‘Skull’ of an 1800s prisoner stolen from the ‘haunted pub where she rested’

The replica skull apparently belongs to Elizabeth Johnson, who was executed in the 1800s (Pictures: Deadline News)

The replica skull of a criminal executed in the 1800s has been stolen from a ‘haunted’ Yorkshire pub.

Elizabeth Johnson was hanged on August 23, 1800, after she was found guilty of using a forged £1 banknote – worth £89 today.

A replica of her skull has since been kept in York’s Golden Fleece pub, less than two miles from where she was executed in Knavesmire.

The pub had paid homage to Ms Johnson because she was believed to have visited while the Golden Fleece, which is 518 years old, was still an inn.

But now, Ms Johnson’s ‘skull’ has been ‘taken from her resting place’ – with the pub owners claiming they have caught a thieving punter on CCTV.

They wrote on Monday: ‘Unfortunately over the course of last night/today someone has taken it upon themselves to remove Elizabeth from her resting place.

‘This is beyond us why anyone would want to take her and we sincerely hope the culprit had a lapse of judgment and will return her to us asap.

The skull belonged to Ms Johnson – who was hanged for using a forged £1 note (Picture: Deadline News)

Ms Johnson was commemorated in the pub because it is believed she used to visit there while it was still an inn (Picture: Deadline News)

‘We are currently looking through all our CCTV in order to hand it to over. Please contact us if you have any information on her whereabouts to bring her back to her rightful home.’

Investigating CCTV seemed to prove fruitful as the owners now have a positive ID and ‘clear footage of the theft’.

Speaking directly to the thief, the pub owners said: ‘IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE ELIZABETH BACK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS THIS WILL BE HANDED TO THE POLICE.

‘This is not something we want to do as we hope this was just a silly mistake and a lapse in judgment and hope the culprit will return her safely back to us.’

The pub used to be an inn and is 518 years old (Picture: Shutterbox)

The Golden Fleece is loved for its eerie themes. It advertises itself as ‘York’s most haunted pub’ and ‘one of England’s most haunted themes’.

Indeed, there have been 15 supposed sightings of ghosts wandering around the old building.

This includes Lady Alice Peckett – the wife of John Peckett, who owned the business while he was mayor of York in the early 1700s.

Others profess to have seen a 16th-17th century redcoat called One-Eyed Jack, a Second World War Canadian airman and even Roman soldiers in the cellar.

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from News – Metro https://ift.tt/334PJN6