I had to move away the tired tentacle of a creeping bramble littering the tomb just to make sure. But there was no doubt. This was indeed the burial place of David Thomas and the grave in St. Tydfils Church, represents a terrible crime which reached a truly horrible conclusion, quite at odds with the prosperous serenity of Llysworney.
It is a lovely tranquil village in the Vale of Glamorgan near Llantwit. A place for contemplation and reflection perhaps, whilst relaxing next to the duck pond and speculating on how you can help to make the world a better place. But that was not why David Thomas was buried there. He hadn’t lived a long and fulfilled life in such a place that many of us would envy. Because David Thomas was only forty when he was murdered by David Roberts in October 1885 in what became known as ‘The Cowbridge Murder.’
The full story of the terrible death of David Thomas features in my new book, Grave Tales of Wales, which was published by Cambria in July 2021. The book explores the stories represented by thirty gravestones from across the whole of Wales, from Anglesey to Cardiff, from Llangrannog to Newport.
The stories are about the surprising lives of the people who still lie beneath those stones, who still lie beneath your feet, and who still have something to say.
There are stories of anguish and sorrow, stories of courage and achievement and these tales from the past that can still speak to us today. There are great events here – the Titanic, the sinking of The Royal Charter, the execution of a King, the exploration of the Antarctic – but there are also terrible murders and tragic deaths.
Through these graves you can explore fascinating and sometimes unexpected stories from Welsh History
The book is 190 pages long and is illustrated throughout with full colour photographs.
Find out more by looking for Grave Tales From Wales in the menu or by following this link
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