Name Lucy Lightfoot | ||
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Lucy Lightfoot is the name of a fictional girl who supposedly disappeared mysteriously from the Isle of Wight in 1831. The whole incident was made up by the vicar of St. Olaves in the 1960s, which he subsequently admitted.
Contents
Character bio
Lucy was born at a farm near Bowcombe. She was last seen around 10:30 on the morning of 13 June 1831. There was a near total eclipse of the sun that day, lasting about half an hour. A violent thunder storm also struck the island, causing flooding and crop damage. After the storm had abated, her horse was found tied to the gate at St. Olave's Church in Gatcombe. Lucy was nowhere to be found. Her parents offered a large award for her return, but moved away after two years searching turned up nothing.
Also of note is the detail that a steel misericord attached to a wooden effigy of Edward Estur was found shattered after her disappearance. A valuable chrysoberyl set in lodestone on the hilt was found to be missing.
Explanations
The most prominent explanations involved a possible time slip. Supposedly research by the Rev Samuel Trelawney in 1865 unearthed a manuscript by Phillip de Mezières, chancellor of Peter I, listing the names of the English knights recruited by Peter I of Cyprus in 1363. One Sir Edward Estur was listed as being accompanied by a girl with the same name as Lucy, from Carisbrooke Castle.
However, it was discovered that the whole incident was made up by the vicar of St. Olaves in the 1960s, which he subsequently admitted.
Fiction
The book The Grass Beyond the Door by Cicely Veighey is based on the legend.
A Tapestry of Time: Or Effigy of Love by Cecily Gould is also based on the legend.
For The Love Of Lucy by Andrew J. Müller, published in IN FRONT Magazine in March 1999.
Music
A song by Spherical Objects titled "Lucy" was inspired by the legend. It appeared in the 1979 album Elliptical Optimism