Mystery in a Gnosall Workshop.
Prank or…?
It was the plaque that started all the trouble. Before that came everything was quite all right in the premises of Walker and Son, carpenters and builders, in Newport-road, Gnosall, but now strange things are happening. Mr Andrew Walker, of West View, Cross-street, Gnossall, bought the premises – formerly a religious meeting room – four years ago from the Charity Commission. In the correspondence over the sale it was described on some occasions as the “Ebenezer Chapel” and on others as the “Old Meeting Room.” It had been used for religious purposes in the 19th Century by the Willder family, who appear to have died out in the Gnosall area, the chapel being abandoned.
Six members of the family were buried immediately behind the chapel and when Mr Walker bought the premises, he obtained permission to lay the gravestones flat and build an extension to the shop over them. He laid flag stones on the floor of this section and 12 months ago received from the family’s relatives in Walsall a plaque to fix to the wall of the shop extension cum-burial ground. Not until two months ago did he get round to fixing the plaque, which he had left on the table above the graves. Nothing unusual had happened until this time. He screwed the plaque into the wall with four three-quarter inch screws and was surprised later to find the plaque back on the table, having been wrenched out of the wall. He thought someone must have taken it down and he fixed it again to the wall.
This time he made sure the two doors leading to the burial ground were locked – one with a padlock and the other with a bolt – and next morning the plaque was back on the table. He has since fixed the plaque again, and once more found it on the table next morning.
Mr Walker is certain that no-one could have entered the burial ground on the nights the plaque was removed. He says that whenever he enters this part of the premises he “always feels he is being watched” and on occasions, when he has been working late, he has heard bumping sounds in the room. At first he thought it must be rats, but he has never seen a rat on the premises.
The plaque bears the following inscription: In memory of James Willder, of Plardiwick, died August 23rd, 1838; Mary, his wife, died November 29th 1838, William Willder, son of James Willder, died July 13th, 1865; Sarah, his wife, died January 2nd, 1888; Josiah Willder, son of William Willder, died circa 1907; Eliza Willder, daughter of same, died in infancy, June, 1849.
Asked whether he would put up the plaque again, Mr Walker said he hoped to do so later.
Staffordshire Newsletter, 7th September 1957.