In Bedlington near Blyth lived a very rich but very mean natured couple, whose
only daughter was so beautiful she was called 'The Flower of Bedlington'. She
was in love with James Robson a young man who loved her deeply. He was well
liked, well mannered and hard working but her parents disliked him as he was
very poor and worked as a ploughman. Her parents wanted nothing to do with James
and tried all they could to split the couple up, so that she would marry a rich
man that they chose. Nothing the mean parents did could keep the couple apart,
so in a final attempt to separate the couple the girl was sent to live with her
uncle at his farm in Stokesley in North Yorkshire.
The couple said a tearful farewell and pledged their love, the girl pledged:
of love and truth through life sincere,
nor death should part,
for from the grave,
short time should the survivor save.
The separation devastated James and in less than a week with
a broken heart he died. This delighted the girls parents and they already had a
wealthy suitor they planned to marry her to at once. The day that James was
buried, the parents had everything arranged to collect their daughter from
Stokesley and bring her home to be married. They went to bed early so as to
leave early next morning to fetch their daughter.
At midnight on her fathers favourite horse, James arrived at the farm in
Stokesley to meet his love. As he knocked on the door the girl called out and he
said Come quick love. Here is your mother's cloak and hood and your father's
good grey mare, you are to ride home with me at once. The girl rushed out
followed by her uncle. The uncle was unsure at first but when he saw the horse
and clothes which he recognized, he let them go with his blessing, and off they
went.
On the journey James complained that his head hurt so the girl wrapped her scarf
around him saying My dear, you are as cold as lead. As the moon came from behind
a cloud the girl noticed that James cast no shadow but she and the horse did,
she had no time to ponder the thought as they had reached her parents house.
Gently lifting her from the horse James said Your mare has travelled far, so you
go in and as I'm able I'll feed and tend her in your stable.
Knocking on the door she called to her parents that she was safely home with
James, thinking her parents had changed their mind as they had sent James to
fetch her home. Her father hearing this started to shake with fright, knowing
that James had just been buried. He rushed to the stables to see who was there
only to find his horse covered with sweat from a long ride.
Inside the house the mother told the girl the news of James death. With a sharp
cry the girl fainted and fell to the floor where the colour drained from her
face and her whole body started to shake. Carried to her bed she lay still and
white, where even the best doctors called in could find no physical reason for
her condition, but it was clear she was fading away. The only time she spoke
again was to request she be buried in the same coffin as James and filled with
grief and remorse her parents agreed. A few days later the girl passed away.
When the coffin was opened the parents saw the girls scarf wrapped around James
just as their daughter had told them on the night he brought her home.
