An excerpt from the Diary of Professor Matthias Jeremiah Braithwaite; a Victorian investigator of the paranormal, on his travels around York, a city most haunted.
Dear Diary
"By the blood red light of sunset, in a hushed graveyard, I encounter a dastardly fellow - none other than the notorious highwayman Richard Turpin. He stands before me, musket in hand, all threat and menace, blackened eyes full of malice. A tricorn hat perches atop his shrouded head and the garment bears two smoking holes where his enemy had fired upon him.
Ale houses the length and breadth of the country claim Turpin rides by, haunting the very roads themselves, though it was here in York where the villain was finally executed.
In a somewhat romanticised novel authored by Harrison Ainsworth, Turpin took credit for a record-breaking ride from London to York on his trusty steed Black Bess. In truth, the horse did belong to, and was ridden by, one William Nevison, otherwise known as Swift Nick. Turpin himself was nothing more than a murderous thug who viciously tortured and killed his victims, using his former training as a butcher to aid his evil. As a member of the violent Essex Gang, he robbed both rich and poor alike.
Turpin finally brought about his own demise whilst using the alias John Palmer and posing as a gentleman. Under the influence of strong liquor, he flew into a rage following a game of chance and shot the prize cockerel of a wealthy land owner. Thus "John Palmer" was sent to the Castle Prison in York. The criminal wrote to his brother-in-law to pay bail, but the letter was refused due to a sixpence surcharge and so was returned to a local magistrate. Turpin's luck took another downward turn when this magistrate, who happened to have been his old schoolmaster, recognised the handwriting of his former pupil. As a consequence his true identity was revealed and Turpin was sentenced to death.
When the final moment came, he is said to have thrown himself from the gallows, depriving the hangman of his sport.
But this is not the end of Turpin's tale. Before he died, in exchange for ale, he had struck a bargain with a York publican to display his corpse, in order that people might come from far and wide to view the body at the tavern. When finally laid to rest, this infamous scoundrel was once again disturbed, as his remains were stolen by grave robbers and delivered to a local surgeon for examination.
Upon hearing this news, an angry mob descended upon the surgeon's lodgings and reclaimed the body, which was once more paraded through the streets before being returned to the ground… but alas, Turpin’s spirit is restless still."
M.J. Braithwaite
"Dear Diary,
"What Devilry is this? My sketches and impressions of these unworldly beings have been enchanted by some form of witchcraft. It seems a ghoulish hand has been at work mimicking my own and changing the very nature of my picture. Viewed using a strange light purchased on my adventures in the Far East, an unnatural glow emanates from the very soul of the spirit I have drawn. It is my belief that this light will let me see into this world of spirits beyond our own - it will require much further study and experimentation."
The enchanted edition of the print is larger than other formats - presented in a black mount with outer dimensions 18x12." When viewed under black light, the ghostly image glows. This special effect has been hand painted and signed by the artist.
Black lights are readily available from many suppliers.
The diary entry, printed on parchment effect paper, is in the reverse.
Also available in smaller sizes in monochrome and colour edition, and an enchanted limited edition.
© The Artist
