Thomas Lyon-Bowes, Master of Glamis (born 1821) facts for kids
Thomas Lyon-Bowes was born and died on October 21, 1821. He was the first child of Thomas Lyon-Bowes, Lord Glamis, and his wife Charlotte Lyon-Bowes. Thomas was a great-grandparent of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She later became the Queen Consort in 1936.
Even though records say Thomas was born and died on the same day, stories started in the late 1800s. These stories claimed the child was born with an unusual appearance. They said he was kept hidden away in Glamis Castle in Angus, Scotland. This led to the famous stories of the "Monster of Glamis" or the "Horror of Glamis."
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The Mystery of Glamis Castle
Stories about Thomas Lyon-Bowes still being alive began in nearby villages. These tales came from a midwife who helped with his birth. The midwife's name is not known. The stories claimed the child was healthy when she left. So, people became suspicious when his death was announced a day or two later.
What Was the Glamis Monster?
People talked about this story a lot in the late 1800s. In 1885, a writer named Miss M. Gilchrist was sure a "monster" existed. She even described him as "half frog, half man." She also claimed he was the true heir to the castle.
However, other stories about Glamis Castle from the time of Queen Victoria did not mention a monster. Instead, they focused on a secret room. They suggested that members of a rival family might have died while locked inside this room.
The oldest known mention of the "monster" story is from 1908. It claimed that "in the Castle of Glamis is a secret chamber. In this chamber is confined a monster, who is the rightful heir to the title and property." The story added that the monster was "so unpresentable that it is necessary to keep him out of sight."
The Secret Room at Glamis
Thomas Lyon-Bowes does not have a gravestone. Some people thought this meant he was still alive. They believed this because he was baptised as a Christian at birth.
However, it was common for babies who died young not to have their own gravestones back then. This was because many babies did not survive. Special funerary monuments for children were rare.
The Queen Mother's biographer, Michael Thornton, visited Glamis Castle. He said the sixteenth Earl told him something interesting. The Earl said the entrance to the room where Thomas lived was sealed with bricks after his death.
Was There Really a Monster?
Some accounts also came from a singer named Virginia Gabriel. She stayed at the castle in 1870. A folklorist named Raymond Lamont Brown wrote about the tales of Glamis. He believes there probably is a secret room in the castle. But he says the family strongly denies any stories about a monster.
See also
- Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon
