The Knight of Spurs and Spirits (5 page)

Lord Durham and Sir Robert Hylton look at one another.

“Yes,” they answered together.

Hot tears were pouring down Mary the maid’s grubby cheeks. “Poor Roger will never rest in his grave. He’ll haunt you, mark my words!”

Lord Durham pushed a plate of pork to one side so he could lean across the table and breathe his stinking breath in her face.

“Haunt us, will he?” he sneered, and spat crumbs on to the tabletop. “Push off, girl, or your master will haunt
you
with his whip.”

That afternoon, Mary placed spring flowers on Roger Skelton’s grave. “I hope you’re warm now … in Heaven!” she whispered.

But Roger
wasn’t
warm and Roger
wasn’t
resting in peace. His spirit, they say, returned to haunt the castle.

And, at night, when Sir Robert Hylton tried to sleep – some spirit seemed to haunt him. It was the shadow of a boy in a green jacket, hugging himself and moaning, “I’m cold … so cold!”

Long after Sir Robert Hylton had gone to his own grey grave, the spirit still wandered Hylton Castle. And maybe it still does…

Epilogue

Hylton Castle is now in the city of Sunderland, north-east England. It was built around 1405, by William de Hylton, to guard the crossing point on the River Wear, about half a mile to the south.

Two hundred years later, the castle was owned by Sir Robert Hylton, a man with a fierce temper and a cruel streak.

Roger Skelton was Sir Robert’s stable lad at Hylton Castle. His job was to look after the horses and keep the stables clean. But Roger, they say, could be a little lazy. He really annoyed Sir Robert.

On 3 July, 1609, Sir Robert lost his temper with Roger Skelton one last time. He was furious when young Roger was too slow in bringing his horse. What happened next? There are a few stories:

• one says he speared the boy with a hayfork;

• another says he drew his sword and sliced off his head;

• another says he cut Roger’s leg with a hay scythe and the boy bled to death;

• another says he beat Roger with his riding stick and cracked his skull.

But all the stories agree that Sir Robert threw the body into the castle pond. The body was found and it was clearly a case of murder.

Roger Skelton
may
have fallen on the pitchfork and
may
have cut himself with the scythe … though he would not have cut off his own head (probably). It is pretty certain that he
didn’t
throw himself into the pond.

Sir Robert Hylton was charged with the boy’s murder. But he said it was an accident and, in September 1609, he was set free.

That much of the story is probably true. But then a legend grew up that said Roger Skelton came back and haunted Hylton Castle. He wandered around crying, “I’m
cauld
!” (Now “cauld” is a northern word that can mean “headless” or “hooded” or simply “cold”.)

One story says Roger Skelton was buried and his ghostly spirit rested. He was never heard of again. Another story says the Cauld Lad of Hylton never rested – his killer was not punished, so Roger is doomed to walk the Earth for ever more. Some people say they’ve seen him in the ruins of Hylton Castle to this day. Others say they’ve seen strange lights high up in the castle, even though the top floors have now crumbled and gone.

What do
you
think?