Dive into a supernatural mystery in Labrador’s wilderness with a noted Canadian historian and explorer. What is a chesterfield? Plan your visit to Kilmainham Gaol, a prison with deep ties to Ireland’s social and political history.
Vintage word of the month: Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a vintage word with three meanings. First, the Phillip Morris company has produced a brand of cigarettes called Chesterfield for over one hundred years, and the product has appeared in popular culture throughout the decades, including Classical Hollywood, the James Bond novels, and the movie True Romance.
Second, in Canada, Chesterfield was commonly used as another name for a sofa, especially among the Silent Generation (those who fought in World War II). The word originated in England and referred to a sofa with a high back and rolled arms, which was a style commissioned by Philip Stanhope, the Earl of Chesterfield, in the 1700s.
Finally, a chesterfield is also a type of overcoat, although this reference is probably the most obscure of the three meanings of Chesterfield. This knee-length coat was in style during the 1800s, and usually had a velvet collar. The Chesterfield coat has lasted through the centuries, and for those who love to build a formal wardrobe, modern versions of them can still be purchased.
Your Next Great History Read
The Whisper on the Night Wind, by Adam Shoalts. Allen Lane (Penguin Canada), 2021. 239 pp.
Intriguing historical accounts of encounters with a terrifying creature with a wide, sinister grin and powers of evasion in the wilds of Labrador inspired explorer Adam Shoalts to head to the forests to find the monster. Shoalts and a like-minded acquaintance made their way through the wilderness by canoe and on foot, and the resulting story is an engrossing blend of outdoor adventure, history, philosophy, and zoology.
Shoalts’ descriptions of the wilderness are beautifully rendered, and the reader often feels like they’re right alongside the two men as they literally hack their way through the trees to visit the spots in which the creature was seen. The text is repetitive in places, since Shoalts quotes from the same historical account a few times. The goal in doing so seems to be to encourage a close examination of the details of the spooky encounters, but with limited effectiveness.
Even so, Shoalts has written a page-turner, and by the end, he believes the mystery is solved, at least as well as it can be. The book is as much a lesson in science and logic as it is in history, and the reader might wonder if it was necessary to undergo such an arduous trek in order to identify the monster. The answer is yes. Ultimately, Shoalts is a passionate advocate for the preservation of wild lands, and his adventure shows how immersion in nature provides both clarity of thought and a reminder that human experience is rooted in the creation of myths.
Kilmainham Gaol: Where Irish history lives
Inchicore Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, Ireland https://www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/
There’s no better place to learn about political history in early 20th century Ireland than Kilmainham Gaol. The prison opened in 1796, and housed prominent political activists such as the Fenians and the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. While the gaol is best known for its connection to the battle for Irish independence, visitors also learn about the incarceration of ordinary people who were thrown into the prison for petty crimes such as stealing food.
Kilmainham Gaol is divided into three main sections: the West and East wings, and the Stonebreakers’ Yard. The West Wing’s cells have little light, but the East Wing has a skylight over the entire section, and these contrasting environments show the evolution of prison design and criminology theory throughout the gaol’s lifespan.
It’s difficult for a visitor to avoid getting goosebumps when the tour reaches the Stonebreakers’ Yard. This area was not just the site of hard labour for male prisoners (women worked in the laundry), but fourteen leaders of the Easter Rising were executed in this spot. As a result, some history enthusiasts might find visiting a prison turned museum like this one to be an unsettling experience. Still, no one will come away from the tour without a profound understanding of the social and political forces which have shaped modern Ireland.
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