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 Henry Trigg, 37 High St, Old Stevenage Posted by:  bill&ben
N 51° 54.706 W 000° 12.479
30U E 692031 N 5754908
Henry Trigg had his coffin placed in the rafters of 37 High St to avoid body snatchers. His ghost was allegedly seen in 1964 by a renovating builder.
Waymark Code: WM7KBN
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/04/2009
Views: 6
Henry Trigg, a Hertfordshire grocer, was both wealthy and eccentric, owning considerable property within and around the town of Stevenage. One night, after a bout of alcoholic celebrations with two of his colleagues, his route home took him by way of the local churchyard.
Attracted by noise and the sight of flickering lights coming from within the church grounds they made their way to the surrounding wall and peered over. They were somewhat disturbed by what they saw, bodysnatchers, removing the remains of the newly buried for sale as research items to surgeons and students training at medical school.
The sight had such an effect on the three friends that they all made a pact that they would take suitable steps to ensure that such a fate did not befall their cadavers after their own individual deaths.
Henry, for his part, bequeathed all his earthly wealth to a hierarchy of people each one being offered it in turn. There was a condition however. His body had to be laid to rest within the rafters of the recipient's hovel.
After his death in 1724 his brother, The Rev Thomas Trigg, put aside any scruples that he may have had and agreed to fulfil Henry's request. The remains were duly sealed in a coffin and placed in full view in the appointed location.
In 1774 the house became the Old Castle Inn. In 1831, a new landlord Mr Bellamy, took over. His first task was to inspect the coffin. Henry, he confirmed, was still inside. A further check was made in 1906 when members of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society were allowed access to it. Their report shows that the coffin contained about two thirds of a human skeleton. However, during the first world war soldiers were stationed in the area. Several were reported to have plundered the coffin taking home bones as souvenirs. It was also reported that some soldiers sold on some bones to the local populous as trinkets. It would appear therefore that, despite all his precautions, poor old Henry finally fell foul of his dreaded bodysnatchers. The coffin still remains in situ in the rafters of a building now owned by the National Westminster bank, at 37 High Street, Old Stevenage. There is a plaque recording the event on the building.
In 1964 Fred Usher had been working for a while in a building in Middle Row carrying out some renovation work. One morning he went into the storeroom to get a crowbar. Whilst there he saw a man enter via the doorway but Fred took little notice as workmen from an engineering firm next door kept popping in and out. Fred asked the man if he was looking for Bob Smith (the owner of the engineering works) but he didn’t reply, instead he went past Fred and straight through a brick wall.
Fred described the man as old and about one and three quarter metres tall wearing a shabby overcoat and gaiters. Later he was told that the wall through which the ghost had disappeared backed on to the barn containing the coffin of Henry Trigg and it was probably the building work that had disturbed Henry’s ghost.
Public access?:
Building is a bank. No access to the roof space!
Visting hours: Not listed
Website about the location and/or story: Not listed
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