The Town Elder

Tom "Three Tides" Aspland - Town Elder

Emerging from the mists of Cambridge's waterways comes our tribute to those hardy souls who worked the treacherous fenland waters. Tom "Three Tides" Aspland's ghost captures the essence of the unofficial Brotherhood of Cambridge Lightermen - those fiercely independent river workers who controlled the flow of goods between King's Lynn and Cambridge during the early 19th century.

Crafted in deep slate grey reminiscent of the lightermen's sturdy corduroy work clothes, this spectral form is crowned with a rich red top, from which crimson streaks cascade like the traditional tasseled caps that marked these river masters. The ghost's eyes seem to pierce through the densest river fogs, while if the form appears to list at times, this merely recalls Tom's wooden leg - lost to the hungry fenland waters but gained, so he claimed, saving a merchant's daughter from drowning.

Born in 1785 to an old fenland family, Tom worked the waters from 1800 until his mysterious disappearance in the great fog of 1842. That he survived 42 years on the treacherous fenland waters speaks volumes of his skill - both in navigating the dangerous currents and the sometimes murky world of river trade. His spirit became a regular fixture at the Rutland Arms, where legend holds that on misty evenings, his distinctive three-knock signal can still be heard at the old inn door, warning fellow spirits of approaching storms.

A permanent member of our collection, this ghost serves as a testament to the unsung heroes of Cambridge's river trade, whose stories flowed as freely as the ale at the Rutland Arms. Each ceramic vessel is hand-crafted to provide safe passage for these noble river spirits, ensuring their tales live on in homes across Cambridge and beyond.

Every ghost is hand-made and unique - yours will be similar to the image shown but will vary in intensity and amount of streaking or other markings making it just as beautiful, but different.