Grave Matters

Remember friends as you pass by
As you are now so once was I.
As I am now so you shall be.
Prepare for God and follow me.

The epitaph quoted above is probably the one most often used in the 18th century graveyards in Coventry, CT. We have many interesting stones in this town, [...]

Unredeemed Captive – Williams House and Gravestones

Williams House in Deerfield, no longer standing.

Rev. Mr. John WILLIAMS, Pastor of this place, d. 12 Jun 1729, in the 65th year of his age

Mrs. Eunice WILLIAMS, wife of Rev. John WILLIAMS, & daughter of Rev. Eleazer & Mrs. Esther MATHER, of Northampton. She was b. 2 Aug 1664, and “fell by the rage [...]

Grave Matters: Nathan Hale Cemetery Tours

Every Columbus Day weekend, and also by reservation during the rest of the year, I have the pleasure of leading a special tour at the Nathan Hale Cemetery in Coventry, CT. Graveyards, especially ancient ones, are full to bursting with stories of ghosts, accidents and incidents, history, catastrophic illness, derring do, and other anomalies [...]

It’s Halloween again: The Real Ghost of Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale is remembered today as the 21 year old volunteer spy who was hanged in New York by the British in 1776. I often used to wonder how someone facing imminent death could come up with such last words as, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” [...]

Watch this: The Tudors

Pretty period piece

I would never expect the powers that be at Showtime to produce first rate historical drama. That is not what they do. Showtime is in the business of slick entertainment, and that’s exactly what they’ve given us in The Tudors. With the exception of PBS and, at times, The History Channel, [...]

It’s a Mystery: The Virgin of Small Plains, by Nancy Pickard

Just enough mystery
During a 1987 blizzard, the sheriff of Small Plains and his teenage sons discover the naked frozen body of a beautiful teenage girl. Later, he and the town MD bash the girl’s face to a pulp, since they know who she is and fear that one of their own sons is [...]

It’s a Mystery: The Naming of the Dead, by Ian Rankin

underside of Edinburgh
Remember the G8 conference and the tube/bus bombings in London? Inspector Rebus’ latest case revolves around those incidents, which captured the attention of the world. In addition to the hellacious security problems, Rebus is faced with the death of his brother, a serial killer, the apparent suicide of an MP, and [...]

Archaeology News: Stonehenge Reinterpreted

The magic of Stonehenge: new dig finds clues to power of bluestones
· Evidence points to belief in healing properties
· Charcoal fragments at site are dated to 7000BC
An article in today’s Guardian tells of the newest thinking emerging from the latest excavations at Stonehenge. Among the theories:
“Although they concede Stonehenge was probably “multifunctional”, possibly also serving [...]

It’s Fall! A Little Halloween Reading

A list of my favorite books for getting into the mood of the holiday.
Vampire Legends of Rhode Island, by Christopher Rondini
Vampires are not just the stuff of legends and fantastic literature. In the 19th century, an outbreak of belief spread throughout New England and resulted in many bizarre incidents aimed at preventing vampires from preying [...]

It’s a Mystery: China Lake, by Meg Gardiner

Buckle up

Sci-fi author Evan Delaney’s first book has been released, and she’s kicking back to reap the honors. Her brother’s away in the Navy, but he’ll soon be home, ready to resume the care of his 6 year old son Luke, who has been in Evan’s loving custody. Everything seems bright and sunny, [...]