Robert Ellis Cahill
Encyclopedia
Robert Ellis Cahill was a folklorist and author
. He was the author of more than three dozen books on New England
history
and folklore
, as well as on scuba diving
, shipwrecks and pirates.
Cahill was also Sheriff
of Essex County, Massachusetts
and served in the Massachusetts State legislature during the 1970s.
Several of Cahill's books center on the infamous Salem Witch Trials
and related topics, such as accounts of the Salem "Witch Dungeon" and colonial era crime and punishment. Cahill was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts
and also wrote several auto-biographical books, one recounting his experiences as Sheriff, and another relating tales of his childhood growing up in New England during World War II
.
Cahill's most widely distributed lore and histories are mostly in the form of small books that can still be found in large quantities within souvenir shops
located at tourist attractions throughout New England.
Old Salt Box Publishing House
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He was the author of more than three dozen books on New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, as well as on scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
, shipwrecks and pirates.
Cahill was also Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
and served in the Massachusetts State legislature during the 1970s.
Several of Cahill's books center on the infamous Salem Witch Trials
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
and related topics, such as accounts of the Salem "Witch Dungeon" and colonial era crime and punishment. Cahill was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
and also wrote several auto-biographical books, one recounting his experiences as Sheriff, and another relating tales of his childhood growing up in New England during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Cahill's most widely distributed lore and histories are mostly in the form of small books that can still be found in large quantities within souvenir shops
Souvenir
A souvenir , memento, keepsake or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. The term souvenir brings to mind the mass-produced kitsch that is the main commodity of souvenir and gift shops in many tourist traps around the world...
located at tourist attractions throughout New England.
Published books
New England Collectible Classics (Chandler-Smith Publishing)- New England Witches and Wizards
- New England's Ghostly Haunts
- New England's Mad and Mysterious Men
- New England's Strange Sea Sagas
- Finding New England's Shipwrecks and Treasures
- New England's War Wonders
- New England's Visitors from Outer Space
- The Horrors of Salem's Witch Dungeon
- The Old Irish of New England
- New England's Naughty Navy
- New England's Viking and Indian Wars
- New England's Riotous Revolution
- New England's Pirates and Lost Treasure
- New England's Mountain Madness
Old Salt Box Publishing House
- Things That Go Bump in the Night
- Strange Superstitions
- New England's Ancient Mysteries
- Haunted Ships of the North Atlantic
- Sugar and Spice
- Haunted Happenings
- Amazing Fish Stories
- Strange Beliefs, Customs & Superstitions
- Christmas Memories
- Cruel and Unusual Punishments
- Curious Customs and Cures
- Lighthouse Mysteries of the North Atlantic
- Diary of the Depths (Dorrance & Company)
- The Last Sheriff of Witch County (Old Pine Tree Publishing House)
- The Balloon Tree: A Memoir of American Kids Growing Up During WWII (Old Pine Tree Publishing House)