Literature: Ilminster Mystery: Strange Case Recalled by Bank Record: “Stuckey’s Bank,” by Philip T. Saunders, Taunton; Barnicott and Pearce, 1928. 15s: This is a careful historical record of a well-known Somerset bank founded by Samuel Stuckey, a merchant of Langport about the year 1806. In 1826 the concern was registered as a joint stock bank, and branches were established in various places. In 1909 the business was merged with Parr’s Bank. The last chapters of the book, dealing with matters that barely touch the fringe of the subject, will probably be of most interest to the ordinary reader. These include an account of the great Lord Chatham’s acquisition of Burton Pynsent under the will of the eccentric Sir William Pynsent, and a sketch of the life of Walter Bagehot, born in Langport and related through his mother to the Stuckeys. The book closes with an account of the unsolved “Ilminster Mystery”. Mr. Lidderdale, manager of the Ilminster branch of Stuckey’s Bank, suddenly disappeared in 1892, a few days before his intended wedding. Within a month a mysterious notice appeared in “The Times” to the effect that he had died on board a yacht belonging to a Miss Vining. All efforts to trace this lady or her yacht have been fruitless, and the passing years have increased the mystery rather than diminished it. C. H. University College, Exeter:
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
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