The Ghostly Handprint at the Royal Stag: A Mini-Essay
Situated
on a corner next to Saint Mary’s Church in Datchet, England, the Royal Stag,
formerly the Five Bells and the High Flyer, opened in 1796 and, during the
following century, acquired a legend which has haunted the alehouse since.
During a cold, nineteenth-century winter’s day, a local laborer stopped by the
pub for a few drinks and allowed his young son to play in the snow-draped
cemetery next door. As the afternoon progressed and the temperature dropped,
the child ventured back to the bar and attempted to gain his father’s attention
through the window; however, his efforts proved futile and, after firmly pressing
his hand against the windowpane, he dropped to the ground and froze to death. Although no information
exists regarding the date of the incident or the names of the father and son,
the youngster’s ghostly handprint, which frequently appears on the glass, has
been photographically documented in 1979 and again in February of 2000.
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