The following story appeared in the Essex Weekly News on the 11th September 1908.
The inhabitants of the usually quiet little village of Norton Heath, which lies about mid-way between Ongar and Chelmsford, are just recovering from the effects of an episode which will not be forgotten for many a day.
In a neat little cottage adjoining the smithy, lives an old man named Joshua Gooday, who has reached the age of 91, and who being a widower, is looked after by a house-keeper.
Gooday, who occupies his time principally in hurdle making some years ago decided to make his own coffin, purchasing oak planks for the purpose. But for some reason the old man did not proceed with his work until a few weeks back, and then discovered that he was unequal to the task.
Accordingly he sought the assistance of several men in the village to shape the coffin for him and eventually secured the services of a man at Roxwell, but he from the first to the last directed the operation personally.
Three times it is stated that the assistant from Roxwell threw down his tools and refused to be dictated to, but eventually about a fortnight ago the coffin was made. But to the old man’s chagrin when he endeavoured to lie in it he found that not only was it too short but that one shoulder had been rounded off while the other had been squared.
STORED THE COFFIN
So great was Gooday’s rage when he made this discovery that his assistant was actually frightened into a fit and was afterwards very grateful to take his departure. The old man stored the coffin in a shed adjoining his cottage placing it on specially made trestles, and the door of the shed was secured by a special kind of padlock. But, mystery of mysteries despite these precautions, one night recently the coffin was spirited away and no-one knew how.
THE SEARCH
Gooday, who was genuinely alarmed called in the police and informed them of what had happened, and Pc Vale, of Blackmore, obtained assistance and proceeded to search for the missing coffin. A thorough examination of the shed satisfied both the police and Mr. A. Smith, the owner of the shed, that the latter had not been tampered with, while it was equally certain that no-one could have opened the padlock, because there was no other key in the village to fit it.
Failing to solve the puzzle how the coffin, which weighed 1½ cwt. Was spirited away the police, assisted by the villagers, at once commenced to search the neighbourhood. The heath was scoured and numerous ponds dragged, but all to no purpose. No coffin could be discovered. Consoling himself a little with the reflection that the coffin being too small would not be of any service to him even if found, Gooday went to Chelmsford and purchased planks for a new one.
A day or so afterwards information was received that the coffin had been discovered in Mill Hill pond and Gooday and his housekeeper hurried to the spot, only to discover that what had been taken for the missing coffin was a bath turned side upwards. After this the police, the old man, and the rest if the villagers, had become reconciled to the fact that the coffin had indeed been spirited away.
On Tuesday of last week, however, news was carried to the Smithy that the coffin had been seen standing in afield of maize not far away; and a little latter before any steps could be taken to recover it the mysterious thing had “moved” from the maize field to the village, where it was found standing upright in the main road. No-one appears to know how it arrived there, but there it undoubtedly was.
Motorists and cyclists came across the coffin before they were aware of it, and some appeared too superstitious to pass it. Several cyclists, it is averred pushed their machines by in fear and trembling.
Eventually Pc Vale and Mr. Maryon of Norton Mandeville, caried the coffin home to the old man and with some difficulty set it again on the trestles in the shed and locked it up. How the coffin moved from the shed remains a mystery.
BETTER FIT
Although Gooday has got his coffin back, he is still making a new one which he hopes will be a better fit, and he has offered to give the old one to any friend.
The old man, who spent many years in South Africa and India as a ganger, is a native of Broxted, and came to Norton Heath eight years ago. In addition to making his own coffin he has made various preparations for his funeral. He has deposited five shillings each for his bearers and five shillings for a woman whom he has “chosen to lay him out”. He also it is understood, paid for a trolley to convey his mortal remains to their last resting place – a spot in the churchyard which he has selected himself.
Joshua Gooday died on the 2nd March 1915 at the grand old age of 96 and is buried in All Saints, Norton Mandeville.
It also appeared in numerous other newspapers across the country.
