Given the quoted placenames (assuming the Castle may be Chepstow area?) I wonder if this could be his grandfather or even father ?

Record_ID: 275014
Entry_Number: 293
Year: 1946
Month: Dec
Day: 23
Surname: GARDINER
Forenames: William George
Residence: Castle View
Age_at_death: 72 yrs
Officiating_Minister: R C Stebbing Rector
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P275 IN 1/33
Page_No: 37
Parish_Chapel: Ruardean
Soundex: G635

Name: William George Gardiner & Lizzie Annie Mason
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1899
Registration district: Ross
Inferred County: Herefordshire
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 1051

1901
William Gardiner abt 1874 Walford, Herefordshire, England Head Ruardean, Herefordshire
Lizzie Gardiner abt 1877 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Ruardean, Herefordshire
William Gardiner abt 1900 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Son Ruardean, Herefordshire

Year: 1903
Month: Sep
Day: 23
Parents_Surname: GARDINER
Child_Forenames: Albert Ernest
Fathers_Forenames: William George
Mothers_Forenames: Lizzie Annie
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Ruardean
Occupation: Miner
Officiating_Minister: E Parnell Rector
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P275 IN 1/8
Page_Number: 82
Parish_Chapel: Ruardean

Name: Albert Ernest Gardiner
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1903
Registration district: Ross
Inferred County: Herefordshire
Volume: 6a
Page: 487

1911 High St, Ruardean Nr Mitcheldean, Glos
William Gardiner 37 Walford
Lizzie Gardiner 34 Ruardean
William Gardiner 10 Ruardean
Albert Gardiner 7 Ruardean
Cecil Gardiner 6 Ruardean
Dorothy Gardiner 3 Ruardean
Lily Gardiner 2 Ruardean

Name: Lizzie A Gardiner
Birth Date: abt 1878
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1959
Age at Death: 81
Registration district: Forest of Dean
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 7b
Page: 354

Year: 1959
Month: Jun
Day: 17
Surname: GARDINER
Forenames: Lizzie Annie
Residence: Castle View Ruardean
Age_at_death: 81
Officiating_Minister: Eric J Hoskin Rector
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P275 IN 1/33
Page_No: 67
Parish_Chapel: Ruardean

<><><><><><

GARDINER Albert Ernest
JONES Ruby Ada
Forest of Dean Ruardean St John the Baptist
1928 1 345

Patrick D Gardiner Apr-May-Jun 1928 Ross Shropshire
Albert D Gardiner Oct-Nov-Dec 1930 Ross Shropshire
Stella Gardiner Jan-Feb-Mar 1932 Ross Shropshire
Larry Gardiner Apr-May-Jun 1934 Ross Shropshire

Name: Ruby Ada Gardiner
Birth Date: 1 Jul 1902
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1978
Age at Death: 76
Registration district: Cheltenham
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 22
Page: 1504

Name: Albert Ernest Gardiner
Birth Date: 19 Jun 1903
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1980
Age at Death: 76
Registration district: Birmingham
Inferred County: West Midlands
Volume: 32
Page: 1319

Name: Cecil F Gardiner & Grace M Downie
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1926
Registration district: Ross
Inferred County: Herefordshire
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 1183

Cecil G N Gardiner Jan-Feb-Mar 1927 Ross Shropshire
Donald R Gardiner Jul-Aug-Sep 1928 Ross Shropshire
Ann E Gardiner Jul-Aug-Sep 1942 Ross Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire

and here's some similar films of Otter Hole

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2mgOU6uEFI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_c-0olVLxc

Personally I prefer my watersports to be in warm sunshine & clear water with NO chance of getting jammed in a tight crevice !. I have great respect to these tough adventurers and of course the even-braver miners who were there first.

Given the quoted placenames (assuming the Castle may be Chepstow area?) I wonder if this could be his grandfather or even father ?

Record_ID: 275014
Entry_Number: 293
Year: 1946
Month: Dec
Day: 23
Surname: GARDINER
Forenames: William George
Residence: Castle View
Age_at_death: 72 yrs
Officiating_Minister: R C Stebbing Rector
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P275 IN 1/33
Page_No: 37
Parish_Chapel: Ruardean
Soundex: G635

Suggesting born abt 1874, giving:

Record_ID: 148581
Entry_Number: 70
Year: 1874
Month: Dec
Day: 23
Parents_Surname: GARDNER
Child_Forenames: William George
Fathers_Forenames: George
Mothers_Forenames: Elizabeth
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Howle Hill Walford
Occupation: Labourer
Officiating_Minister: Arthur Stonhouse Vicar
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: (P)overwritten with an X
Notes: P means Baptized privatley and X means brought to Church afterwards. (Explanations and/or word extensions are taken from the register's notes)
Register_Reference: CD20/1
Page_Number: 9
Parish_Chapel: Walford
Soundex: G635

This seemed a possible Marriage with a leaning towards Chepstow, except for Groom's name of course !! ... ?

Record_ID: 34785
Entry_Number: 422
Year: 1900
Month: Jun
Day: 11
Grooms_Surname: GARDNER
Grooms_Forenames: George William
Grooms_Age: 24
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Butcher
Grooms_Residence: Blakenay
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Gardner
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Miles
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Inn Keeper
Brides_Surname: JONES
Brides_Forenames: Louise Amelia
Brides_Age: 22
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: School Mistress
Brides_Residence: Aylburton
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Jones
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Richard
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Tin Plate Worker
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: James Hopkins
Witness_2: Margaret Mary Gardner
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: John C E Besant
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P209 IN 1/16
Page_Number: 211
Parish_Chapel: Lydney
Soundex_Groom: G635
Soundex_Bride: J520

??

Despite my best efforts I cannot find "our" George on FoD PRs, Family Search, FreeBMD or GlosBMD etc even using surname spelling variants (have even managed to "break" the FreeBMD site, sorry !). These searches have shown that it's clearly not a rare name.

I was searching as I wondered if, by some chance, George had ancestors who had been involved with Dr Owen's manuscript hunts.

William Shakespeare (means wordsmith!). Whatever the arguments as to his authorship, he was commanded into the Court of King James I. That speaks volumes, or should I say folios, chuckle.

http://theweepingcross.com/gothic_piercefield.html

http://www.ggat.org.uk/cadw/historic_landscape/wye_valley/english/wyevalley_005.htm

and full circle to the Otter Hole near /under Piercefield Park
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TdMh2hwqzgMC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=pierc...

http://www.geolocation.ws/v/P/73654536/cave-entrance-at-the-base-of-cave-wood/en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otter_Hole

http://www.darkanddeep.co.uk/caving_other.asp

http://www.forest-and-wye-today.co.uk/News.cfm?id=16535&headline=Tribute%20%E2%80%9...

Fortunately the timing of his researches show, from LDS:

Orville Ward Owen, "England and Wales Census, 1911"
Name: Orville Ward Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 57
Birthplace: District Michigan United States Of America
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Chepstow

Name: Mable Van Camp Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 40
Birthplace: District Michigan United States Of America
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Chepstow

Name: Gwendoline Van Camp Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Birthplace: Detriot Michigan U S A
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Newport

Name: Mabel Orvilla Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 10
Birthplace: Detriot Michigan U S A
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Newport

1911 Beaufort Hotel Chepstow
Orville Ward Owen 57 Detroit Michigan Physician and Surgeon
Mabel Van Camp Owen 40 Detroit Michigan

1911 The Gaer Newport
Gladys Wardowen 17 Detroit Michigan
Gwendolyne Van Camp Owen 14 Detroit Michigan
Mabel Orvilla Owen 10 Detroit Michigan

The land referred to is Henry Clay's Piercefield Park ( home of Chepstow racecourse today)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piercefield_House

The Wye Valley walk will take you above the area of river Wye referred to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wye_Valley_Walk

http://archive.org/stream/transactionsofwo71wool/transactionsofwo71wool_djvu.txt

At 12 a. m. we arrived at Chepstow, and af ber having inspected the interesting
ruins of the castle, we took coach and proceeded along the Monmouth road to
Piercefield. Henry Clay, Esq., the owner and occupier of this romantic spot,
having heard that we were about to hold a meeting at Chepstow, had most kindly
invited us to visit his grounds and partake of luncheon, but had expressed at the
same time his regret that his absence from home would deprive him of the plea-
sure of acting as our guide on the occasion. In the absence of Mr. Clay, his son-
in-law, the Kev, Walter Baskerville Mynors, was good enough to undertake that
office, 80 as soon as we had entered the drive at the lodge gates we were met by
that gentleman, who at once conducted us to the entrance of the walks at the
upper part of the ground.

These delightful walks are about three miles in extent, and lead through over-
hanging woods which, with the rocks beneath them, form one of the main features
in this part of the Wye scenery. They are situated about 290 feet above the
river, and commands views of Chepstow, the castle, and neighbourhood, and the
scenery on the opposite side of the valley, to which our attention was particularly
drawn as we arrive at the alcove, castle view, platform, grotto, &c. Halting
stations exist in the way, where openings in the dense foliage enable us to enjoy
"the pick " of the scenery. The yew, the beech, the elm, with other trees, form a
pleasant shade the whole way, while the ivy and the lesser periwinkle Vinca
minor carpeted the ground beneath them.

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At 1.30 we reached the mansion, a handsome building of Bath atone, com-
manding from its fine position varied and extensive views of surpassing beauty.
Here we were met by H. Clay, jun., Esq., who coaducted us to the dining-room^
where a sumptuous and elegantly arranged luncheon was laid out, of which, on
his having taken the head of the table, he invited us to partake. This acceptable
repast having been fully discussed, and the kind hospitality of Mr. Clay duly
acknowledged by us, we were again on our legs ; but before we left the mansion some
of us separated to view the richly decorated suit of apartments on the ground
floor, while others ascended the grand staircase and examined the celebrated
Gobelin tapestry, once tlie property of Louis XVI., on which are represented the
various animal and vegetable productions of Africa. On the foreground of one
of the pieces the lobster is represented "ready boiled," in the same condition in
which that crustacean is introduced by the painter of " The Miraculous Draught
of Fishes," who, on having been remonstrated with for his inconsistency, replied,
"The greater was the miracle." After we had reassembled at the porch door,
we resumed our walk through the grounds, and visited on the way the Smuggler's
Cave, the romantic association of which vanished when the exploring party an-
nounced that the opening in the rock was the entrance to a heading which led to
a descending shaft, and was evidently the work of some miners in their search
of an imaginary treasure situated below the carboniferous limestone. Farther
on we halted at the "Lover's Leap," a spot protected by an iron railing, whence
the views of Pieroefield become blended with those of the Wyndcliff, and here
we had arrived at the end of the grounds ; so after having thanked Mr. Mynors
for his kind attention, we joined our carriages at the Temple gate and rode to the
edge of the Wyndcliff woods, where we alighted and struck off into a path which
brought us to the top of the hiU, then, after having descended a few yards to the
right, we arrived at the " Terrace."

There 900 feet below the wooded rocks and crags which form the far-famed
Wyndcliff runs the Wye, now a tidal river, beyond which lies the peninsular
Llanwnt, a long stretch of alluvial land covered with verdant crops, and occupy-
ing the space which the river, by the assistance of the roadman and the lime-
burner, has formed in the limestone rocks which bound its channel. Beyond this
point the Double View and Tidenham Chase, and a long length of that sandy
bottomed stream, " Sabrina is her name," where her sister Vaga, true to the last
to her wanderisg nature, pours her accumulated treasures into her lap. Then la
the far distance, on one side, we noticed the flat and steep Holmes and Penarth
Point, and on the other, Kingroad, the mouth of the Avon, and the rocks and
woods about Clifton.

Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Although his political career ended in disgrace, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution. During the Restoration, Bacon was commonly invoked as a guiding spirit of the Royal Society founded under Charles II in 1660. He has been reputed as the "Father of Experimental Science" and the philosophical influence behind the dawning of the Industrial Age.
Bacon was the first alternative candidate proposed as the "true author" of William Shakespeare's plays and was the leading candidate in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the so-called "Baconian theory" which was particularly supported in the USA including by author Mark Twain.

Bacon also held a fascination with mysterious codes and ciphers, in 1605 he devised the "Baconian Cipher", a method of hiding a secret message within the presentation of text.

American physician Dr Orville Ward Owen (1854–1924) supported the Baconian theory of Shakespearean authorship and furthermore claimed to have discovered hidden messages within the works of Shakespeare/Bacon using his invention the "cipher wheel". These alleged discoveries were published in his multi-volume work "Sir Francis Bacon's Cipher Story"(1893-5). This was a "secret history of the Elizabethan period" communicated by Bacon through encoded passages in his own works and the many others he had supposedly written albeit attributed to the likes of Shakespeare and Marlowe. The basis was that Queen Elizabeth I was secretly married to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Bacon was their son, but when she confessed this on her deathbed she was poisoned and strangled to prevent her proclaiming Bacon her successor. Owen also claimed to have uncovered two new plays by Bacon.....and that the works of many other authors were all actually Bacon. Perhaps not surprisingly even Owen's close friend Dr Frederick Mann published a severe & credible critique of the claims.

However Owen was convinced of his theory & particularly one Baconian cipher that stated Bacon had intended to conceal his original manuscripts "below the Wye" at Chepstow Castle. Bacon had certainly been a local landowner including the wireworks at nearby Tintern, so...?. In 1909-10 Owen made several expeditions to attempt to recover the manuscripts and dredged a section of the Wye in 1911. Some reports say he discovered a mysterious underground chamber beneath the river bed and, although it was disappointingly empty, further Baconian ciphers were to be found carved on the walls. However it is now believed nothing was found.
Owen died a "bedridden almost penniless invalid", full of regret for sacrificing his career, reputation and health on the "Baconian controversy" and warning admirers to learn by his example and avoid it !.

This detailed newspaper report of his search from "The New York Times" of May 1911 makes interesting reading. It states that Dr Owen stayed in Chepstow with his wife and four children.
http://www.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/imagesforforum/bacon_wye.pdf

Fortunately the timing of his researches show, from LDS:

Orville Ward Owen, "England and Wales Census, 1911"
Name: Orville Ward Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 57
Birthplace: District Michigan United States Of America
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Chepstow
Sub-District: Chepstow
Parish: Chepstow
County: Monmouthshire

Name: Mable Van Camp Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 40
Birthplace: District Michigan United States Of America
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Chepstow
Sub-District: Chepstow
Parish: Chepstow
County: Monmouthshire

Name: Gwendoline Van Camp Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 14
Birthplace: Detriot Michigan U S A
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Newport
Sub-District: Newport
Parish: St Woollos
County: Monmouthshire

Name: Mabel Orvilla Owen
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1911
Gender: Female
Age: 10
Birthplace: Detriot Michigan U S A
Schedule Type: Household
Registration District: Newport
Sub-District: Newport
Parish: St Woollos
County: Monmouthshire

Anyhow, thanks again for your most interesting site & intriguing story.

Jeff.

None found as far as I'm aware! That's the only time I've heard of the legend myself, the text is from a local caving publication.

Cheers,

Ollie

I presume said manuscripts were not found ?.
What's the basis for this "legend" ?.
Has anyone else heard of this intriguing tale ?.

Geocities closed long ago, some of the data is now back up on "Reocities" (just replace the 'g' in the URL with an 'r') but can also be seen in its new home: http://www.thehunterfamily.co.uk/oliver-hunter then click on 'caving'.

I may update some of this data later as it hasn't been updated for years...

Anyway, as regards the lake, I'm afraid that I would suggest this is a complete fabrication. Having been on many caving trips and spent hour upon hour tramping around the mine, I can tell you that 'huge caverns' that you would need for a "lake" are few and far between, if not non-existant. In any case, the water levels within the mine fluctuate wildly (tens if not hundreds of feet) throughout the year and indeed differently throughout the mine. I don't ever recall having heard anyone mention a lake and have certainly not seen one. It is certainly very muddy and wet in places, with some really good formations dotted around the upper levels.

Best wishes,

Oliver

http://www.geocities.com/oliver-hunter/caving.html#wiggy

http://www.reocities.com/oliver-hunter/caving.html#wiggy