Elizabeth Oliver.

A thread.

We sometimes share tales of our resident ghost for fun. But, we want to take time to remember that she was a real person. This isn't a made up story. Someone died in our building and it's important to respect that.

Our building started life as a Sunday School. Back in 1901, Elizabeth Oliver was a caretaker along with her husband, William. They were preparing for a children’s tea party on Thursday 12th July. Elizabeth needed to fetch something from the cellar.

Shortly afterwards, she was found unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. A doctor was sent for but unfortunately, Elizabeth had already died. An inquest was held that found Elizabeth had suffered an injury to her head caused by a fall. There was no possibility of foul play.

This was an accident. How she fell remained unknown.
We sometimes have to go into the cellar and pass the spot where Elizabeth died. As much as spooky goings-on are fun to share, we want to keep in mind that a young woman died. A husband lost his wife.

The children who went to the Sunday School lost someone who had been a part of their lives. This young woman died in their school.

We want to keep Elizabeth’s story alive but perhaps it’s time we looked into who she was and what she did when she was alive rather than relying on her as dead person to entertain.

If you believe in a spirit world, we can share that for us, the museum feels like a warm & welcoming space. If there is an afterlife and Elizabeth is with us, we feel she is a force for good.