Page 27 - Thrapston Life October 2023

phenomenon of the Jack-a-Lantern or Will-o’- the-Wisp.”
And finally, a tale involving the Courthouse, which I submitted the Town Council’s Facebook pages last year as contribution to their Halloween item.
A reasonably well-known tale from Ringstead
the case mentioned above was heard in 1864, nobody knew what to do with the skeleton which was boxed up and brought to the Police Station in Thrapston, where it stayed in the loft.
After many years, it was found by an Inspector during the First World War, who opened the lid of the box, stepped back in
concerns the disappearance in 1850 of a young woman, Lydia Atlee. The local consensus was that a local butcher was involved but without any evidence,
no further action was taken. Some 14 years later, a skeleton was discovered
in a field in Ringstead. The butcher was charged with the murder but due to the lack of forensic science, the case was dismissed for lack of evidence.
Some fourteen years later, a skeleton was discovered in a field in Ringstead
surprise, and fell through the ceiling
to the bedroom below! A further 20 years passed when it was rediscovered by Sgt Davage who reported it to Headquarters and eventually the remains were taken to Northampton where, one assumes, it was given a final burial. As far as it is known, there have been no reports of ghostly apparitions in the Courthouse!
This tale was continued by Frank
Gardner who took over The Courthouse Inn
in Thrapston in 1976, two years after it had
last heard a case. One day, whilst talking to ex-Sergeant Davage, the question was asked about a skeleton in a box in the roof space. After
Eric Franklin can be contacted for comments and suggestions for future articles at: ericfranklin2@hotmail.com
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