Broadway History : The Body of Mrs Ward Traditional Cache
SureFolks: No longer interested in Geocaching so removing.
Broadway History : The Body of Mrs Ward
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This cache is part of a small series that will introduce fellow cachers to bits and pieces of Broadway history and folklore.
This cache has been placed close to the spot where one of the more gruesome incidents in Broadway's history took place.
In the 1830's a group known as the Broadway Bodysnatchers were in the habit of disinterring the recently deceased and selling the remains for medical experiment. Such a trade was potentially very lucrative with a "good" corpse fetching £20 - the equivalent of six months wages to the working man.
The remote location of the graveyard next to St Eadburgha's (the old church) on Snowshill Road made it an ideal place for the groups nocturnal activities, activities that came to be public knowledge in 1831 with their attempts to sell the corpse of the recently departed Mrs Ward which went somewhat awry.
Hannah Ward was a 37 year old pastry cook and wig maker. Due to an infection of her leg (possibly a factor in her passing), the corpse proved to be unsellable and rather than risk re-interment, the group dumped her in a muck heap at the Long Stall adjoining Church Piece.
Days later, a terrier was seen scratching at the heap, and after eating it's fill ran off up the High Street never to be seen again. The following day Mrs Ward's remains were discovered and identified by a peculiarity of her teeth.
As to the gang of bodysnatchers, whilst their identities were widely known they were never caught at their work. However, none lived to enjoy their ill-gotten gains, one later shot himself, another left the village never to be heard of again whilst the other two died miserably.
The Church Piece disappeared in the development of the access road to the new village car park in the late 1980s along with the residential properties that adjoin it.
(Source - "Broadway - A Village History" by Derek Parsons)
You are looking for a camouflaged nano containing a log only so you will need to bring your own pen/pencil. Although the cache is now in a less prominent position please use stealth when searching.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THELANDYMOB ON FTF!!!!!!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
6 FGY NI 11 0