• My Lady Brigante Presents… •
‘The lawn is pressed by unseen feet,
And ghosts return
Gently at twilight, gently go at dawn,
The sad intangible, who grieve and yearn…
‘T. S. Elliot
The Lady Brigante loves nothing more than shocking unsuspecting folk with the tale that she was abandoned at birth by gypsies and raised en famille with kindly mice in the crypt of an old church.
Alas! The truth is altogether more unremarkable…
Thirteen! Unlucky for some the legend foretold?
Hark! The strange, peculiar and the intrigued behold!
As All Hallows Eve beckons – Lady Brigante cordially invites the curious, the unsuspecting and those folk partial to a mystery or two on a self-guided adventure hunt through the snickelways and secret passages of the Ancient City of York.
On the eve of Tuesday October 19 2021 – a unique collection of thirteen miniature tombs will depart under the cover of darkness from the atelier of the Lady Brigante and before the cock crows thrice at the advent of dawn – they will be nestled in the windows of York’s city centre emporiums restlessly awaiting discovery.
However, by the eve of The Day of the Dead on Tuesday November 2 2021 – they will ALL have vanished from human sight!
Among the ghosts of an ancient city past
Can be heard the siren song of the long dead aghast.
Alas! The curious must make haste and explore,
Before the spirit of the restless awake and then vanish for evermore!
Beginning at the Visit York Information Centre at 1 Museum Street and with a leaflet in hand – enthusiastic taphophiles are invited to discover the location of the Brigante Tombs, take a photograph and share on social media using the tags:
#LoveYork
#TombstoneTrail
#BriganteTombs
#VisitYork
Every Brigante Tomb will feature a unique QR code which will direct the intrepid investigator to a dedicated page of ghostly tales and murderous mayhem here at The Brigante Chronicles.
Cryptic snippets and tantalising imagery will also mysteriously appear ‘twixt day and dusk on the social media channels that our Lady Brigante has been known to frequent!
On the Trail of the Brigante Tombs is wonderfully suited for tombstone tourists of all ages with a taste for the macabre who wish to step back in time and explore York’s most extraordinary history.
Therefore, unearth a Brigante Tomb if you can,
Why not capture on your phone and share the tale?
However, at the place your adventure has now begun,
Leave the dead to their sleep and let kindness prevail.
I am a soldier with the 10th Hussars and on a chilly January morning in 1889 – I was found hanging from a pole in the stable block of the York Cavalry Barracks.
On the day following my death the city coroner opened the inquest at our military hospital and as a succession of witnesses stepped forward to offer testimony – my tragic story would unfold.
The ONLY clear picture history affords me is that of my death by poisoning one morning in May – despite the best efforts of our Lady Brigante!
For a scroll though our parish records and census returns will only add to the mystery of WHO I am , WHERE I have come from and HOW I have managed to live independently well into my sixth decade!
“The History of York is the History of England.” ~ King George VI
With the coming of dusk and the door of an atelier closed for the day – it is possible to catch a glimpse of a celebrated miniaturist and storyteller clad in her distinctive black feline boots wandering through the snickelways and secret passages of York in a quest to wake the dead…
And for those of a curious and hardy temperament – why not come along and listen to the Lady Brigante as she shares with you the tales of the illustrious, the miscreants, artists, misfits and those ordinary folk who have ALL been lost to history – until now!
However, for those of a sensitive nature who are averse to real stories of tears, heartache and tragedy – a meander through the fascinating streets of York with the Lady Brigante may NOT be to your taste.
Inspired by true crime stories from the Victorian era and through the lives of ordinary people whose tales are woven into the rich fabric of an ancient city’s social history – Death in a Chocolate Box offers walking tours through the streets of York.
Meticulously researched and innovative – the tours are designed to offer an informative and unique walk with an experienced storyteller.
Browse the shelves of our emporium for the deliciously unusual or become a fellow taphophile on our forum Beneath Thy Feet to quench those unanswered questions or dispel gossip from truth!
And if you would like to dig deeper and take a peek at the bundles of old documents, burial records and hear the untold tales of nefarious deeds and suspicious deaths from the exclusive Brigante archives – find your way to the membership site Patreon and step inside the twilight world of the Lady B!
