Berwick residents found themselves face to face with as sensational a “Mystery Story” as ever could be found in the Sunday papers last week when it became known that a man who had fallen down in Castlegate the week previously and had been taken to the Infirmary had suffered from loss of memory since 1917.
Engraving of Berwick Infirmary HB1-68 late 19th Century
Such was the statement made by a tall, refined and well-groomed young man giving the name Bert Templeton King, an ex-U.S.A. Airman. King was found in Castlegate by a man named Conway, suffering it was thought from a fit. He was taken to the Infirmary, where he was seen by Dr W. B. Mackay and others, who formed the opinion that he was suffering from lost memory. The matter was brought to the notice of Supt. Halliday, who had several interviews with King in all of which, while he talked intelligently, he professed to know nothing about himself since 1917.
KING’S STORY
His story was to the effect that his father was on the shipping line, a citizen of New Jersey, U.S.A., and he himself had been an artist prior to joining the American Air Force in 1917. He stated that he could remember events clearly up to that year and amongst other things he said he had been trained at Mineola Aerodrome, New York, and had taken his pilot’s certificate. This was found in his possession, along with an American Registration Card. He had two kit bags full of clothing with him and a number of letters, but no money, and the Police set out to see if anything could be done to lead to identification.
THE POLICE “HAE THEIR DOOTS.”
In passing, it may be said the police were suspicious of the medical theory of lost memory; at least, not from such a distant period as 1917, it being contended that no man could wander across the Atlantic and travel up and down the country for nearly four years without showing some abnormal traits, consistent with loss of memory. Subsequent events seemed to prove that the police theory was very near the mark.
Inquiries instituted proved beyond doubt that King had been employed as a chauffeur with a gentleman in Sussex more than a year ago, and had then travelled north to take up a similar position with a gentleman living at Davidson’s Mains, East Lothian. King had been normal enough to carry on an intelligent correspondence with a young Edinburgh lady with whom he was on friendly terms. He seems to have told her quite a different story to that which he had told to the police.
His father was a motor car manufacturer in New Jersey, he is alleged to have said, and he was across in this country acting as agent for his father’s cars.
After having kept company for some six months with this young lady, King seems to have announced his intention of going south to Southampton, it was believed with the intention of returning to America. How he expected to get there without money is not clear, but it is a fact that he had none when he was picked up in Castlegate on Wednesday week.
BRO 2103-4-2-71 Castlegate looking North mid 1900’s
It was explained to King by the police that he had told a different story to the girl in Edinburgh to that which he had given in Berwick, and he replied, “ What girl! I know no girl there, and cannot remember having said that.” Superintendent Halliday then showed him the girl’s photo. To this he replied, “I have never seen her before.”
THE MYSTERY MAN ADOPTED
Full publicity having been given to the “Mystery Man” in the daily Press, the police had several inquiries for people in different parts of the Kingdom who had lost touch with a relative of their own. On Saturday three ladies arrived in Berwick, one of whom proved to be King’s mother, who had travelled from Belfast, and the others were his aunts. They identified him without difficulty, and though King contended he did not know them, he said he would go with them.
It transpires that King’s parents read of the “Mystery Man” in the “Daily Mail” and immediately recognised that it referred to their son, who they had been in touch with up to two years ago. The parents are well-to-do people, the father holding an important position in Harland Wollfs’s shipyard, Belfast. They are of Scotch extraction, which does not tally with King’s story of being a native of New Jersey. It happens; however, he was in America prior to 1917 and did serve, as he says, in the American Air Force. His parents, with whom he had been in touch from 1917 to 1919, know of no period when he suffered from loss of memory, and his movements up to two weeks ago seem to show him to have been normal, and his lapse of memory can only be traced from the time he arrived in Berwick.
During his stay in the Infirmary he has been very popular with the medical men, staff and convalescents, and has been going messages from one ward to another evidently quite normally. Mrs King is staying on in Berwick until the medical men give permission for her son to travel home.
Copsay Hall, I am told, was just over one hundred years ago as picturesque a dwelling as one could see in the district, and was enclosed in a finely wooded glen at the foot of Copsay Hill, hard by the turnpike road leading from Lowick to Kyloe. It was a low ramified building; the walls were of extraordinary thickness- especially the east and west gables- and the roofs were covered with heather. The proprietor- or perhaps, more correctly speaking, the proprietrix- was a well-to-do lady named Catherine Copsay. Her husband was the heir of the Heddon family of Forest House, who adopted the name of Copsay on his marriage with Catherine of Copsay, as that lady was familiarly called. He was a madcap, who devoted most of his time to such pursuits as hunting, badger-baiting, cocking, dog-fighting, and card playing, and as well known in the district by the appellation of Hair-brained Dick.
LOWICK Ref: BRO 0515-163
The Copsays were devoted adherents to the Old Creed, and Catherine of Copsay was no less ardent in her support of that faith than her predecessors had been; whilst the Heddons espoused the Protestant Faith. A feud had existed between the two families for over three hundred years; therefore much surprise was expressed at the union of the House of Copsay with the neighbouring House of Heddon.
Previous to the union, and greatly against the wish of the Heddons, Richard Heddon espoused the Faith of Rome; he also gave up his wild habits and severed his associations with his hair-brained companions. However, after his marriage, he gradually cast aside his regard for religion and resumed his wild pursuits in a more wanton manner, and soon again he drew around himself a coterie of profligates. His wife was deeply grieved, for she saw to her sorrow the evil influence those wanton habits were having upon her young step-brother. Leonard, whose home was also at Copsay Hall, but all remonstrations they laughed to scorn. Such then was the course Richard Copsay pursued for ten years after his marriage, when an incident occurred which entirely changed the trend of his afterlife.
Before proceedings further, I must explain the tragic occurrence that caused the feud of long-standing between the two families, for on the affair hangs the sequel to my narrative. Sometime about the beginning of the sixteenth century the heir of Copsay was known in the district as Black Ralph of Copsay. He was a tall, tithe, dark-complexioned youth of a very amiable disposition, and had long sought the hand and heart of a daughter of the House of Hetton; but he had a rival in the person of the heir of Heddon, who was very wroth when the heir of Copsay became the affianced husband of the Beauty of Hetton, as the damsel was called. One night, at a party at Kyloe, the heir of Heddon evinced his displeasure at the presence of Black Ralph, high words were exchanged, and the rival lovers would have come to blows but for the timely intervention of some friends. Frustrated of his revenge, the heir of Heddon used some ugly threats, and on receiving a hint from the host left the party. Black Ralph left shortly after midnight; and, as was his custom on such occasions, he made to enter his home by a subterranean passage that entered the house underneath the east gable. When he had come to the small-arched chamber in the gable he was treacherously attacked and stabbed with a dagger, his assailant making his escape. In the morning a retainer heard a moaning sound proceeding from the secret chamber in the gable; quickly removing a panel in the wainscoting he entered the chamber and found his young master lying in a pool of blood. He called for assistance, and Black Ralph was got into the room and laid on a couch. The injured man only survived the removal a few minutes, and the only words he faintly uttered were: “Henry of Heddon.” The dastardly acct was not proved on the heir of Heddon, but he made a confession on his death-bed four years after he had committed the act, and all intercourse between the two families then ceased.
OS Map 1 INCH 1st Edition SHEET 4
Like many other houses belonging to that period, Copsay Hall was said to have its haunted chamber and ghost. The ghost was said to be the disembodied spirit of Black Ralph of Copsay, which nightly entered the subterranean passage shortly after midnight and moaned in the secret chamber. Those nightly wanderings of spirit had continued down to the time when Ralph, the grandfather of Catherine, made some alterations at Copsay Hall, and had the subterranean passage and secret chamber securely closed up. From that time the spirit had neither been heard nor seen, and the good people of Copsay had long concluded that the spectre had been banished from the place, but that they had deceived themselves the following will show:-
One Saturday afternoon in August, and just a few days after the tenth anniversary of his marriage, Richard Copsay entertained a number of his associates to an exhibition of badger-baiting, dog and cock fighting in the cockpit a short distance down the glen from Copsay Hall. A motley gathering of the leading fanciers from the neighbouring villages had brought their dogs and cocks to take part in the afternoon’s programme. Among the house party at Copsay Hall was a Roman Catholic priest, a cousin to Catherine of Copsay, who was officiating pro tem at the Chapel of Our Lady and St. Cuthbert. Father Brock was nown to be keen on such sport, and was appointed judge of the combats. Before a start was made with the events, and at intervals during the proceedings, the retainers of the host went round the gathering with flagons of home brewed ale, and soon the “crow of the victor” was drowned with the boisterous revelry around the cockpit.
The shades of evening were falling ere the hypaethral festivities were brought to a close, and after the noisy fanciers had departed, the host led those of his select companions, who seemed in no hurry to depart, to the parlour, where card-playing was indulged in. The punch-bowl was passed frequently around and the spirits of the players rose and fell with the undulations of their luck. The grandfather’s clock in the hall had chimed the hour of midnight; but still the card-playing and nocturnal revelry was continued. Catherine of Copsay came from another room and reminded the party that it was Sunday morning. “Cathy.” Said her husband, “Good Father Brock is with us, and when he gives up we shall reitre.”
“I am grieved to think that such a thing is taking place in my house on a Sunday morning; and, above all.” She said, rebukingly, “that Father Brock should be so willingly acquiescing. Such conduct.” She added, as she turned to leave the room, “ is enough to bring back the spirit of Black Ralph.”
“Black Ralph, indeed,” repeated her husband with sarcasm, an then in suaver tones he added, “Cathy, I never thought that you were given to superstitious ideas, but rest assured that should that ancient relative of yours favour us with a visit, I will graciously invite him to have a hand.”
“Father Brock, do you believe in ghosts and apparitions?” one of the party asked as the cards were being re-dealt.
“I don’t.” replied the worthy father. “When apparitions are followed up they are generally the superstitious beliefs of nervous and emotional persons, who imagine such things and then brood over their fancies until they believe then to be real. Since I came here I have heard much about spirits, ghosts, hob-goblins and such like spectral appearances. Being a descendant of the House of Copsay, I have, of course, long known the legend of Black Ralph of Copsay; but three days ago I heard for the first time the stories about the Spirit of Offa frequenting Kyloe Wood, the Bogle of Bogle House, the White Lady of Fenwick Wood, the White Hare of Barmoor, the White Calf of Slainsfield, the Witches of Goswick, the Lanthorne of Ladythorne, the Phantom Carriage of Broomhouse, and the Nun of Haggerston. No further gone than Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights I walked around the Bogle House to the spot where the Bogle appears; thence through Kyloe Wood, where the Spirit of Offa is said to roam at midnight; then down to Fenwick Wood, and along the Lady’s Walk, where the spectral lady is said to glide, but never a ghost nor spirit did I hear, see or feel.”
“Nor have I ever seen aught of the White Lady of Fenwick Wood, although I have passed that way hundreds of times at all hours of the night,” said Frank Middleton.
“Rev. Cousin,” said Ricard of Copsay, “I’m proud to think that you are a strong-nerved person like myself”; and, turning to his brother-in-law, he asked him to pass the punch-bowl around so that all might fill their glasses and drink to the confusion of the spectral group Father Brock had named.
The glasses were re-filled and the host raised his glass and gave the toast – “The confusion of all spirits, ghosts, bogles and hobgoblins in the Kingdom.”
The glasses clinked, “The confusion of all spirits, ghosts, bogles and hobgoblins, “ responded the party.
“Hark!” was the general exclamation as all turned and looked in the direction where the portrait of Black Ralph hung against the east gable, from whence a peculiar knocking sound was coming.
“Can it be the Spirit of Black Ralph?” several remarked uneasily.
“The Spirit of Black Ralph; forsooth, it is only rats that have found their way from the subterranean passage and have got behind the wainscoting,” said Richard of Copsay. He went and knocked on a panel and the knocking behind suddenly ceased. “I must have this attended to or the household will soon become alarmed should those brutes continue in there.”
“I told you.” Said Father Brock, “ that such occurrences come to naught when followed up.”
The party re-seated themselves around the large round table, and ahd resumed the game when there was a crash of falling glass. All looked towards the window as a tall, dark gentlemen stepped into the room and came towards them. “ Seize the intruder!” said Richard of Copsay, as he rose to intercept him. No one, however, seemed to have the power to lay hands on the stranger, who silently regarded them for a few seconds.
“Holy Mother! It is Black Ralph!” exclaimed Father Brock, and swooned.
The candles were extinguished and the cards taken from the hands of the players. “My deal,” said the spectre and vanished.
The 1921 census online has been released today, 6th January 2022. This special edition gives the reader a snippet on what was happening in Berwick-upon-Tweed when the 1921 census information was taken.
CENSUS
The head of a household will have a busy week-end filling up the census forms which are now being issued, and as the law looks upon the male parent as being the “head,” whether he feels up to it or not, he will have the satisfaction for once of being master of his own house. Happy indeed as this time is the man whose quiver is not full of olive branches, as to the male mind the calculating of the ages, Millicent, Mary Ann, and Agustus John in years and months is a matter of some difficulty. Again there is the preparing of an abstract of your family; but this is a simple matter, as you just make a cross ( just the same kind which figure at the end of Divorce Court letters) against the age of your several offspring. By a kindly dispensation of Providence such questions as “Have you ceased beating your wife?” are not asked. If “heads” had to answer this “Yes or “No” without quibbling it would be rather a delicate matter. The great thing, however, is to have your census paper correctly filled up when the enumerator calls for it on Monday morning.
SWARM OF BEES
At mid-day on Tuesday, passers-by were interested in watching a swarm of bees hovering in the air over Mr Joures’ stationer’s shop at the top of Hide Hill. The bees, belonging to Mrs Crossman, had escaped from the hive in the garden in Ravensdowne.
BRO 0426-355 Hide Hill, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Up to Thursday morning they had not been recaptured and were to be seen working in the eaves of the roof of Mr Joures’ shop. A hive of bees belonging to Mr Ironside, Hope Nurseries, on Tuesday swarmed in the top of a tree in the Plantation, where they have been allowed to remain.
SURRENDER GERMAN STEAMER
ARRIVES AT BERWICK
SHORT OF COAL AND PROVISIONS
On Friday evening the German Steamer “Alsen” (659 tons net register, Capt. Hildebrandt) from Hamburgh to Leith, where she was to be surrendered under the terms of the Treaty, arrived off Berwick and signalled that she was short of steam coal and provisions and wished to enter the port. The vessel was a large one and some difficulty was experienced in getting her up the river, but she was ultimately berthed in tweed Dock.
The vessel carried a crew of 22 and had only about half-a ton of coal left when she was docked. The provisions would not have lasted another day. The crew had no money and seemed anxious to be discharged and sent home to their own country. No coal was available to take the ship o to Leith, and it was decided to let her remain at Berwick until the Naval Authorities at Leith decided whether they would make arrangements for her to proceed there, or for the ship to be taken over at Berwick. The crew were allowed ashore from 12 to 5 on Saturday.
The crew of the steamer were allowed to leave for Grimsby on Monday night. There they will be repatriated as early as possible.
CROOKHAM
On Saturday afternoon, June 11, a meeting in connection with the Women’s Missionary Association was held in the Presbyterian Church when a large attendance listened with great interest to an address given by Miss Maclagan, who is a at present home on furlough from the mission fields of China. Her address dealt mainly with work among women and girls in Changpu and Nasiv and an interesting account was given of the education of native girls which had just commenced during the last year or two.
Ref: NRO 5420-19 Crookham, the Manse c.1920
Miss Maclagan also spoke of the way which the mission was carried on in the outlying villages and gave many interesting experiences which had happened. After tea had been kindly provided at the manse by Mrs Forsyth there were many interesting Chinese things to be seen. A few words of thanks to Miss Maclagan brought the meeting to a close. Miss Maclagan also spoke on Sunday morning in the Church.
