It’s October, and in honour of spooky season, the Trinity College Archives is exploring the spine-tingling and macabre histories behind some of the items in our vault!
Recently rediscovered in our silver vault are two mysterious swords. The first of these – known as the Henderson Sword – has a clean, well-kept blade that belies its dark, unlucky past. It was carried by two separate soldiers serving in WWI and WWII respectively, with both these men meeting an unfortunate fate in battle. One was killed in action on the Afghan frontier in June of 1916, while the other died on active service with the 8th Army in Italy in May of 1944.
We know much less about the second sword, but our student volunteer and sword expert, Irene Bai, indicates that there is something sinister about it. Irene notes that it is an Indian copy of a British cavalry sabre, an item commonly sold to tourists in the 19th century. Yet this copy is weightier and sharper than most copies of its kind. Perhaps more chilling, this sword shows signs of having been used in combat. The provenance of this item is largely unknown, so we can only speculate where this sword has been, or what deeds it might have done!
One final item with a haunting past is an unassuming rose bowl, found in our silver display case. The Gahan Rose Bowl was designed in Edinburgh, by Brook & Son and dates to the 1930s. It was presented to Frank Gahan by Charles S. MacInnes as a token of thanks for the work that Gahan did for the family, in connection with death of MacInnes’ nephew, Pat Moss. Moss was a Canadian undergraduate student who was studying at Balliol College, Oxford, when he died under extremely mysterious circumstances. In May of 1936, Moss’ badly burned body was found in the smouldering remains of a haystack fire, ten miles from Oxford. While police at the time pursued many leads and theories, the case remained an unsolved mystery. And while some sources indicate Moss’ death was an accident, others maintain that it suspicious, and possibly even murder.
If you have a taste for all things strange and spooky, these stories and more will be featured in a Trinity College U of T Campus Ghost Walk event, happening on October 29, presented by the Office of Development & Alumni Affairs. The event is open to students, alumni, faculty and staff, and the public. To purchase tickets, or to find more information, visit the event page here: https://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/events/ghostwalk2024/
John W. Graham Library News 