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Letter for the Magpies

Letter for the Magpies, is the rumored story of two Victorian-era lovers and their eventual demise.^[1]

History

While much is unknown about the pair, because of historical records, people have speculated about the pair's history. In 2007, the lover's country-side home, which was previously left abandoned, had been turned into a museum.

As contractors were remodeling the home, they found two unmarked graves in the garden. Upon closer inspection, it was the bodies of a married couple. The woman who was later identified as Margret Frasier-Roberts and the man as Charles Roberts. Based on death records, the two died in their thirties. So as not to disturb the graves and out of respect, the owners of the land commissioned two gravestones to be built and the bodies to be reburied.

When the conservation of the estate was finished, tours began on the land. People quickly took to the mysterious story of the two.

Influence

Because the story of the pair's life is relatively unknown, most people have only theorized what their life was like. However, with knowledge of their deaths, Margret being from pneumonia and Charles from a heart attack, people have labeled them as star-crossed lovers. The tour guides have turned their resting spot into both a memorial for the two and also a place for young couples to ask for protection so that they may not meet the same fate as them.

For those that visit the pair, it is common to see a tabby cat lurking or even laying near the graves. Some people may hear two magpies sing. And, for those that are lucky, they may have their wishes granted by the couple when a couplet of magpies perk themselves on the headstones of the two lovers.

People that have already lost their partner may also engage with the husband and wife by writing a letter to their deceased partner and leaving it on the headstone of Margret.

The Letter

Although the letter has never been found and its contents are unknown, it has a confirmed existence. Both in the discolored wood flooring in the study, where the letter was believed to have been left, and because of the diary of Charles Roberts.

The diary details that the letter was written a year after the death of Margret Fraiser-Roberts, and that it was left in the study of the house. It was never mentioned by Charles again.

Timeline

1851

• Charles Roberts is born in Westminster Hospital, London, UK. (May)
• Margret Frasier is born in Glasgow, Scotland. (June)

1870

• Charles enlists in Queen Victoria's Army. He signs a twelve-year contract. Six years active duty and six years reserves. (September)

1875

• The pair meet at low lord's ball, while Charles is home for holiday. (December)
• They meet again in a shop. (March)
• Margret is invited to Charles' birthday dinner. (May)

1876

• Charles completes his six years of active duty. (September)
• Charles and Margret begin seeing each other whenever they can. While on a picnic they see a conventicle of magpies. She tells him that she loves the bird even with all its superstition. Charles jokes that her name sounds similar to the bird's name. He begins calling her Magpie. (September)
• While cleaning a fireplace, Charles gets smothered in soot. Margret jokes that he looks as if he's been charred. She begins calling him Char. (November)

1878

• Charles courts Margret. (June)
• They marry in Perth, Scotland. (November)

1879

• Charles gets a job at a small campaigning office. (September)
• Margret's mother passes. She inteherits enough money for the two for them to rent a room in an English-country house of a small lord and lady. (October)
• Margret has her first miscarriage. It occurs in the seventh week of her first trimester. (December)

1880

• The Lord of the house passes. (February)
• The Lady of the house sells the home to Charles and Margret. (February)
• Margret has her second miscarriage. It occurs in the first week of her second trimester. (March)
• Charles gets a new job as an archivist. (March)
• Margret has her third miscarriage. It occurs in the fourth week of her first trimester. (June)
• Upon going to the doctor, Margret is told she suffers from infertility. (June)

1881

• Margret finds a stray tabby in the garden. She names her, Steve. (April)
• Charles gets transferred to a census recorder job. (July)
• Margret brings up discussion of adopting a child. He says he needs time to think on it. (July)
• Charles secretly finds Margret feeding Steve their leftovers. He unconsciously cracks a smile at it. (August)

1882

• Margret begs Charles to let Steve in after a particularly cold night. He begrudgingly agrees, but tells her this is the only cat he's going to allow. (January)
• Following his father's death, Charles and Margret spend three months in Scotland. (March)
• Returning home, Margret sets to becoming more keen to the role of being the lady of the house. (May)
• She holds her first tea party. It's mildly successful. Although, Charles is not a fan of the gossip. (May)
• Margret informs Charles that she is going to write a book. She also informs him that she is going to be the next Jane Austen. (May)

1883

• While writing in the study, Charles at his desk and Margret in her favorite corner of the room, Charles notices a lone magpie on a branch outside the window. However, his attention is taking back to his wife as she tells him that he should spend more time writing for himself instead of work. He brushes it off. (February 15th)
• Margret hosts another small gathering. At the party, she is convinced by small children of the lords and ladies to play pirates and guards. As the others are gossiping, Charles goes to look for his wife. He finds her with a wooden playsword, his army coat on, and her nightgown underneath. Still playing the game, she yanks Charles into the garden. Wearing no shoes, she cakes her feet with cold mud. While outside, Charles confesses that he's ready to adopt a child. Margret is overjoyed. (March 1st)
• Together, the two travel to the Ashley Down orphanage. Once they arrive, Margret is suddenly overtaken by a coughing fit. The two leave before they can even meet a child. (March 16th)
• As her cough progresses and gets worse, Charles calls a doctor. His inspection concludes that she has pneumonia. The man tells Charles there is nothing more to do other than pray. The doctor does offer arsenic or strychnine as a medicine, but Margret pushes against it. Charles and Steve stay by Margret's side through the night. Charles does not sleep. She wakes just before midnight to tell him again that he should write for himself. Her last wish is for him to write something other than a report. Her random burst of energy gives Charles hope that she's getting better. It does not last. (March 19th)

• At 2:46 am on March the 20th, Margret succumbs to her illness.

1884

• Charles writes a letter to his wife. He leaves it in her favorite corner of the study. Where the light hits the wood floor just right.

References

1. ^ Hooker, Madison (February 16th, 2023) "Letter for the Magpies" Google Docs Retrieved March 25th, 2024