A six-year-old girl vanished during a family shopping trip in Liverpool city centre and reappeared holding the hand of a mysterious man dressed as if he had stepped out of the Victorian era. When little Abbey was reunited with her parents, she told them she had been taken into the ruins of St Luke's Church by an “old woman in a shawl”.
The Disappearance in Bold Place
The story, known as The St Luke's Abduction, dates back to December 20, 1991. The Edwards family, from Dovecot, had travelled into Liverpool city centre for late Christmas shopping. Their four children were excited to see the Christmas lights, while six-year-old Abbey had been particularly looking forward to seeing the large Christmas tree in Church Street.
Finding somewhere to park proved difficult. Eventually, Mr Edwards spotted a secluded side street, Bold Place, which runs from Berry Street, past the rear of St Luke's Church and towards Roscoe Street. He parked the family Volvo and everyone climbed out. An icy fog descended over the poorly lit cobbled street as the children excitedly asked their parents what they were getting for Christmas.
The Search and the Scream
The family discussed where to go first. Mr Edwards wanted to head to Bold Street to buy his father a cardigan, while Mrs Edwards wanted to visit Dixons to buy a CD player for her sister. Amid the commotion, Mr Edwards suddenly noticed his youngest child was missing. He glanced about Bold Place and said, 'Where's Abbey?'.
Everyone looked around. Mr Edwards anxiously looked through the windows of the car, but his little daughter wasn't there. Then they heard a faint scream in the distance. "Daddy!"
It sounded like Abbey and appeared to come from the top of Bold Place, towards Roscoe Street. The family raced up the cobbled road and at the rear of St Luke's, the gates were open. Mr Edwards believed his daughter might have wandered into the grounds of the bombed-out church. He climbed onto a ledge and looked into the ruins, but there was nobody there.
St Luke's had been gutted by an incendiary bomb during the Blitz in the Second World War, leaving only its shell standing. Yet Abbey's voice had appeared to come from inside. The family hurried into the grounds and once again heard Abbey cry out for her father, but the little girl was nowhere to be seen, and the fog was getting thicker.
The Mysterious Return
Mr Edwards handed his wife the car keys and told her to bring the torch from the vehicle. As Mrs Edwards helped her husband down from the window, she said, "Listen!" It was the faint eerie sounds of a church organ, emanating from the church. Mr Edwards said, "Sound can play funny tricks at night. Come on, let's go to the police."
The family went to the police station on Hope Street and reported Abbey missing, and officers alerted patrol cars across the area. The Edwards family rushed back to Bold Place to continue searching. Around 20 minutes later, a tall man emerged from the grounds of St Luke's wearing a long black coat and a top hat, and walking beside him was little Abbey, holding his hand.
When Abbey saw her parents, she ran towards them crying. The man stood outside the church gates. He had long, bushy sideburns, a pale face, and what were described as ink-black staring eyes. He looked as though he belonged to the Victorian age. Mr Edwards demanded to know who he was and what he was doing with his daughter. But the stranger remained calm. In a low voice, he said: "Please accept my sincere apology for any distress caused." Then he turned around and silently walked back towards the ruins.
The Child's Account
A police patrol car arrived moments later, and Mr Edwards told the officers what had happened. Three policemen rushed into the church grounds with their batons drawn. But there was nobody there. The grounds were searched with powerful torches but the mysterious man had disappeared. And once again, officers reported hearing the faint sound of a church organ.
One of the policemen asked the little girl where she had been. She said an old woman wearing a shawl had grabbed her hand and dragged her into the church. Inside, Abbey claimed, a mass was taking place. There were many people there, all dressed in old-fashioned clothes. The women wore large hats and the men were dressed in black.
Abbey said she had screamed for her father, but the old woman had put her hand over the little girl's mouth to silence her and then a tall man appeared. He pulled Abbey away from the old woman and, according to the child's account, was the same man who later returned her to her parents.
The policeman questioned Abbey about the mysterious stranger. Had he said anything to her? The little girl shook her head. Then she replied: "The man said he had been a long time dead, that's all."
According to the account, the family have refused to go anywhere near St Luke's Church since that strange night in 1991 - particularly during the festive period.
