LIGHT will be shone on some of the darkest chapters of the borough’s history when St Helens Town Hall hosts an evening of macabre murder stories.

Historian Ted Forsyth will reveal some of the most gruesome historical stories involving murder and capital punishment over the centuries.

The talk, entitled ‘Murderers and Hangmen’, will cover cases both locally and across the country. The first takes place tomorrow tonight (Thursday 19), starting at 6.45pm.

Among them is the story of murder victim Gladys Appleton, who is buried at St Helens Cemetery. She was found dead on the driveway to the ELMS on Cowley Hill Lane with witnesses claiming to have seen a drunken soldier.

As police went to Rainford barracks a soldier John Davidson was in custody for being absent without leave on the night of the murder. He denied the murder but later confessed and eventually was hanged.

“There will be about 10 stories from St Helens featured on the evening,” says Ted, from Haresfinch.

“I will also tell a story of how a murderer and the victims ended up buried in the same grave at St Helens Cemetery. And there is another grave at the Abbey which says ‘killed by ingratitude’ at the bottom though we’ve no idea what it means.”

Also there will be stories from across the country about hangmen and Robert Roose, the first person in England to be executed by being boiled to death in 1531.

“There was no such thing as health and safety back then, they were certainly very different eras.

“I will also tell a story of how a murderer and the victims ended up buried in the same grave at St Helens Cemetery.”

The presentation will be the first of 10 events that have been organised by the Family History Group, which will take place on the third Thursday of each month throughout the rest of the year.

The second meeting is entitled 'Anecdotes of a Liverpool Registrar' with Carol Codd and takes place on Thursday, March 19.