The Bête Noire of the Long Forgotten Dead. Sometime Artist.
‘The Truth is Rarely Pure and Never Simple.’
~ Oscar Wilde
With Quill and Ink By Candlelight. ‘Fac Quod Faciendum Est.’
The Lady Brigante most cordially invites curious minds and those of a discerning spirit to cross the threshold and step inside a twilight world rife with mysterious happenstance and feats of every egregious kind.
As each tale will unfurl a precious truth – a pseudonym, nom de plume or ananym will most certainly be employed within the pages of this site to protect those folk who enjoy something of a rather dubious reputation.
ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ
Panel 1
The Lady Brigante
‘Twixt Night and Morn!
The Lady Brigante loves nothing more than shocking unsuspecting folk with the tale that she was abandoned at birth by gypsies and raised en famille with kindly mice in the crypt of an old church.
Alas! The truth is altogether more unremarkable!
Described as the bête noire of the long forgotten dearly departed – the Lady B is a storyteller, spiritual sleuth and a seeker of the dead.
She is also something of a miniaturist and sculptor.
On this day in the year 1739, a notorious felon by the batismal name of Richard Turpin from the County of Essex went to the gallows at York Tyburn attired in a smart new frock coat and shoes.
The truth is altogether more unremarkable for although blessed with an illustrious lineage – Lady B was in truth raised in genteel affluence in the City of York.
As dawn broke one chilly February morning – a local tinsmith walked from his workshop in Fossgate towards the notorious passageway known as Black Horse Passage.
With the door of an atelier closed for the day – it is possible to catch a glimpse of a celebrated storyteller wandering through the unquiet streets and secret passages in a quest to wake the dead.
For all of the whispers from the archive of a celebrated seeker of the dead, and exciting discoveries about the unique walks, place of rendezvous AND ticket availability – step inside the twilight world of the Lady Brigante and subscribe to The Brigante Chronicles to bring forth EVERY snippet of chatter direct to your inbox!
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A Mourning Walk?
“As you start to walk out on the way, the way appears.”
Rumi
Would you like to enjoy a unique and private stroll far from the maddening crowds through the secret passages and old snickelways of the City of York including a wander along the riverside?
Why not take A Mourning Walk with the Lady Brigante one evening and learn of the long-forgotten dead?
And there will also be the opportunity to learn something of an ancient city’s most infamous ghosts along the walk.
As All Hallows Eve beckons – whisper has it that an small emporium seeped in all manner of ancient folktale and superstition will open its door to welcome those discerning folk with a penchant for retail indulgence and a predilection for all that is extraordinary…
A ghost scribbler…
‘The lawn is pressed by unseen feet,
And ghosts return
Gently at twilight, gently go at dawn.
The sad intangible, who grieve and yearn…
‘T. S. Elliot
Deep within the confines of a cluttered atelier nestled among the groaning shelves of old paint, baskets of clay, pots of glue, and other strange implements and although contemplated by stuffed corvids and a tattered skull – a restless spirit awaits.
From the most haunted city within an ancient isle – an ineluctable curiosity begins to stir…
become a patron of the brigante?
For curious minds who are mindful to eavesdrop on the creative musings from an artist’s atelier or eager to discover the mysteries hidden within the Brigante Vault and the unquiet graveyards with their secrets of the long-forgotten – why not become a Patron and step inside the twilight world of this celebrated miniaturist and storyteller?
And for those of a curious mind who would like to take a peek at the bundles of old documents, burial records, and hear the untold tales of nefarious deeds and suspicious deaths from the exclusive Brigante archives – why not cross the threshold of a twilight world nestled inside a little slice of the web to which the Lady B has since laid claim?
Your generosity of spirit is noted and appreciated.
Panel 2
The Brigante Vault
For curious minds who are mindful to eavesdrop on the creative musings from an artist’s atelier or eager to discover the mysteries hidden within the Brigante Vault and the unquiet graveyards with their secrets of the long-forgotten – why not become a Patron and step inside the twilight world of this celebrated miniaturist and storyteller?
YOUR generosity of spirit is noted AND appreciated.
‘I am pregnant and have been suffering from severe sickness and have been living in a quiet area of York with my husband and our young son until things took a turn for the worse one chilly February evening.
As my post mortem examination revealed that I had died as a result of a brain haemorrhage caused by some kind of mysterious ingested poison – an inquest into my death was soon opened.’
Suffering Alone.
‘The ONLY clear picture history affords me is that of my death by poisoning one morning in May in the City York – despite the best efforts of our Lady Brigante!
For a scroll though our parish records and census returns will only add to the mystery of WHO I am , WHERE I have come from and HOW I have managed to live independently well into my sixth decade!’
A Discreet Spinster?
Panel 4
Waking the Dead of York and Beyond
With the coming of dusk…
And with the door of an atelier closed for the day – it is possible to catch a glimpse of a celebrated miniaturist and storyteller clad in her distinctive black feline boots wandering through the unquiet streets and secret passages of York, Scarboro’ and beyond in a quest to wake the dead.
ordinary folk. extraordinary deaths.
And for those of a curious and hardy temperament – why not come along and listen to the Lady Brigante as she shares with you the tales of the illustrious, the miscreants, artists, misfits and those ordinary folk who have ALL been lost to history – until now!
However, for those of a sensitive nature who are averse to real stories of tears, heartache and tragedy – a meander through the fascinating streets of York, Scarboro’ and beyond with the Lady Brigante may NOT be to your taste.
Who or What is The Polite Tourist?
The Polite Tourist offers true crime walks through Victorian history. Through York, Scarboro’ and beyond.
Innovative, meticulously researched and inspired by true crime stories from the Victorian era and through the tales of those ordinary people woven into the rich fabric of an ancient city or town’s social history – our walks are designed to offer an informative and unique experience with a professional and spirited storyteller.
Browse the shelves of our emporium for the deliciously unusual or become a fellow taphophile on the forum Beneath Thy Feet to quench those unanswered questions or dispel gossip from truth!
