Broadway History : The Ghost of Madame Harpur Traditional Cache
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Broadway History : The Ghost of Madame Harpur
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This cache is part of a small series that will introduce fellow cachers to bits and pieces of Broadway history and folklore.
The area of fields opposite Austin House on Snowshill Road is known as the Wilderness and is alleged to be haunted by a number of ghosts. The best documented concerns the spirit of a Mrs Harpur, an elderly spinster who lived in a mansion that once stood in the Wilderness, reputedly built in the 18th century by the Winnington family who were the then Lords of the Manor.
In 1789 a criminal gang was formed with the express purpose of robbing houses in the Midlands, which given the lack of official police forces made them a fearsome proposition to anyone who encountered them. The gang were led by a William Frazier, described as "a most hardened man", and included a James Wyllie whose more lawful profession of pedlar gave him the perfect cover to identify targets for the gang. In early 1790, Wyllie proposed the home of Madame Harpur, a house he had visited several times for the next burglary.
A plan was agreed and six or seven members of the gang made their way to Broadway arriving after nightfall. Breaking a window at the rear of the house the gang entered the property and after seizing Madame Harpur's servant made their way to the old lady's bedchamber. Alarmed by the intruders, the lady rushed to the window and cried murder before being struck down and viciously beaten by Frazier. The gang got away with a mere £4 for their troubles whilst poor Mrs Harpur never fully recovered from the experience and passed away within the year. Her spirit is said to remain in the hollow by Waterloo Bridge, built in 1819 to commemorate Wellington's famous victory. It is said that at the beginning of the 19th century this spot was not passed after dark with fear and trepidation.
As for the Frazier and the gang, several weeks after the robbery in Broadway they were arrested after a robbery at Burton in Warwickshire. Desperate to avoid the looming death penalty and save his own neck, Frazier agreed to turn King's Evidence and testify against the rest of the gang. Based on the evidence of Mrs Harpur's servent and Frazier, Wyllie was found guilty of involvement in the robbery of Mrs Harpur and subsequently hanged in Worcester. Other members of the gang were found guilty of the Burton crime and hanged in Warwick. To public disgust, Frazier was released to resume his activities.
The house on the Wilderness fell into disrepair and the stone and other materials removed for use elsewhere in the village. Today, nothing remains to indicate the spot where such a violent crime took place.
(Source - "Broadway - A Village History" by Derek Parsons)
You are looking for a disguised Micro containing just a log so you will need to bring a pencil.
CONGRATULATIONS TO TARMACJOHN ON THE FTF!!!!!!
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(Decrypt)
Arkg gb pbeare srapr cbfg ba bccbfvgr fvqr sebz gur ivyyntr
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