Lord of the Cave
A family of Brits in a Connecticut Yankee cave; PLUS 2024 round-up
Following our recent story about the Vanishing Bank Manager who was never found we are concluding 2024 with a much shorter tale about another AWOL Englishman who turned up in a cave on the other side of the Atlantic. (This also marks the second story we've featured here about a family residing in a cave…)
A few days before Christmas in 1869, locals from the Connecticut town of Cromwell found a British family living in a cave. The cave was on the west bank of the lower Connecticut River, near a place known as the Blow Hole, which was a bend in the river where sailboats could be caught in whistling winds. The area is now part of the River Highlands State Park.
The family — a man, his wife, and two boys — had arrived in a boat on the 1st of December, and proceeded to dig out their lodgings in the cave. The boat, a 12-foot oak and cedar yawl, was moored nearby. The man gave his name as Trent. He was described as between 30 and 35 years old, with light complexion and light hair. His wife was described as of Irish descent, and his children as “very bright”. Trent explained how they ended up in the cave:
“I was born in England, and my father was a Lord; I went through College and graduated, after which I enlisted in the English army and served one year, when I deserted and came into the State of Maine: from there I went to New York and worked as a bricklayer. Last Fall, while at work on a staging with two others, it gave way and precipitated all three to the ground, killing one and injuring another badly, and laying me up for some weeks. When well enough to walk, having lost my job, I took my family and started in this boat; got as far as the fish house on the east side of the river (opposite where they now are), when my wife was taken sick, and went there expecting to stay till Spring: but the owners drove me out, and I crossed over and built the present cave.”
Locals provided the family with many “articles of comfort” and gave Trent a job chopping wood. One newspaper commented: “It is a singular case that a man with the education he appears to have should be under the necessity of burrowing in the ground to find a place to shelter himself and family during the coming Winter.”◆
2024 Round-up
What’s been going on over the last 12 months, some say 365 days?
The Tyne Bridge, my book about the iconic landmark and the people who built and used it, was published in a handsome paperback edition with lavish illustrations and fancy French flaps. You can see more and get the book here: The Tyne Bridge
If you’re quick, I have a limited number of signed copies available at the reduced price of £12.99 £10 with free UK delivery. An ideal gift — you can add a personalised dedication message at the checkout. Last orders for Christmas by Tuesday 17/12/2024. For non-UK deliveries please drop me a line. You can pay securely using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or credit card using this link:
The Snowdrop: Lost in the Arctic is the true story of Scottish whaler the Snowdrop, its young seaman Alex Ritchie, and a battle to survive and escape from the Arctic. It’s a dynamic presentation with 3D images, interactive maps, and more. You can find it over at Shorthand.
The Great British UFO Hoax is a real-life sci-fi caper involving an apparent invasion of flying saucers that had the UK authorities extremely rattled but wasn’t quite what it seemed. You can read it on Narratively and also in the Smithsonian Magazine.
The Singular Discoveries podcast was shortlisted for the Independent Podcast Awards 2024. It didn’t win, but what the hey. I also released a bonus episode of the podcast with new stories and behind-the-scenes revelations. You can listen to all regular episodes “wherever you get your podcasts” or find them here. The bonus episode is available to supporters who purchased the binge and bonus package and also as a standalone instant download for a small one-off payment of just 99p. Download the bonus episode from Ko-Fi.
Here’s a 30-second preview trailer of the bonus episode:
Other stuff: More of my work was optioned for potential TV/movie adaptations. You can see more at IPPicks.com. I wrote about Newcastle United’s imminent decision to stay at or leave St James’ Park in When Saturday Comes. Here on Singular Discoveries, I wrote a four-part Victorian pot-boiler about the mysterious case of The Vanishing Bank Manager. I realised I’d written about too many George Wilsons. And I also wrote about giants, whirlwinds, monkeys, death row, driverless cars, the moon, and lots more — you can find the archive here.
Recommends: Some of the books I’ve recommended here over the year include this little lot. Only the first one was published in 2024, which I suppose makes it the Official Singular Discoveries Book of the Year:
Maurice and Maralyn: A Whale, a Shipwreck, a Love Story by Sophie Elmhirst (2024)
Pilgrim’s Wilderness by Tom Kizzia (2013)
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (1997)
Leviathan; or The Whale by Philip Hoare (2008)
The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti (2014)
You can find all of these and more on the Singular Discoveries bookshelf.*
Oh, and I left Twitter/X this year. I’m now (occasionally) on Bluesky: paulbrownuk.bsky.social
And that’s the end of that chapter. Thanks for reading in 2024. Best wishes for 2025. That’s all folks, over and out.◆
*This publication features Amazon affiliate links. If you use them, I may receive a few pennies to help fund the newsletter. See our Amazon bookshelf here.