The Morgan Trust

by R. Bridgeman, Leslie Purnell Davies (AKA), Seth (Illustrator)

World-renowned illustrator Seth returns with three new Christmas ghost stories for 2020. Intrigued by a travel guide’s mention of tales of hauntings, Selby Pyle, an “Amateur Psychic Investigator,” sets out for a village deep in the Welsh mountains―where the moss-covered walls of an unfinished Shangri La left behind by a deceased entrepreneur is far from the strangest thing he encounters.

Genres: Horror, Christmas, Short Stories, Gothic, Supernatural, Ghosts

49 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Richard Bridgeman (or R. Bridgeman) is a pseudonym of Leslie Purnell Davies.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

none of the books in seth's ghost stories for christmas series have been scary-scary, in part because they hail from Days of Yore, and we've become desensitized to that brand of antiquated horror by splatter movies and the very real existence of murder hornets. additionally, since the series is meant to encourage a revival of the Days of Yore's family-friendly x-mas eve tradition of ghost stories being read aloud whilst your yule log crackles, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to contain the gross-out violence of one of rob zombie's psychosexual escapades.

this one, although of much more recent vintage (1973), isn't even trying to be scary, yet it is nevertheless a ghost story, and a very charming one at that.

it follows selby pyle; an "amateur psychic investigator" on his life's mission to find proof of the existence of life after death, thereby assuaging his own fear of death.

following a lead, he heads to the small welsh village of cwmbach, where—he has learned—a man named ifor morgan had long ago strolled in and established 'the morgan trust,' extracting significant financial contributions from the villagers, promising to build them a new village called llannef, which, by all accounts, never materialized. unspecified supernatural occurrences were reported in the situation's aftermath; insubstantial but curious enough that selby decides to pay the town a visit.

when he arrives, the villagers are in the middle of celebrating the life of an elderly woman who has recently died, with an air more festive than mournful. also curious is the fact that, far from harboring resentment towards ifor morgan for swindling them, his picture holds a place of honor, and the townsfolk regard him as some sort of heroic patriarch.

nowadays, we'd be completely unsurprised if this setup resolved into some Midsommar nightmare scenario, but this ain't that.

there aren't any big surprises here, but even though it's fairly predictable, it's a pleasing and well-told story about a man who learns not to be afraid of the unknown, and it's the prettily optimistic tale we need at the end of a very long year.



come to my blog!

[Thomas Wagner | SFF180 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Biblioasis Ghost Stories for Christmas series of chapbooks designed and illustrated by Seth, The Morgan Trust is the very definition of a cozy ghost story. A leisure-class Londoner with a fondness for paranormal investigation (specifically, finding evidence of the afterlife) visits a Welsh town, where he hopes to learn more about the locals’ relationship to a tycoon who apparently scammed them all on a real estate deal. He arrives to find out the truth is something very different indeed, and may well give him the answers he seeks. Originally published in 1973.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes another of the Christmas Ghost story collection an this one really did impress me.

The ideas of is that you have a collection of short vintage (although this is not as old as some from the series) Ghost stories. Now many of them are rather cliche in their approach and topics but the appeal is a combination of the atmosphere and the illustrations.

However there a number (and as I read through the series I am finding more of them) which break the mould and buck the trend - this is most certainly one of them.

I will not spoil any of the story but I find it both surprising and charming at the same time - you get no idea of where it is going from the title and I think that just adds to the intrigue. Its books like this that make the series so much fun

[Michael Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm gonna be honest, I only picked this one up because it was the smallest physical book I've ever seen sold at a store and it enamored me. A fun little addition to add to the bookshelf. At under 50 pages (which include a few full-page illustrations), you can easily read this in an hour.

Simply put, it's a short ghost story that relies on classic tropes to do exactly what it sets out to do. The most frustrating thing was that I know I've heard a variation of this story before, but between all the short story anthologies and horror podcasts I've consumed, I can't remember where. And that's not a knock against this story!

Alright, I gotta wrap this up or else I risk writing a review longer than the book itself. :P

[Canavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

✭✭✭✭½

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chance read in a travel guide leads a traveler to a mythical village high in the Welsh mountains where not everything is as it seems....

[Catherine Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series of Christmas Ghost Stories a lot, and this one is one of my favourites. Not a scary one but a strange and mysterious one with a touch of humor.

[Adam Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding the way to a haunted Welsh village. Not creepy or scary but a ghostly perspective of the afterlife, a nice short Christmas ghost story.

[Ryan Jantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You’ve read this before. Reminiscent of a million things, and reminded me of a handful of Twilight Zone episodes (especially a stop at willoughby). It’s charming but goes down such a predictable and familiar path that I was almost shocked it didn’t zag in some way. But the haunted bookshelf series is all about the older, gentler, whimsical ghost stories and to that end Morgan Trust is a fine addition.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise gem of an eerie story of—oddly—contentment about a Welsh Shangri-La, "decorated" by Seth's moody illustrations. ("Decorated" is Seth's term, not mine.)

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a subtle, and strange little Christmas ghost story by Richard Bridgeman aka Leslie Purnell Davies who gave us some novels of science fiction, horror, and mystery/suspense. It all started with Selby Pile, reading a ghost story of a mysterious fellow named Morgan. So, Selby decided to journey towards the township of Cwmbach. When he arrived, he found the town quaint. He inquired with the landlord politely about Morgan and the enigmatic Morgan Trust, where you deposit certain funds to it for whatever strange reason. He soon discovered another town. And he tried to find out about it. But the landlord was rather reticent, politely so. Curiosity got the better of Selby, and soon set out towards it. Read this to find out what happened next. It’s a good ghost story. Not exactly Stephen King but what the hell?

[Paul Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Biblioasis] (2020). SB. 49 Pages. Purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

Leslie Purnell (“L. P.”) Davies (1914-1988) published “The Morgan Trust” under his “Richard Bridgeman” nom de plume.

It was included in the “Welsh Tales of Terror” (1973) anthology having first appeared in “London Mystery Selection” Number 48 (March 1961).

The drab, naive drawings by “Seth” (Gregory Gallant (1962-)) bring nothing worthwhile to this book. Additional contextual information, for instance a more detailed biographical sketch of the author*, would have been a welcome substitute. (*A mere six lines… but ten for the illustrator…)

This is a competently executed, atmospheric, brief supernatural tale.

[October Murilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is charming enough, with a funny little punchline at the end, but you know exactly where the tale is heading almost from the moment that the main character arrives at the inn. Well written, but a bit 'nothing new under the sun.' The short story is done no favors by Seth's adornments. After having read so many of these little novellas any delights brought about by the novelty of his simplistic black & white drawings of non-descript buildings, play table trees, and old people's faces have long since begun to fade.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read when a young teenager and shared today with my Yr 13s who were less impressed although they did acknowledge the beauty of the writing. Set in familiar territory (given our location) this is the story of ghost hunter Selby Pyle who sets out the village of Cwmbach (small valley) and encounters the story of Ifor Morgan, would-be philanthropist. A gentle tale of future planning with a hint of the gothic.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good ghost story for Christmas with Seth designs. It's interesting that I associate ghost with horror, but it's specifically a ghost story, not a horror story for Christmas. This is one that forgoes the scary elements and has a ghostly element but it's quite heartwarming. A paranormal investigator finds evidence of the afterlife.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This is a smoothly written, spooky yet sweet story, which—like the forks in the road—has a twist or two. Early on at a mention of “hydrogen bombs and guided missiles,” I was startled by the later time period of this story compared to the others in the series I’d been recently reading.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a ghost story before bed last night so I grabbed the next volume in the Ghost Story for Christmas set and I'm glad I did. This one was a comforting ghost story. One that feels like a warm hug. A wee bit odd that one had to buy one's way into a peaceful respite, but I loved it all the same.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming tale (certainly not a horror story) that paints a hopeful picture of an afterlife. Note: the Biblioasis edition is actually 31 pages of text, other pages are filled with Seth's so-so designs.

[Jameson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confession: I didn’t read Seth’s edition but the one from Welsh Tales of Terror. I like Seth’s work okay and I have a few of the Christmas books but only for stories I’ll read again and again. This one, though, was nothing special. Not bad; not special.

[Grahaeme Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this entry - more melancholic and hopeful than spooky, but a highlight in this great series!

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story that really reminded me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes, “A Stop at Willoughby.”

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novella, great ghost story

[Nils Jepson · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredibly charming and warm and ghost-y and also a pretty clever premise that goes beyond the atmospheric creeps that define most of these stories.

[Kevin Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice cozy read, a little snappier prose than some others in the series probably due to it being a more recently written story. The story is well told with some great senses of place.