Mystery UNSOLVED! The Tragedy of a Nelson School Boy, 1933

[@AmandaWhite-rl7vb]

Thanks

[@DaysofHorror]

Thats so kind of you Amanda! We always put what people have kindly sent us back into the channel. Even if its for a brew and a greggs bacon sandwich before we set off out to record a new story :-) We really do appreciate your support.

[@AmandaWhite-rl7vb]

Your very welcome x

[@STESTOOGE]

Poor little chap,what a terrible death😢I tend to agree with you Chris,childish rough& tumble that ended tragically.Obviously in '30s there was virtually nil health and safety ,so no wonder kids could easily gain access to such a dangerous place.Another great vid Chris,keep 'em coming!👏

[@DaysofHorror]

Many thanks Ste. We have another mysterious one coming, not the next video but the one after. A bit of a strange 'ow to do kind of story 🤔

[@STESTOOGE]

👍

[@lunevalleyparanormal]

What an extremely sad story Thank you for sharing this tragic event Poor Robert 😔

[@DaysofHorror]

Thanks for watching and your support as always, but yes, a sad one. Surprises me how the coroner couldn't force the truth out of Clarence. And imagine being the parent of Robert and having to see Clarence carry on in a relatively normal way the days, months and years after and him knowing what really went on!

[@claretsman1882]

Thanks for sharing this story with us Chris. I hadn’t heard of this story before and what a sad tale. I wish Clarence had of spoken up to give Robert’s parents closure. You would think this would have stayed with Clarence for years and possibly of spoken up to someone years later. Thanks for sharing

[@DaysofHorror]

It does make you wonder if he did tell of what happened, at some point during his later life. I never gave that a thought to be honest, but it does make you think.

[@AmandaWhite-rl7vb]

Such a sad story and would love to know what happened that day. Thanks to you both for getting out there and bringing the past into the future. X

[@DaysofHorror]

I think it may have been something like maybe a playful push that may have caused Robert to fall into the water. Nothing planned / premeditated by Clarence but just a little push like you do with your friends, and I think this is why he was frightened to speak up when questioned.

[@gaynor3976]

Thanks for telling us this really sad story. It certainly seems that Clarence probably knew what happened to Robert and was scared what would become of him. Its always sad too that headstones go missing and there are unnamed graves. I thought churches kept records of funerals etc. If Clarence was keeping it to himsrlf he obviously never told the authorities before hos own death. Thanks both xxxx

[@hel1387]

Hello, Robert (Bobbie) did have siblings. He had an older Sister, Olwyn. Olwyn is still alive and will be 100 in May. His Grave is in Nelson cemetery, its in the far right corner, with my Great Grandparents in the same plot.

[@DaysofHorror]

This is interesting to know, and many thanks for informing us. Now we know this, we can revisit and do a short follow-up video and visit the grave.

[@Raaadome]

Wow bless her and bless them

[@JohnByrne4466]

Thank you..really enjoyed watching so interesting an informative..never knew Nelson cemetery was so big, been through Nelson hundreds of times as my Wife is a Colne Lass from up the road..looking forward to your next video.

[@DaysofHorror]

Thank you John. The cemetery was big but also had a lot, and I mean, a LOT of plots with no headstones. We covered all the ground but just couldn't find their resting place. We did speak with a local, who said she had luck in the past with the council who put her in touch with another body who supplies her with grave locations. So that something we can look into I think and hopefully find the place. But it's always frustrating not to locate people's graves as it kind of closes the story and video.

[@HenriNoddnsock-xd7jw]

Sir, I've watched two of your videos, this one and the one about the three boys who perished on the Darwen moor. Your videos and narration capture the romance and the atmosphere of the moors. When I think of moors, I think of the Bronte sisters in Yorkshire. Thank you for two fascinating though tragic tales.

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Thanks Don for your kind comments, glad your enjoying the videos 😊

[@shirleybezuidenhout2724]

This is such a sad story 😢 poor little guy, what a terrible tragedy. What a terrible loss for his parents. R.I.P. Robert 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@DaysofHorror]

It must have been horrendous not having any closure. And they would perhaps have seen Clarence going about his daily life for days, weeks and even years after the loss of their son. That must have been very hard to come to terms with.

[@barbhenderson4867]

Such a sad story, it made me cry. God love him x

[@DaysofHorror]

I can't imagine what the parents went through and also after the coroner's inquest. I mean, walking around and possibly seeing Clarence knowing he KNEW more than what he let on. I understand it was more than likely an accident and Clarence was sacred, but as a parent, I would want to know what had happened. Thanks for watching as always 🙏

[@robmccutcheon1930]

Great vids youre obviously very good at it sad story for rob..... More to this story i feel....... Brilliant

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Thanks for commenting and watching Rob. 😊

[@jeepsthetimebandit]

In your teaser post, when you said 'boiling water' I wouldn't in a million years have thought it would be in a stream! 😢

[@DaysofHorror]

Crazy to think that at that part of the stream it was once hot water! It was hot enough by all accounts to steam up the windows of the nearby buildings. If you take another look at the old photo we put up, you can see just how close those building were to the stream. You can also see old huts and garages on the left in that photo of where I believe the old vehicle may have once been.

[@jeepsthetimebandit]

​I've just gone back and paused the photo. That's ridiculously dangerous!

[@gingermolly234]

Such a sad 😢 tale. Poor little Robert and his family. Clarence was either too shocked to tell the truth or he knew perfectly well what happened and just avoided saying the truth to protect himself. I wonder why a last chimney was left standing and who is responsible for it?

[@DaysofHorror]

I could be completely wrong, but I'm sure I read somewhere that the chimney is listed? Again, that might be absolutely 100% wrong, but Im also sure it has to stay there even when they build the new housing estate.

[@dorothychambers3956]

Very sad story, many thanks Chris and vicky for sharing

[@DaysofHorror]

It's a very bizarre story again, and these kind of stories seem to crop up time and time again.

[@conitorres9774]

So terribly sad what happened to little Robert

[@DaysofHorror]

Crazy to think what really occurred and that someone was more than likely walking past his parents every single day after that horrific event, and knowing what really went on.

[@Jkk55]

Thank you it was a sad one that poor boy must have suffered makes me wonder if Clarence had something to do with his demise he told lies for a start but I know the law couldn't do anything about it. I look forward to the next one ! 👏👏💜💜

[@DaysofHorror]

Thanks Jules! Clarence certainly knew more than he let on, even the coroner made it clear he didn't trust Clarence and that even he felt he knew more. I was thinking about this today, in that Clarence would have had to live with the truth all his life and I wonder what life he had? Did he go to war, did he live a long, happy life? Did he get married and have kids? Poor Robert never got the chances that Clarence got.

[@davidwoodham1307]

May young Robert R.I.P

[@angelsone-five7912]

Hmm, did he fall or was he pushed?............... Sad.

[@DaysofHorror]

Sadly, we will never know, unless, relatives or descendents through the years have passed on story and know what really happened.

[@donnabooth9904]

I really enjoyed watching your new video tonight it was a sad one 😢 I hope you do more new videos like this one keep up with a good work guys lol x❤

[@janettemccubbin8246]

Poor boy. Do you think it plausible that he and Clarence maybe had a falling out and with a push, unwittingly, made Robert fall into the water? If that is the case, I feel a bit sorry for Clarence as well, he would have to live with that memory and probably never told anyone about it.

[@DaysofHorror]

That was our thoughts when we were talking off camera whilst at the spot where it all happened. Maybe Clarence was just too scared to say it out of fear of reprisals.

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Very plausible. Thanks for watching Janette

[@lameesahmad9166]

I cried out when I heard that this little boy fell into boiling hot water. It is bad enough to drown but that is a horrible twist to the tale. Shame, shame, shame. But what would Clarence really remember about the incident? When I was 5 and a half we lived on the opposite side of a cricket pitch. There were tall pine trees around the pitch and my brothers and I went to play there. But being a little girl I spent the time walking around the trees and picking wild daisies. I had a little place in my room where I liked to put them. My brothers had found the tin square score plaques that were hung up at the matches and boys being boys they were throwing them like frisbees. Unfortunately I stepped out from behind a tree and one of those plaques caught me in the face and sliced into my right eye. I dont think I fainted or anything but I also dont remember going home or being taken to to the hospital. I do remember being on the operating table because of the huge lights above the table. The surgeon operated and they were unable to save the sight in my eye but were able to stitch my eye up enough not to have to remove it altogether. My brothers were older than me but they dont really remember exactly who and why it happened. But it did. At that age I believe it is very hard to be able to put things together and make sense of it. I did not have a sense of time and place and circumstances. Only when you have been in school for a few years where you are made to sit still in one place at a time and complete the assignment given to you by the teacher can you leave and go and play. It takes time for this new type of discipline to sink into your routine and nurture the ability to work according to a schedule and the most important lesson is TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUT PROBLEMS. Prior to school your mother does the time keeping for you acknowledging that you are very small and not ready to be able to handle schedules, problems, cleaning yourself or anything that would be the natural routine of an elder child. Also prepubescent children dont live purely in the real world. They do not have the ability to tell fact from fiction. If you question a child in a scary and stressful environment where people are demanding to know how your friend died it could be that his brain shut down and he really did not know the answer. His mention of the other boys would be difficult to ascertain whether it was on that day or maybe on another day. He could have talked about a day he and other children had fun in the car wreck. If he saw Robert fall into the water it could be that he really did not know what to do and unlike an adult he just left and did not go to see if Robert was alright because the thought did not occur to him. The children had been chased from the vehicle but were they warned about the danger of falling into that canal? A real tragedy made worse by the hot water. RIP Ribert.

[@lameesahmad9166]

Oh yes. I have seen videos where child psychologists have said that when there is unhappiness in a home and parents are fighting the children take it personally and they think it is THEIR FAULT. Knowing that Robert died horribly and having all the adults crying and shouting and asking him hysterically and angrily about what happened I would ask the question. Did innocent Clarence think it was his fault? Terrified maybe he did not know what to say but felt it must be his fault.

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Firstly I am sorry to hear about your eye, so glad surgeon could save it, so to speak. Thank you for this indepth comment, very enlightening read. Thanks for watching, have a lovely weekend. RiP 🙏

[@GwenBooth-b7l]

Keep up with a good work guys I love watching your videos x

[@DaysofHorror]

Many thanks Gwen 😀

[@GwenBooth-b7l]

I love watching your channel so does my daughter x❤️

[@DebraOdonnell-zb3vx]

Sad story but thank u for your compassion from Aussie land❤

[@DaysofHorror]

Thank you Debra. One of the things we wanted to do with this channel was to retell these stories, not to glorify them, but to remember those sadly lost in ways in what wasnt their own doing. I hadn't known about this story until recently, so we felt honoured to speak about young Robert and hopefully people might themselves look into the story, locate his final resting place better than we did and remember this young life.

[@DebraOdonnell-zb3vx]

@@DaysofHorror I often watch your videos and I love the way U give so much respect to the deceased you and faces of the forgotten are brilliant so thank U 💜

[@DaysofHorror]

We also watch FotF! What Ron does is so good and he such a way of telling the stories. Such a brilliant channel.

[@deirdrelegg1160]

It's amazing how massive the factory was. It's like looking at the oil fields In the old photos of California. Love your work

[@DaysofHorror]

Thank you very much!

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Thanks Deirdre for your lovely comments. It was huge wasn't it!

[@anitagallagher5144]

Please could you look into the "Tragedy at Deepdale station"? Which took place in Preston, on the inside of bridge on Deepdale Rd, not far from PNE. A young 15 year old girl held her hand out to a man in his 20s, wihin the carriage. She was then then dragged from the platform, and under the train. Hurtling along the tracks, towards the upcoming Miley Tunnel. There have been many creepy books written about the Miley Tunnell in Preston. But with no actual factual historical evidence of underlying tragedies or deaths occurring. However, nobody is aware of this situations which happened the next station up. Where some historical remnants of the building still exists. No judge could decide whether the man was gripping the girl tightly on purpose. Or the girl was holding tightly to the man. For her to be dragged, under a moving train. So I Dont think the man was ever jailed. It's definitely an untold and very odd and strange unknown story 🤔

[@DaysofHorror]

We actually have newspaper articles and clippings surrounding this story and we had originally planned to visit Miley Tunnel and to try and get inside to retell this story. Everytime we pencilled in a date, that weekend it chucked it down with rain, making the short walk towards the tunnel some what more hazadous, so its been put onto the back burner for now. We will definately be covering it though at some point as its the kind of story that would sit nicely on our channel.

[@therossendalerambler-mikei7294]

I wonder if he pushed him in the river??

[@DaysofHorror]

Possibly. That's my thinking too. I'm wondering if it was nothing more than one of those friendly nudges but Robert lost his balance and fell in? Clarence then panicked and fled knowing he couldn't help. I guess we will never know but I think a push or nudge, not intentionally meant to hurt Robert, is what happened.

[@relaxingwalks_uk]

Wow.. never heard of this.. boiling hot water.. what a bad way to go..poor lad!

[@DaysofHorror]

Crazy to think some streams and rivers close to these mills contained hot water and where not sealed off! I also think this was perhaps an accident but Clarence himself panicked and that's why he was frightened of talking.

[@relaxingwalks_uk]

@@DaysofHorror can imagine the damage to the eco system too!

[@Lancastrian501]

Another sad but interesting story and once again we'll probably never get to the truth of what happened that day. Doesn't look quite as glamourous a setting as the Trevi Fountain to be honest and probably a bit cooler but still an enjoyable video thanks.

[@chriscaspian2280]

been binge watching all weekend thank goodness for time off, Just adore this channel thank you so much for all your hard work.

[@DaysofHorror]

Cheers

[@JonfitzFitzjohn-k6s]

Keep up the Brilliant Work

[@DaysofHorror]

Thanks, will do!

[@jackpayne5101]

Incredible how children got in there in the first place and took this tragedy for them to change things, poor little Robert I wouldn't of put it past Clarance to of dared Robert to go to the edge or something like that, he obviously never said what happed even when he was older that means to me he had a part to play in that accident.

[@emmajulian8716]

Poor baby R.I.P Darling ❤

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Rip 🙏

[@mickyprc6509]

Recently found this channel love it, im from Barrowford there was a story about a man who shot his wife on Dixon Street and fled to Gisburn, ive tried to look into it but can't find anything maybe you could 😉 thanks

[@DaysofHorror]

Was this the Nowell shooting, 1897? We looked into a story around the Nowells from Barrowford but never went to record it. I think this is the one you might be referring to. If so, it's one we can go back too as there is a fair bit on it in the old archives.

[@mickyprc6509]

@DaysofHorror yes that's the one thanks for your reply

[@jonboypatton]

Not many chimneys like that left about. Fred Dibnah dropped a fair few.

[@DaysofHorror]

Ah, good old Fred! A legend around Bolton and nearby towns.

[@jonboypatton]

@DaysofHorror "did you like that?" brilliant chap.

[@lindapeterson5810]

What happened to Clarence in the future?

[@DaysofHorror]

Unfortunately, this is something we just couldn't find with the resources we have. When we look into these stories, we always search old newspapers and archives for years AFTER the events took place in the hope of finding the people involved in the stories reappearing at a later date in the future. Sometimes it works, but more often than not there is nothing.

[@pattyh956]

Very sad. Why didnt you ask any older locals where Roberts grave was? Surely theyd gave heard about where he was

[@DaysofHorror]

Believe us when we say it, but when we do go out filming, we usually go early mornings to avoid too many people, as the noise contamination does spoil the sound when we begin talking. So, too many cars or people talking as they walk past us can be off putting. We would love to speak to more locals when out and about, but as for Nelson, where this was filmed, or the majority of it, is now mainly an asian area of town and we would be surprised if they know of this story, and then again, we would be surprised if ANYONE knew of this story as there isn't that much in the old newspapers. Perhaps family relatives may still be around, but to track them down would be a huge task.

[@jeepsthetimebandit]

I missed it! I've been really ill 🤒 I'll watch it after I've been to the drs.

[@DaysofHorror]

The channel will always be here so get yourself better first and foremost 🙏

[@jeepsthetimebandit]

@@DaysofHorror Thank you 😊

[@theartofcrime1644]

I would what happened to Clarence? Be really interesting to see how his life turned out.

[@unknownband1308]

I went to Bradley school

[@michaelfultz3982]

Probably just 2 little boys playing around. 1 pushed the other into the water just as a joke. Wasn't trying to hurt him.

[@Daysofhorror-vickie]

Yes, agree that Is very plausible. Thanks Michael