Did a murderer once sleep in your bedroom? Was your street the scene of a notorious crime? Is your ancestor a notorious robber? These and other questions could be answered when Bolton Central Library throws light on the darker aspects of the borough’s past. As part of National Crime Reading Month, the library is giving members of the public the opportunity to explore the town’s criminal history this Friday (21st). Unlocking Mysteries has been created by archivist Caroline Furey, who will be leading visitors through the captivating world of Bolton’s most intriguing criminals.
Read more: Mysterious murder on the moors Unravelling a Bolton moors mystery “It will give people the opportunity to go behind the scenes at our archives storage room – a place that’s not normally open to the public,” she said. “They will be able to access original court and police records, as well as newspaper reports, and even the notes journalists made during trials.” A case in point concerns the 1838 murder of Scotch traveller, George Henderson , on Winter Hill.
He had set off early one morning across the cloud-shrouded hill, but never arrived at his destination. Later that day, a young boy found him moaning in a ditch, grievously injured by a gunshot to his head, which hours later claimed his life. The man charged with his murder was acquitted, so it’s a crime that remains unsolved to this day.
Handwritten court notes “There’s an enormous public interest in true crime, and whe.