further information can be found on her children, but we assume they lived until adulthood and may have had their own families.

Now, there was a notice published in the New-London Summary on 14 Aug 1761 that reported that a woman transient vagrant person was found dead in a bog meadow. An investigation was made into the death, and a jury declared it was the body of Dorothy Good.

But no one knows for sure.

One of the reasons it was so hard to track Dorothy’s story was that in the records, she was either referred to as Doro or Dorcus. Thankfully, those dedicated historians, especially Rachel Christ-Doane, refused to let the story of the Salem Witch Trials die and kept researching. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know if we would have ever known the whole story of Dorothy.

And her name deserves to be remembered.

Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post The forgotten story… Dorothy Good appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 12, 2024 06:00

Books vs. Belief- The Reality of the History of Witches

Friends,

I once was asked why only ‘witches’ existed in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. I was taken aback by the question because ‘witches’ or the ‘supernatural’ had long existed before and long after that time.

Honestly, I didn’t know where to start. Probably my most embarrassing moment as a historian. As someone who studies myths and legends, I sometimes forget that most people don’t believe in the possibility of ‘supernatural’ or understand why they were written out of existence.

Or were they?

History books would have you believe that ‘witches’ were confined to a singular historical point because it was the most devastating. That was the period when we saw religion fighting back against the evil, devil-worshipping men and women who were trying to disrupt law and order. We focus on this time because society loves a good story filled with blood, gore, and the unexplainable.

And history would have you believe the church succeeded in eradicating evil-doers.

I have another theory.

All about discovery

Travel back with me a few years before the 16th century and talk about books—or better yet, the lack of books found. Have you ever visited a history museum and wondered where the artifacts originated? Or how they ended up in the museum?

And why in the hell is there usually only one?

Time and environmental conditions. Just like how the human body begins to degrade over the years, boobs become saggy, hair goes limp, and muscles lose their mass- paper, scrolls, and tablets suffer the same fate.

It is rare to find artifacts from ancient times. It relies on luck and being at the right place at the right time. Here is a list of some ‘recent’ discoveries as far as ancient books-

Etruscan Gold Book- BBC News

-Etruscan Gold Book, discovered off the Strouma River in Bulgaria: estimated age, over 2,600 years old

– Pyrgi Gold Tablets, discovered in a sanctuary in ancient Pyrgi, Italy: estimated age: over 2,500 years old

– Nag Hammadi Codices, discovered in a sealed jar in the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt: estimated age: over 1,600 years old

– St Cuthbert Gospel, discovered on the island of Lindisfarne off Northumberland in a grave: estimated age: over 1,300 years old

– Book of Kells, created by Celtic monks around 800 AD: estimated age: over 1,200 years old.

Production, production, production

I bring up these books because history is defined by what is discoverable. We don’t give a theory a second thought if we don’t have proof that something happened or existed. As a society, we tend to believe that oral history is nothing more than myths and legends.

For whatever reason, the proof must be written and verified by three other texts to be considered legitimate.

Words are law. Then, add in the pesky issue of mass-producing texts so that the majority consumes the information. Only then does something become believable.

It’s like how we don’t believe the news unless it’s on social media and ‘shared’ by thousands of people. The number of people who consume the knowledge and agree with it makes it ‘true.’

Legitimizing witches

Now, when it comes to the concept of ‘witches,’ a few pieces of ‘written word’ legitimized their existence.

Malleus Maleficarum. Francofurti: Sumptibus Nicolai Bassaei, 1588

The first was the publication of Malleus Maleficarum, written in 1486 by Dominican Heinricus Institoris and Jacobus Sprenge. This horrifying book claims that witches do exist and challenges those who believe otherwise. It goes on to describe in detail how to find witches, interrogate them, and ultimately kill them—but that is a blog for another day.

In 1541, King Henry VIII published his famous Witchcraft Act, which made witchcraft a felony punishable by death.

In 1563, the Scottish Witchcraft Act made the practice of witchcraft and consulting with witches a capital offense.

Ireland jumped on the bandwagon and published their Irish Witchcraft Act in 1586.

In 1641- the U.S. wrote the Body of Liberties, which included witchcraft among its capital offenses.

Now, we have two ways to look at this. Either there needed to be a scapegoat for all the crap that was happening in the world at the time- like the plague, droughts, and an increase in religious fervor that needed a tangible ‘bad guy’ because no one had ever met the devil.

Or witches did exist.

Flow of information

Honestly, this is one of those blogs that should be a book. There are so many side stories to ‘Witches’ and the ‘Supernatural’ that I could go on and on. But in the interest of time- I will stick to the original question.

Why did witches only exist in the 16th, 17th, and early 18th centuries? The answer is easy—because that is when the concept of witchcraft first appeared in writing. It was further legitimized because there were numerous publications across different countries.

Hutchinson, Francis, 1660-1739. An historical essay concerning witchcraft…London: Printed for R. Knaplock…and D. Midwinter…1718

Countries who mostly didn’t like each other, so it wasn’t like the rulers were getting together for dinners and swapping stories.

The information was then mass-published. Even if you couldn’t read, the clergymen discussed it at church. Local law enforcement went hunting for witches, fueled by a piece of parchment that told them what to look for. The people saw their neighbors being brought in for trial, heard the charges, and then watched them die for their crimes against humanity.

I compare it to something going viral on the internet. Once the information is out, you can’t reign it back in. And in this case, the ‘hot take’ was that witches existed.

Things die out

After the devastation of communities and the blood bath that followed these proclamations, I think governments saw that they created a monster. They needed to backtrack and get control of their countries again. And so they let the witch hunts die out. They no longer made it their top priority to rid the world of the ‘devil’s influence.’

Two alleged witches being tried in Salem, Massachusetts as part of the infamous witch hunts. Image: Wikimedia Commons

And just like that, witches and the supernatural no longer existed. This was right around the Age of Enlightenment, when science started replacing religion and facts and data outweighed belief.

Did witches ever exist? According to my research into myths and legends, there is enough evidence to say that there once existed a group of people who may have had natural abilities that could be seen as magical.

There is enough belief in the old gods for me to honestly say that I think there were, at one point, people with talents and knowledge that may be construed as ‘god-like’ and that people followed them because they gave society what it needed—a belief in something better.

No different than Jesus, Budda, Prophet Muhammed, Yahweh, Allah, etc…

Final thoughts

I don’t want to abstractly paint the concept of witches and the supernatural. Behind the idea of magic lays the grave of thousands of innocent men, women, and children who were murdered because of people’s fear of the unknown.

Witches have existed for just as long as the gods. People with the abilities to heal, manipulate, and even do things that may seem a little outrageous. Did they ever jump on a broomstick and fly during a full moon? Most likely not.

But some people know how to brew potions that could save lives or end them. Some use herbs and flowers to induce a trance-like state in which they can see visions. Some cultures have dolls and other small tokens that they use to send good or bad vibes to another person.

Witchcraft is an abstract concept created by modern religion. It’s up to you to decide what can be deemed ‘magical’ or a ‘miracle of god.’

But for me, witches did exist and still do.

And I respect them for their belief in their practice as long as they do no harm.

Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post Books vs. Belief- The Reality of the History of Witches appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

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Published on September 09, 2024 06:00

Books vs. belief- the reality of witches

Friends,

I once was asked why only ‘witches’ existed in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. I was taken aback by the question because ‘witches’ or the ‘supernatural’ had long existed before and long after that time.

Honestly, I didn’t know where to start. Probably my most embarrassing moment as a historian. As someone who studies myths and legends, I sometimes forget that most people don’t believe in the possibility of ‘supernatural’ or understand why they were written out of existence.

Or were they?

History books would have you believe that ‘witches’ were confined to a singular historical point because it was the most devastating. That was the period when we saw religion fighting back against the evil, devil-worshipping men and women who were trying to disrupt law and order. We focus on this time because society loves a good story filled with blood, gore, and the unexplainable.

And history would have you believe the church succeeded in eradicating evil-doers.

I have another theory.

All about discovery

Travel back with me a few years before the 16th century and talk about books—or better yet, the lack of books found. Have you ever visited a history museum and wondered where the artifacts originated? Or how they ended up in the museum?

And why in the hell is there usually only one?

Time and environmental conditions. Just like how the human body begins to degrade over the years, boobs become saggy, hair goes limp, and muscles lose their mass- paper, scrolls, and tablets suffer the same fate.

It is rare to find artifacts from ancient times. It relies on luck and being at the right place at the right time. Here is a list of some ‘recent’ discoveries as far as ancient books-

Etruscan Gold Book- BBC News

-Etruscan Gold Book, discovered off the Strouma River in Bulgaria: estimated age, over 2,600 years old

– Pyrgi Gold Tablets, discovered in a sanctuary in ancient Pyrgi, Italy: estimated age: over 2,500 years old

– Nag Hammadi Codices, discovered in a sealed jar in the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt: estimated age: over 1,600 years old

– St Cuthbert Gospel, discovered on the island of Lindisfarne off Northumberland in a grave: estimated age: over 1,300 years old

– Book of Kells, created by Celtic monks around 800 AD: estimated age: over 1,200 years old.

Production, production, production

I bring up these books because history is defined by what is discoverable. We don’t give a theory a second thought if we don’t have proof that something happened or existed. As a society, we tend to believe that oral history is nothing more than myths and legends.

For whatever reason, the proof must be written and verified by three other texts to be considered legitimate.

Words are law. Then, add in the pesky issue of mass-producing texts so that the majority consumes the information. Only then does something become believable.

It’s like how we don’t believe the news unless it’s on social media and ‘shared’ by thousands of people. The number of people who consume the knowledge and agree with it makes it ‘true.’

Legitimizing witches

Now, when it comes to ‘witches,’ a few pieces of ‘written word’ legitimized their existence.

Malleus Maleficarum. Francofurti: Sumptibus Nicolai Bassaei, 1588

The first was the publication of Malleus Maleficarum, written in 1486 by Dominican Heinricus Institoris and Jacobus Sprenge. This horrifying book claims that witches do exist and challenges those who believe otherwise. It goes on to describe in detail how to find witches, interrogate them, and ultimately kill them—but that is a blog for another day.

In 1541, King Henry VIII published his famous Witchcraft Act, which made witchcraft a felony punishable by death.

In 1563, the Scottish Witchcraft Act made the practice of witchcraft and consulting with witches a capital offense.

Ireland jumped on the bandwagon and published their Irish Witchcraft Act in 1586.

In 1641- the U.S. wrote the Body of Liberties, which included witchcraft among its capital offenses.

Now, we have two ways to look at this. Either there needed to be a scapegoat for all the crap that was happening in the world at the time- like the plague, droughts, and an increase in religious fervor that needed a tangible ‘bad guy’ because no one had ever met the devil.

Or witches did exist.

Flow of information

Honestly, this is one of those blogs that should be a book. There are so many side stories to ‘Witches’ and the ‘Supernatural’ that I could go on and on. But in the interest of time- I will stick to the original question.

Why did witches only exist in the 16th, 17th, and early 18th centuries? The answer is easy—because that is when the concept of witchcraft first appeared in writing. It was further legitimized because there were numerous publications across different countries.

Hutchinson, Francis, 1660-1739. An historical essay concerning witchcraft…London: Printed for R. Knaplock…and D. Midwinter…1718

Countries who mostly didn’t like each other, so it wasn’t like the rulers were getting together for dinners and swapping stories.

The information was then mass-published. Even if you couldn’t read, the clergymen discussed it at church. Local law enforcement went hunting for witches, fueled by a piece of parchment that told them what to look for. The people saw their neighbors being brought in for trial, heard the charges, and then watched them die for their crimes against humanity.

I compare it to something going viral on the internet. Once the information is out, you can’t reign it back in. And in this case, the ‘hot take’ was that witches existed.

Things die out

After the devastation of communities and the blood bath that followed these proclamations, I think governments saw that they created a monster. They needed to backtrack and get control of their countries again. And so they let the witch hunts die out. They no longer made it their top priority to rid the world of the ‘devil’s influence.’

Two alleged witches being tried in Salem, Massachusetts as part of the infamous witch hunts. Image: Wikimedia Commons

And just like that, witches and the supernatural no longer existed. Right around the Age of Enlightenment, when science started replacing religion and facts and data outweighed belief.

Did witches ever exist? According to my research into myths and legends, there is enough evidence to say that there once existed a group of people who may have had natural abilities that could be seen as magical.

There is enough belief in the old gods for me to honestly say that I think there were, at one point, people with talents and knowledge that may be construed as ‘god-like’ and that people followed them because they gave society what it needed—a belief in something better.

No different than Jesus, Budda, Prophet Muhammed, Yahweh, Allah, etc…

Final thoughts

I don’t want to abstractly paint the concept of witches and the supernatural. Behind the idea of magic lays the grave of thousands of innocent men, women, and children who were murdered because of people’s fear of the unknown.

Witches have existed for just as long as the gods. People with the abilities to heal, manipulate, and even do things that may seem a little outrageous. Did they ever jump on a broomstick and fly during a full moon? Most likely not.

But some people know how to brew potions that could save lives or end them. Some use herbs and flowers to induce a trance-like state in which they can see visions. Some cultures have dolls and other small tokens that they use to send good or bad vibes to another person.

Witchcraft is an abstract concept created by modern religion. It’s up to you to decide what can be deemed ‘magical’ or a ‘miracle of god.’

But for me, witches did exist and still do.

And I respect them for their belief in their practice as long as they do no harm.

Until next time, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post Books vs. belief- the reality of witches appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

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Published on September 09, 2024 06:00

“It takes a flimflammer to catch a flimflammer.” – Houdini

Friends,

Autumn is my favorite time of year. Why? Well, because I love pumpkin spice lattes. And sweatshirts.

But mainly because this is the time of year when I get to talk about what I love best—myths, legends, and mysteries. The next four months are chock-full of snippets of historical background, religious beliefs, and uncommon practices.

A time of year when the unexplainable becomes acceptable.

Except when it doesn’t…

A shift in belief systems

Magic…

Ah, the cornerstone of all myths and legends.

But magic is not just casting spells and changing shapes. It comes in all forms of ‘unexplainable events.’ Take, for instance- magicians. They wow the audiences with their death-defying tricks, quick hand movements, and ability to draw the eye to the left hand while the right is doing something else.

Magic in its purest forms. No hocus pocus. No reason for anyone to scream ‘devil worshipper.’ Just good old-fashioned fun.

Which brings me to my favorite magician of all time- Harry Houdini.

Now, before you think, this is another blog about how he escaped some of the most terrifying restraints known to man… let me set the record straight.

This is not about his magic. This concerns his relationship with spiritualism and his friendship with Sir Author Conan Doyle.

A bromance

Sir Author Conan Doyle – the Scottish author of Sherlock Holmes, and if you follow my books- a minor character in The Writer and The Librarian. A guy who used to play cricket with JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan. Also, a man who helped get a conviction overturned for a man wrongly accused of murder.

Side note- he also believed in Fairies.

Now on the outskirts, Houdini and Sir Doyle are not a likely pair for a budding friendship. Sir Doyle was a Scottish Victorian gentleman, and Houdini was a Hungarian immigrant. Their paths should have never crossed. But it did, and they became friends.

Not over magic. But over Spiritualism.

The foundation is set.

Sir Doyle avidly believed in spiritualism and had a widespread following in the U.S. and the U.K. He spent thousands of dollars (millions in today’s economy) trying to prove that the dead did, in fact, exist.

What is spiritulaism? In its simplest form, it is the belief that spirits can communicate with the living using a medium. If you have read my book The Witch and The Prophet, you will know that I discuss the Witch of Endor, a ‘medium’ used by King Saul to raise Samuel’s soul. How did I discover her story? I read the Old Testament.

Yup, the bible.

So, the idea of mediums being used is really not that far-fetched. At least historically speaking.

On the other hand, Houdini was not a believer. Why would he be? He spent his whole career proving he could pull something out of nothing. But Houdini didn’t have proof that mediums were frauds, and Sir Doyle refused to believe that Houdini didn’t have magical powers.

Yet, unlike in modern society, the two men could put aside their differences and have open and candid conversations about their different belief systems.

Unfortunately, what happened next would rattle the world…

Not so clear cut.

It all started when Sir Doyle invited Houdini to a séance led by no one other than Sir Doyle’s wife, Lady Jean Doyle, a self-proclaimed medium. Now, looking back, this could have gone one of two ways. Lady Doyle could have just ‘called up’ a random spirit, knocked the table a few times, rang a bell or two, and they could have all had a good laugh.

Or Lady Doyle could get ahead of herself and cross a line.

She went for broke.

Lady Doyle decided to ‘call up’ Houdini’s beloved mother, Cecelia Weisz, who had died nine years earlier. A death that rocked Houdini to his core because he wasn’t there when she passed away. A woman for whom he held in the highest esteem and would do anything for.

Not only did she play with fire, but she also threw gasoline on the flames. Communication with Cecelia was done through psychography, better known as ‘auto-writing, ‘ a trick used by some mediums to prove that the spirits were present without actually having to ‘talk’ to them.

Lady Doyle wrote a 15-page letter from Cecelia to her son, which was signed, sealed, and delivered with a cross in the upper corner.

Problem was it was written in English- a language she didn’t speak.

And Cecelia was Jewish. She would have never used a cross.

The nail in the coffin? It was Cecelia’s birthday, and she hadn’t mentioned it once in the letter.

The stage was set.

Houdini was speechless. Sir and Lady Doyle assumed it was because emotions overcame him. And that’s not far from the truth. It just wasn’t the emotion they were hoping for.

Houdini was pissed.

He holds his tongue for a moment, and then, bam, out of the blue, he announces to the public that there is NOTHING that could convince him that spiritualism is true.

Obviously, Sir and Lady Doyle are hurt by this proclamation mostly because Houdini didn’t say anything to them before the bombshell.

To make matters worse, Houdini is on Scientific American magazine’s panel of judges, searching for anyone who can scientifically prove the existence of ghosts. He attends séances in disguise and exposes the ‘frauds’ and their use of props.

Then, in 1926, Houdini testified in front of Congress to get a bill passed that would regulate mediums and fortune tellers.

Plot twist…

Ironically, Houdini and his wife, Bess, had a pack. If one of them should die, the deceased would try to communicate with the living spouse using a ‘special, predetermined code.’ For ten years, Bess held a séance, hoping to hear from her husband.

He never showed up.

Final thoughts

I could spend months on spiritualism and its murky waters of religion vs. reality. To some, the belief that there is an afterlife in which loved ones can communicate with the living brings a tremendous amount of relief and peace.

Spiritualism became popular in the aftermath of war, in the U.S. after the Civil War and worldwide after World War I. I am hard-pressed to find it in myself to attack the belief system because of what it meant and still means to so many people.

How Houdini pursued the mediums may have been a bit brutal. Regardless of whether the mediums were frauds, and I genuinely believe that most people knew them to be, they did bring something to the table—no different than a pastor or a priest. They brought closure.

As with all my historical blogs, the final decision is up to you. I only provide a brief overview of the facts. Was Lady Doyle in the wrong for trying to fool the master fooler? Or was Houdini the bad guy for attacking a religious belief just because he found a few bad apples?

Until next time, my friend, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. It is a spellbinding historical fantasy series that takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post “It takes a flimflammer to catch a flimflammer.” – Houdini appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

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Published on September 05, 2024 06:00

Guilty even when proven innocent…

It is Sunday, September 2nd, 1666, and Thomas Faryner wakes up to the smoke rolling under his bedroom door.

Not a good sign. He is a well-known baker in London with a shop in Pudding Lane with years of experience. It wasn’t like him to make a careless mistake. He had made sure to rake the spent coals in his ovens before he went to bed.

Didn’t he?

Obviously, not because his house is on fire.

Thomas jumps into action, grabbing his daughter, Hanna, and escaping out of an upstairs window. His son, Thomas, follows. Screaming for his maid to come with them, the family was devastated when she refused. The height scares her more than the flames.

She will become the first victim of the Great Fire of London.

Imagine with me a city of 500,000 people in cramped streets and homes made of timbre, pitch, and tar. Countless stables filled with hay and straw. Businesses with cellars and warehouses storing turpentine, lamp oil, and coal.

Now, add a summer-long drought and a water shortage, and we have a recipe for disaster.

It only takes five days before 85% of London’s citizens are homeless. 13,000 homes are destroyed. Over eighty churches and the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral lay in ashes. There are only six recorded deaths, but historians argue this is because the fire burned so hotly there were no bodies to recover.

I could stop the story here or mention how the city rebuilt itself. But I would just be repeating what all the professionals have written—a city destroyed, picks itself out of the shambles like a phoenix, and builds a bigger and better capital.

It is a true ashes-to-riches story, so to speak.

But in true historical fashion- there is a story that is often overlooked.

The end is just the beginning.

Who was to blame?

Now, it is common knowledge that Faryner started the fire that burned London to the ground. All evidence points to him. Historians agree that he is the culprit. There is even a plaque that says:

“Near this site stood the shop belonging to Thomas Faryner, the King’s Baker, in which the Great Fire of September 1666 began.”

Ironically, he wasn’t the one charged and found guilty of the crime.

That honor would belong to Robert Hubert.

Never heard of him? Don’t worry, most people haven’t. At least not us here in the U.S.

Which makes the story even more interesting to me.

The plot thickens.

In respect of the dead, I want to tell you another story about a man who was executed for a crime he never committed. It is a moment when the horror of human nature and self-preservation shows its nasty colors.

Thomas Faryner started the fire. In his defense, at the time- maybe he didn’t realize. Maybe he did rake out the spent coals in the oven. Perhaps he really did think everything was shipshape. But the money is in the details.

One can assume that when Faryner and his family escaped, as they turned to see their home engulfed and the flames jumping to their neighbor’s, a little piece of them must have realized they were in trouble.

We hope that when Faryner heard that innocent bystanders were attacked for being the cause of the fire just because they were foreign and, therefore, ‘terrorists,’ he felt some shame.

When the news came that hundreds of people who took refuge in St. Paul’s Cathedral were forced to run for their lives as the flames became an inferno that engulfed the church, maybe his heart broke.

Instead, a simple-minded Frenchman, Robert Hubert, confessed to the crime on 16 September 1666 and was imprisoned in White Lion Prison in Southwark.

Faryner even signed an affidavit swearing that after midnight, he had:

“gone through every room and found no fire, but in one chimney, where the room was paved with bricks, which fire I diligently raked up in embers […] no window or door might let wind disturb them and that it was absolutely set on fire on purpose[…]”

Wait. What?

So, how do we know Hubert wasn’t guilty?

Easy.

He wasn’t in the country when the fire started. A captain confirmed that Hubert was on his ship sailing from Sweden and didn’t arrive until two days after the fire started.

Even his testimony didn’t make sense to the judge. Hubert claimed he pushed a fireball through a window to set the bakery on fire.

The problem is that the bakery didn’t have windows, a fact that even Faryner admits in front of the court.

So why did everyone take his confession as truth?

Because he was French. England was embroiled in the Second Anglo-Dutch War at the time, and pretty much all foreigners- Dutch, French, Spanish, and even Irish—were suspects.

Bonus points if they were also Catholic.

Aftermath

On 27 Oct 1666- Hubert was hanged at Tyburn, London. As his body was handed to the Company of Barber-Surgeons, the crowd got ahold of him and tore him apart in a fit of rage.

There was nothing left for the surgeons when they were done.

It was hoped that all the talk of conspiracies and plots against the monarch would die down when Hubert died. And low and behold, they did. So much so that in 1667, the fire was officially attributed to ‘the hand of God, a great wind and a very dry season…’

So, ultimately, not even Faryner was ‘technically’ responsible. It was deemed an accident—a horrible one that cost the city millions to rebuild and left thousands desolate.

But an accident, nevertheless.

You might still be wondering why Hubert confessed. Well, it is believed that he suffered from mental illness. Several eyewitnesses went on the stand to testify on Hubert’s state of mind.

Lord Chancellor Clarendon stated his opinion was that Hubert was “only accused upon his own confession; yet neither the judges nor any present at the trial did believe him guilty, but that he was a poor distracted wretch, weary of his life, and chose to part with it in this way.”

Final thoughts…

I knew about the Great Fire of London. Anyone who has studied the 1665-1666 plague has probably heard of it. The great fire was once considered the reason why the plague was eradicated. That has since been proved false, but it once went hand in hand.

What I never heard about was the man who was falsely accused of setting the fire. All evidence, and I mean every piece of it, proved that Hubert was NOT in the area when the fire started. Everyone acknowledged that Hubert was mentally unstable. Hubert couldn’t even describe where he started the fire.

And yet they still sent him to his death.

We see this even in today’s society. When a devastating occurrence occurs that rocks a country, the first person fingered as the ‘guilty party’ is usually the one who will pay the price.

What hurts my heart more are the players in this moment of history. At any point, the judge, the jury, the lawyers, hell, Thomas Faryner, and his family could have set the record straight. But no one did. They stood in the shadows and allowed man to be dehumanized to save their standing in society.

A sad day in England’s history. And one I hope we can all learn from.

Until next time, my friends, Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

If you’re looking for your next favorite read, I invite you to check out my book, The Raven Society. This spellbinding historical fantasy series takes us on a heart-pounding journey through forgotten legends and distorted history. Uncover the chilling secrets of mythology and confront the horrifying truths that transformed myths into monstrous realities. How far will you go to learn the truth?

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

Signed copies at:

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post Guilty even when proven innocent… appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

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Published on September 02, 2024 06:01

People are kinda cool… I should try to meet more.

4 minutes

Friends,

I went to the Emerald City Author Event this weekend and had a blast! Fifty-plus fellow authors all located in one central area, showcasing their pride and joys for readers who think spending a Saturday afternoon in a community college annex is the best way to devote their day.

As with the reptile show world, the hour before the show was dedicated to us authors walking around, meeting each other, eyeing each other’s displays, and making small talk. I’m not saying we were comparing ourselves, but a little of that happens.

It has, too. We can only get better when we know what the competition is doing.

Ironically, some people don’t like the idea that it is a competition. And maybe the word sounds a little harsh- but I love competition. It means that I don’t get lazy. I am taking notes because there will always be someone who has come up with a better idea or presentation.

My head is always on the swivel to see what I can do to elevate my brand.

I left the event proud and excited, never wanting to give an ‘elevator pitch’ about my books again—at least for a few days.

I also came home with a lot of things to think about.

It is easy as an artist to get lost in our little worlds of comfort. It is easy to forgo spending time in reality for the safety of four walls and a roof—excuses for not ‘meeting people’ flow easier off our tongues as the months pass.

I have never been a big ‘people’ person. It seemed like a lot of work to me. But over the last few months, I realized I was missing out.

Work made me attend training last week—three days with nationwide co-workers to network and receive policy updates. I was NOT looking forward to it.

I tried to get out of it.

Boy, am I glad they dragged me to my seat and forced me to stay. I meet some fantastic and interesting people. Stories you wouldn’t believe. Everything from swimming with great white sharks to helping a sheriff’s department crack a cold case. I met a man who lived in Papa New Guinea as a child with a tribe that had a history of cannibalism. Another person worked for Cartoon Network and did the translations for the Anime cartoons that my oldest son loved.

Fast-forward to this past Saturday. I met readers with whom I bonded over a shared passion for historical fantasy books. I chit-chatted with authors who pushed the boundaries of social norms and created works of art directed at unrepresented communities. I talked to a little girl who wanted to be an author and started writing her book a few weeks ago.

I would have missed all these stories if I had stayed behind the screen of my phone. Sad.

My imagination creates the stories.

But it is people who are my inspiration.

I’ve been pulling away from social media lately. I’m not spending so much time stalking other people’s lives, and I’ve started living my own. It doesn’t lessen my relationships with those I have met online, and I will still continue to post updates and funny memes.

But it will not be my focus anymore. I am going to try my hand at more in-person events, travel to other states, talk to people, and share my passion for history and mythology.

This Wednesday, I am heading to a local Haggens to hear from someone who migrated to the U.S. after the Vietnam War. A person who lived through the war and is willing to share their perspective and how it affected their life.

I am really looking forward to it, mostly because I have to stop saying I am a historian who wants to preserve history and then refuse to hear it from the people who lived it. I want to pay my respects and document stories that would be otherwise forgotten. Which means I have to get off my couch and do what I love and am trained to do.

People are kinda cool. They don’t have to be dead for me to listen.

Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

From Scottish gods to the mystery of Medusa’s life and on to the European Witch Trials, the Raven Society is tasked with finding the truth in history’s inconsistencies. Hold your hats on this epic adventure to save lost souls from being forgotten.

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

Signed copies at:

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post People are kinda cool… I should try to meet more. appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.

https://books2read.com/The-Writer-And-The-Librarian

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Published on August 20, 2024 06:03

I can see again…

5 minutes

Friends,

Once a year I go to my one doctor appointment that I never miss. Without fail- every 365 days, I am happily sitting in the chair for my exam.

The eye doctor.

Now, my joy over getting air blown into my eye at the rate of a runaway train may seem a little much. Espically considering that I hate doctors, and unless something is hanging on by a tendon- I won’t go. But the eye doctor is different.

He’s the cool kind of doctor.

30 plus years

I’m not sure how long I have been wearing glasses. Long before Billy Bowerman invited me to his high school dance, and my mom wouldn’t let me wear them. At the time, I didn’t care because I had a huge crush on Billy Bowerman, but I quickly realized that without my glasses, he looked like every other teenager in a suit through my murky eyes.

I ended up dancing with someone else, and Billy Bowerman side-lined me to the ‘friend zone.’

That one still stings a little.

I also remember the first time I was able to buy my own glasses. No parents to tell me what they liked, no military-issued BCGs. It was all me. The sky was the limit on choices, and I spent an hour picking out my frames. They were a pair of reddish-brown squarish frames that fit my face and made me feel like a school librarian.

At only $9.00 for the frames, they fit my measly E-3 paycheck and were done in an hour.

Blades of grass

For those of you who don’t wear glasses, the best way to explain it is that after I get a fresh pair of glasses- I can see everything! Every blade of grass, every crack in the road, every stroke of spray paint on the side of an abandoned building.

It’s a superpower, really.

On the other hand, I can see every gray hair, new wrinkle, and the pile of dust that has collected on my bookshelves—but let’s not focus on the negative.

Exceptions to the rule

This appointment was a little different—a little damper on my favorite day of the year. No, my eyes didn’t get worse. On the contrary, they have been improving for the last three years. I chalk it up to eating carrots for lunch every day, but honestly, it is just one of those things. No one knows why.

No, this year, I got the dreaded news that no one who wears glasses wants to hear.

I need bifocals. My eyes have improved so much that I need to take them off when I am reading, at the computer, or doing art projects. Inconvenient if you ask me because I’m always forgetting where I set them down.

Since carrying around two pairs of glasses is not an option, my only avenue is to get bifocals.

Thankfully, the days of the thick line etched into glasses are gone. No longer are people walking around with wonky eyes that look like a circus act. They have progressive bifocals now—a seamless transition to being able to see distance and up close.

Perfect for a person who rides a motorcycle.

What did I do?

Did I get them?

No!

I got another year in me to ignore the fact that I am getting old. Because, let’s admit it, the moment you get bifocals, you might as well start planning out the distribution of your worldly goods. Bifocals mean it’s time to start thinking about retirement homes, what kind of tennis balls you want for your walker, and new mattresses that helps you get out of bed every morning.

No offense to anyone who wears bifocals. I think yours are cute.

But my overactive imagination has already created the picture of my license being revoked and me having to sell my Harley.

I may never be able to read again. Oh, the horrors!

Final thoughts

I’m not mad at the doc. I mean, he’s just looking out for my well-being.

I’m just sad that I now have to find a new doctor who doesn’t have three years’ worth of notes about my eye progression.

I ended up finding the perfect pair of glasses. And I love the ladies who work at the clinic because they love to gossip and laugh. So, it turned out to be an okay day if I ignored the fact that my doctor called me old.

Rude.

I actually bought two pairs of glasses. I found the $9.00 pair, and of course, I had to get them. They remind me of my 20s, when my knees didn’t hurt, staying up until 3 am didn’t take two days to recover from, and my arm fat didn’t jiggle.

You know- back when I was young.

Until tomorrow, my friends- Keep Reading and Stay Caffeinated.

From Scottish gods to the mystery of Medusa’s life and on to the European Witch Trials, the Raven Society is tasked with finding the truth in history’s inconsistencies. Hold your hats on this epic adventure to save lost souls from being forgotten.

The Writer and The Librarian (Book 1):

Signed copies at:

https://rlgeerrobbins.com/product/the-writer-and-the-librarian-the-raven-society-book-1/

The Under Covers Bookstore (UK):

The Writer and the Librarian | The Under Covers (theundercoversbookstoreandcafe.com)

The post I can see again… appeared first on R.L. Geer-Robbins / Author.