One of the magical things about researching this sort of book is the stories you come across along the way. In their time these stories were big news, but as years go on and people die, they die with them. There is a strange thrill to be had from discovering one of these tales again. Below is an example of such a story, (Hazelwood Hydro was the original name of the Grand Hotel in Grange Over Sands)
Lives of those employed at any of the Grand Hotels seldom run smoothly and it is the same for those employed at the Hazelwood Hydro. In 1907, a maid at the hotel, Tamar Annie Wilding was involved in a crime that made many of the local and national newspapers. Tamar had for a while, been involved with a young iron ore miner called William Causey. William had strong feelings for Tamar, which weren’t reciprocated. When she tried to distance herself from William, he struggled to move on. Tamar had begun seeing a different young man called Joseph Rainford, who was a groom at the Hazelwood hydro. One evening whilst Tamar and Joseph were walking together, they came across William. William asked Tamar if she would go out with him again and when she said no, he produced a gun to and shot her twice. Tamar fell to the ground and William immediately put the gun in his mouth and shot himself. Tamar wasn’t actually injured. She had been saved by her seemingly substantial corset. By some miracle both bullets hit the metal in her stays and bounced off. She had fainted to the ground through shock rather than injury. Sadly William died instantly. In his lodgings a note was found in which he said “Just a line to let you know I intend killing myself and the girl I have always loved. It is all through her mother. I am not insane; only broken hearted. I wish everything I possess to be given to my half brother George Causey, Lindale-in-Cartmel. May God forgive me. W. Causey.” (As reported in Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser 21stSeptember 1907). #cumbriagrand #history
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