ON November 1, 1909, William Silwood, an ex-Guardsman and popular community figure, was found dead in Epping Forest. As the 100th anniversary of his death approaches, Mr Silwood's great-grandson remains convinced foul play was afoot. CARL BROWN reports
ON Sunday, November 1, Dr Barrie Charles, William silwood’s great grandson, will lead a walk from Keeper’s Cottage in Baldwin’s Hill, near Loughton, to a stream near the Green Ride in Great Monk Wood.
The walk will retrace the last steps of Dr Charles’ great-grandfather, William Silwood, whose mysterious death was the talk of the district exactly 100 years ago, and continues to fascinate today.
Mr Silwood was born in Aldbury, Hertfordshire, in 1863, and worked at a gas refinery in south London before joining the Second Life Guards in 1882.
He served in the Boer War and was decorated for bravery, receiving the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was at the time the second most prestigious medal for bravery after the Victoria Cross.
Mr Silwood rose to the rank of Corporal Major, before joining the Essex Imperial Yeomanry and moving to Epping in 1901.
A month before his death he became an Epping Forest Keeper, and left Keeper’s Cottage for his usual beat on November 1 at 3.30pm.
Two days later he was found dead face down in a stream.
His funeral procession in Loughton was attended by thousands of people and was led by the Earl of Longford.
An inquest into Mr Silwood’s death returned an open verdict and police did not launch a murder investigation.
Mr Silwood was survived by his wife Caroline and nine children, including Amy Peacock, the grandmother of Dr Charles.
Dr Charles, who lives in Oxfordshire, remains convinced his great-grandfather was killed.
He said: “The police basically were not very helpful. They said they could not see how anybody else may have done it.”
Dr Charles has investigated the case extensively and has had a book published about Mr Silwood’s death, called A Pattern of Virtue.
He said blood was found at the base of Mr Silwood's brain, and his hat was crumpled and found a few feet away from where his body lay, suggesting he did not merely fall.
He said: “The talk at the time was that he had got into a dispute with poachers, who had killed him.
“And later there was a rumour that a man with a history of poaching had confessed to the murder on his deathbed.”
Dr Charles said Mr Silwood was fit and healthy and as an “upstanding community figure”, was unlikely to have been drinking on duty on the night of his death.
He said: “Mr Silwood was definitely a figure who was talked about in my childhood. Unfortunately I did not speak to my grandmother about him that much before her death in 1984.
“Like a lot of people I have got more interested in my ancestry as I’ve got older, and I thought others might like to join my ancestors and I on the walk.”
The walk begins at Keeper's Cottage on November 1 at 3.30pm. For more information go to bjc.me.uk
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