Frank was in his early twenties and had an altogether more modest background in the Suffolk town of Ipswich, where his family were in ladies underwear (so to speak). The couple soon moved to the 526-acre Sutton Hoo estate, with its 15-bedroom Edwardian house and mysterious earth mounds. An inquest decided that the material belonged to the landowner, Mrs Pretty, who subsequently gave it all to the British Museum (allegedly on the advice of her Spiritualist guide). Robert Dempster Pretty 1930 - 1988. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Top $76,000-a-year New Jersey boarding school admits 'more should have been done' to stop bullying of boy, 17, who took his own life after being falsely accused of rape, Regulators seize and sell First Republic Bank to JPMorgan in second-largest US bank failure, Epstein's VERY tangled web: Pedophile met with CIA Director William Burns, Obama White House lawyer, Noam Chomsky and music director for the American Symphony Orchestra in the years AFTER his sex offence conviction, A musical climax! Dozens and finally hundreds more dazzling objects appeared after that, a wondrous, staggering haul. When Mrs Pretty died in 1942 Dad found she had left him 100.00 in her will. Youll find a bit about Constable Country here too and I loved Southwold. Yes. A delicate silver bowl found at the Sutton Hoo site. Moment Oakland DoorDash driver takes picture of pizza on doorstep before STEALING it - after manager ordered him to drop it off to business that was ransacked by burglars costing $70,000, Roman Polanski's wife reposts photo of Oscar-winning director with his 1977 teenage rape victim Samantha Geimer who says 'he's paid his debt to society', Apple TV+ renews HUGE show starring A-list cast for fourth season BEFORE upcoming episodes are released, Ballet princess! Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. But they disintegrated after so long a time. Michaela. Mrs Pretty wasnt the first person to investigate we know about graverobbers and antiquarians digging in the 16th and 19th centuries, and there are reports that in 1860 a lot of iron screw bolts were found. Need to make Walberswick and Dunwich on the next visit! But those attempts at excavations didnt yield much. Robert Dempster Pretty (September 7, 1930 - June 14, 1988) Oil painting on canvas, Robert Pretty as a boy. Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. Robert Dan Pretty from tree Sharon Brander Family Tree. However, the fun-loving spirit of this lively socialite was always tempered by an acute sense of duty. If you dont already know, the treasure of Sutton Hoo is a ship burial which dates from the early 7th century and, when it was found in 1939, it forced a profound revision of our appreciation of the early Anglo-Saxons in Britain. Fascinating, and wonderful that they can so carefully uncover it. A Major in the Suffolk Territorials, he went off to war along with thousands of others but somehow survived (his younger brother did not), rising to the rank of Colonel. She also took a flip in a biplane. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. The scale and symmetry of the craftsmanship is incredible, says Laura Howarth. With the help of two workers on Pretty's estate, Brown first excavated what became known as Mound 3. Again, were reminded that 21st century people arent smarter than those who went before us so long ago (or even longer ago, remembering metal workers B.C.). Two years earlier, Winston Churchill had offered her a CBE in recognition of her extraordinary generosity. At times sudden upsets may occur in your life that totally alter your plans, so that you have to change course entirely. There had been so much loss and death and there was this huge upsurge in spiritualism, as if people who couldnt believe theyd lost loved ones in that way were trying to contact them. Meanwhile, the protagonist's son, Robert, shows an interest in astronomy while looking after his ailing mother. Edith Pretty died on 17 December 1942 in Richmond Hospital at the age of 59 after suffering a stroke, and was buried in All Saints churchyard at Sutton. This held the fabulous, probably ceremonial, helmet (in about 500 fragments, meticulously reassembled initially incorrectly); an ornate sword decorated with gold and garnet; a giant, unused, whetstone which has been identified as a sort of sceptre; a stand, believed to be a type of standard, or banner; spears; a battle-axe; a shield with bird and dragon figures; drinking-horns mounted in silver; 10 shallow Byzantine or North African cross-patterned silver bowls; a large fluted classical bowl; 3 bronze hanging bowls; a pair of silver spoons; a dismantled lyre; a great silver bowl bearing the stamp of Anastasius (Byzantine Emperor from 491-518AD); 19 pieces of beautiful jewellery set with garnets, including a gold buckle weighing nearly 1lb; a huge purse, richly decorated, containing 40 Merovingian (Frankish modern France) coins. Only a small portion of the house is open to the public, but whoever was behind this at the National Trust (a lady called Elizabeth Rohde, actually) deserves a pay increase. There have been notable Anglo-Saxon finds since but nothing like this, a fully furnished, undisturbed ship burial. This aspect also ties together in you a Moon sign and a rising sign that are very different. The message is, 'Keep digging, you will find what you are searching for.'" In the movie, Peggy complains that Stuart is more interested in working in the lab with John Brailsford than spending time with her. After getting married, she gave up the lease on Vale Royale and bought the Sutton Hoo property in 1926. A new Netflix film, The Dig, to be released later this month, tells the compelling story of how a lavish Anglo-Saxon ship buried in the grounds of Sutton Hoo, the Pretty familys estate in South-East Suffolk, was unearthed just before the outbreak of World War II. What happened to Robert Pretty? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Stories behind Sutton Hoo - A Bit About Britain Expertise. After his mother died, Robert Dempster Pretty moved to Hampshire with his aunt Elizabeth, and they never returned to Tranmer House at Sutton Hoo. Children: Robert Dempster Pretty Spouse (s): Frank Pretty (m. 1926; died 193 Born: Edith May Dempster; 1 August 1883; Ell Died: 17 December 1942 (aged 59); Richmond, It was the first exciting glimpse of bejewelled treasure. Brown stayed until August 9, 1938, completing his first of two seasons of excavating the burial site. In 1930, at the age of 47, Edith gave birth to a son, Robert Dempster Pretty. After his father died in Cape Town during a visit to South Africa in 1925, his mother, Edith, and her sister Elizabeth inherited more than 500,000 approximately 16 million in 2006. And if they didnt dazzle before they received a quick blast from Ediths bellows, fetched from the house to blow away the sand, they did afterwards. Edith's family embarked on many foreign tours, including one 'round the world', and Robert Dempster took a lease on the huge country house of Vale Royal Abbey, near Whitegate, Cheshire, the family seat of Lord Delamere, from 1907-1925. Married less than a decade, how Edith Pretty must have missed Frank. In 1922 she became one of Englands first women magistrates, and was even invited to stand for Parliament in the safe Conservative seat of Northwich. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not In The Dig movie and book, the entire excavation is condensed into one season in 1939, ending at the outbreak of WWII. A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe, F, #356336, b. dempster highway aurora - robert dempster stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Your tale had me there. Children. Yes, Ive heard of that book it sounds fascinating. Across the river from Rendlesham is the village of Ufford, a name derived from Wuffa. He was a happily married man with a lovely wife and children. I have heard of Sutton Hoo an am a National Trust member but to my shame I have not looked into what this site was. During the war soldiers were billeted in the stables. In 1905 they toured South America. Those masks/helmuts really do have a fierce-some look about them. Yes, were talking about the burial of an entire ship more common in Scandinavia, I think, than in Britain. He proposed to Edith on her eighteenth birthday, but she had to decline because her father disapproved of their relationship. So you rebel in subtle ways by having sudden fits of obstinacy and moods of feeling very contrary, especially to your parents or other authority figures. It is written from three points of view in the voices of Basil Brown, Edith Pretty and Peggy Pigott who with husband Stuart Piggot was summond to the site by Charles Phillips. This story was submitted to the Peoples War site by Nancy Waterfall, Learning Officer at the National Trust at Sutton Hoo on behalf of Mrs Frost and Mrs Rumsby and has been added to the site with their permission. Start a free family tree online and well do the searching for you. Nevertheless, Edith promptly donated the entire haul to the nation, and in 1951, having been stored in Aldwych Tube station during the war, it went on display in the British Museum albeit with no credit, not a single namecheck, for Basil Brown. In a way, The Dig is not just about duty or even archaeology, but also about love, writes Brian Viner. Person Page - 73368 Daughter of Robert Dempster and Elizabeth Hannah Dempster Very difficult. Basil duly cycled to Sutton Hoo, just as he cycled all over the county on his digs, to meet her. Yes. Robert Dempster Pretty passed awayon 14 Jun 1988in Boldre Lymington Hants. He was born under the sign of Virgo. See other search results for Robert Dempster Pretty It was an unlikely and entirely platonic love but Edith and Basil, although separated by class and wealth, were kindred spirits. During the course of excavating to build a new visitor centre, further Anglo-Saxon burials were discovered. Finally, Robert passed away in Boldre Lymington, Hampshire on June 14, 1988. Subsequently, ten mounds at Sutton Hoo have yielded up burials of one sort or another, though many had been previously plundered. That helmet has a challenging appearance. The problem is not so much that they come into conflict withe each others, but that your reason and feelings represent to very different sides of your personality. Join Facebook to connect with Robert Dempster and others you may know. Ive read enough about that era in the Scottish context to have some sense of the times. Thank you for a thoroughly absorbing read. However upsetting these changes are at first, they will give you the freedom you need to grow as an individual. 1956 Penelope E. Pretty 1 b. What illness did Mrs Pretty have in The Dig? As historian Michael Wood puts it, Before the discoveries of 1939, the things found had only hitherto existed in the stories of Beowulf. Record information. It was enough to convince Pretty to have him excavate two more mounds in hopes of discovering more Sutton Hoo treasure.He next excavated Mound 2 and Mound 4. Basil was almost 90 when he died in 1977. Frank, who had waited 25 years to marry Edith and then become a first-time father at 52, tragically died of cancer just four years later. At around the turn of the century, when she was 17, she met Frank Pretty. Robert Dempster Pretty Net Worth 2022, Bio, Age, Career, Family, Rumors It appears as if the diggers gave up, had lunch, and then threw the remains of their food into the mound. It will open today at 3:00PM. The flirtations with romance that we see between Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) and Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) in The Dig movie appear to have no basis in history. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Genealogy profile for Robert Dempster Genealogy for Robert Dempster (1853 - 1925) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. Yes. In Tudor times, gravediggers had attempted to dig up Mound 1 (the mound in which the Sutton Hoo burial ship was found). In the Netflix storyline, a widow named Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires an amateur excavator named Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to investigate her property. Sometimes the energy of this aspect comes out in other ways as well. The Sutton Hoo estate has been in the hands of the National Trust since 1997/98, when it was gifted by the Annie Tranmer Trust; Annie Tranmer was the last previous owner, who died in 1993. The area itself is roped off and you walk round, like doing a circuit of an old-fashioned grass running track with no lane markings. Sadly, the building and museum were closed when we got there and all we could do was peer through the window, but we wandered among the mounds and she told me the history of the place. Dempster R, Huston P, Castillo A, Sharp WG. It seems to me that the mounds sit there, quietly brooding, as they have done for something like 1300 summers. Moment commuter blasts eco-zealots, Moment bull suffers catastrophic injuries after leaping from bridge, Russian freight train derails and bursts into flames after explosion, Royal superfans camping on The Mall ahead of King's Coronation, Historic chairs to be reused by the King for the coronation service, Women's rights activists and pro-trans campaigners separated, Saboteurs wreck Russian train cut power cables 37mi from Ukraine, Devastating tornado picks up car and hurls it through air in Florida, Student kicked out of school for 'there are only two genders' t-shirt, Sir Keir Starmercaught up in bikini bungle at gala for charity, Unseen footage of Meghan Markle during her teenage years, Cambridge students party in the park during annual celebrations. So what was found at Sutton Hoo in 1939? Born in Chelsea, Greater London on 7 Sep 1930 to Frank Pretty and Edith May Dempster. Clearly, this part of Suffolk is a place for Brits to commune with their Germanic ancestors. The Dig true story reveals that her father had also been involved in the excavation of a Cistercian Abbey next to their home at Vale Royal. Also in 1926 she donated the Dempster Challenge Cup to Winsford UDC, Cheshire, which has been awarded annually to a plot-holder on the town's allotments. In fact, Tudor diggers had been at work on the very mound (Mound 1) where the greatest discovery was to be made, but by a happy stroke of serendipity had given up, had lunch in the pit they had burrowed, and left. Compassion. Edith gave up the lease on Vale Royal and bought Sutton Hoo House near Woodbridge, Suffolk. The finds come from as far away as Byzantium and Egypt, evidence of widespread Anglo-Saxon connections, and the workmanship on the helmet and other items of more local origin is exquisite. Youll get hints when we find information about your relatives . Her husband, Frank Pretty, knew her for many years before they got married. *, The location is currently closed. Fearsome, haunting and spine-tingling, it demands that you imagine the man who may have worn it, and picture what he and his world were like. The whole area was most likely the heartland of the East Anglian royal dynasty, and probably relied heavily on overseas trade. Person Page - the peerage Pretty was born at Elland, Yorkshire on 1 August 1883, the younger of two daughters of Robert and Elizabeth Dempster. Cor Visser. One group seems to comprise a man and two women; one of the women has been beheaded with her skull placed between her knees. Their son, Robert Dempster Pretty, was born in 1930 and was only 4-years-old when Frank passed away from stomach cancer. xxxxx xxx xxxxxxxx (1883-xxxx ) 13164 People 6 Records 7 Sources. Thanks, Michaela and thanks for dropping in. Peggy Piggott, a young archaeologist played in the film by Lily James, and the aunt of novelist John Preston, unearthed with her trowel a small gold and garnet pyramid. So I think the answer to my question would be a resounding Yes!, Your email address will not be published. Her husband, Frank Pretty, had died of stomach cancer on his 56th birthday in 1934. Though there are several potential candidates, the favourite is that this was the grave of Raedwald, king of the East Angles from 599-624AD and bretwalda over-ruler or chief of the other kings from c617-624. A thorough look at this great site and associated history. They discovered more than 260 additional items of the Sutton Hoo treasure. If you would like to view one of these trees in its entirety, you can contact the owner of the tree to request permission to see the tree. Basil and May had rented a cottage in The Street, Rickinghall in 1935. The scenery was pleasant and the heat of the day came up from the ground, bringing the drowsy scent of warm earth with it. Weve got you covered! Edith Pretty never got to see the full impact of her generosity. 4 miles up the Deben is Rendlesham, where there was once a royal residence. 2 He was the son of Frank Pretty and Edith Dempster. Edith May Dempster (1883-1942) FamilySearch All results for Robert Dempster Pretty. They may have been powerless to prevent repeated assaults made on them, and the removal of their contents, but they still hide their secrets. None of the people in the story know whats in front of them, which actually I think resonates with the (pandemic) situation now.. It must be remembered that this was not an actual ship, but an impression of one; Basil Brown was carefully exhuming a ghost. It will open today at 8:00AM. And of course it all happened in a world about to fall into the Second World War. We visit her next week for a few days so maybe we will get to visit Sutton Hoo then. Learn how your comment data is processed. It is hoped, when leave is granted to open the others, some more important antiquities may be discovered. They had no idea what theyd found. *, Supervisor of the Year, Nationwide Children's Hospital Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology, 2017. Certainly, someone from the top layer of society. Sutton Hoo House and the burial site are now in the care of The National Trust. If you learn to assert your individuality more directly, the changes will not seem so upsetting. So some medical specialists conclude that Mound 1 at Sutton Hoo is a cenotaph. 22 October 1844, d. 3 February 1931, Eden Hall, Dwygyfylchi, Caernarvonshire, Wales, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/world-history-magazine/article/sutton-hoo-england-anglo-saxon-treasure-ship, Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, England, The Oaklands, Stafford, Staffordshire, England. He found little in the latter, as it appeared to have been robbed. Over time, the timber here decayed leaving an imprint behind, and the rivets or bolts. Did Peggy and Stuart's marriage really end because Stuart was a closeted gay man? Pretty was born at Elland, Yorkshire on 1 August 1883, the younger of two daughters of Robert and Elizabeth Dempster. BBC - WW2 People's War - Memories of Estate Children What happened to Robert Pretty after Edith's death? The Dig - HITC Edith is played by Carey Mulligan in an exquisite performance, while Ralph Fiennes is superb as working-class Basil Brown, an amateur astronomer and self-taught archaeologist. 1 August 1883, d. 17 December 1942, M, #356337, b. Lol (My writing has got to be my priority for a while, so my posts arent too often.) And who were the poor souls that died in terror and pain for unknown crimes, or for perhaps just being who they were. We are two of ten children, one of whom is a brother called Peter. As you grow older, you will have to learn o make your feelings and your reason work together. She died at the Richmond Hospital and was buried in All Saints churchyard at Sutton. She never got to see the full impact of her generosity. They went to a lot of trouble, possibly hauling the ship up from the Deben (unless it was constructed nearby) and filling it with precious things, in all probability following an old tradition. Their home on the estate, Tranmer House, is pictured below. Apparently, he used to cycle round East Anglia seeking out suitable sites, had developed quite a nose for them and, indeed, was engaged by Ipswich Museum to work on Roman digs. Then we took in Tranmer House, a little reluctantly on my part because I was impatient to reach the burial ground. Later, in 1884, the Dempster family relocated to Manchester, where Ediths father established the engineering firm of R. & J. Dempster with his brother, John. It was an easy walk along a dusty track to the burial ground. She paid for the help of a local archaeologist to find out what, if anything, lay underneath the mounds on her property. Gradually, Brown and his helpers, watched by Ediths small son, (who left his roller skates buried in the soil that was being dug out) uncovered an entire ship, 90 feet (27 metres) long. In 1938, Pretty enlisted the help of a Suffolk archaeologist, Basil Brown, to dig into ancient mounds on her land. Some of the things found inside the burial chamber included weapons, gold and garnet jewelry, silver, containers, shoes, buckles, gold coins and ignots, baptismal spoons, drinking horns and vessels, etc. The nickname stuck. Her body was interred in Suttons All Saints Churchyard. Mrs Pretty took my hand, led me to the mirror and said I should get that shortened. both of which are more related to the Moon, can be of great assistance to you. Somewhere Id wish to visit and probably feel quite at home. Henry VIIIs agents and John Dee, Elizabeth Is court sorcerer, dug for treasure at Sutton Hoo and there is evidence to suggest that the former were quite successful. Alas, Edith was no longer around to object. Mrs Pretty gave Basil a small salary, accommodation in her chauffeurs cottage and the assistance of her gardener and game-keeper. Edith Pretty is neither a household name nor considered a national treasure. So much for the so-called Dark Ages. He made several promising finds, including the remains of a cremated man, fragments of early Saxon pottery, rotten wooden fibers that together resembled a tray, the lid of a Mediterranean jug, a portion of a decorated limestone plaque, and a corroded iron axe head. The authors fully understand the sites terms and conditions. She paid for the help of a local archaeologist to find out what, if anything, lay underneath the mounds on her property. On November 5th they used to have a bonfire and Mrs Pretty used to put potatoes and chestnuts in the fire. Basil Brown returned to Sutton Hoo in the summer of 1939 and began excavating Mound 1 which was actually where Edith Pretty had wanted him to start in the first place. Well done, my dear, many congratulations, what a wonderful discovery, said Edith, whod been watching as we know from photographs from her Lloyd Loom chair on the edge of the excavation pit. His birth chart has been rectified to reflect losing his father at 4 years (Saturn) and his mother at 12 (Moon). When I started work I was 14, and wore a dress with a long petticoat, probably one of my older sisters cast-offs. Robert Dempster Pretty was born on 7 September 1930 at Chelsea, London, England. Edith May "Dempy" Dempster Pretty (1883-1942) Worldwide interest in Sutton Hoo and its treasures was renewed in 2021, when the film The Dig was issued on Netflix. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Our father was at Sutton Hoo for about 20 years, and during that time he found Mrs Pretty's son Robert in the garden pool. The informal religious movement known as spiritualism was still popular in the 1930s, and Edith had befriended a faith healer named William Parish. Bizarrely, there is a report in the Ipswich Journal of a dig that took place in 1860 which says that, One of these mounds was recently opened, when a considerable number (nearly two bushels) of iron screw bolts were found, all of which were sent to the blacksmith to be converted into horse shoes! I cant imagine how youd go about excavating something like that, preserving the outline as they did. What were their hopes and dreams? She was asking really big questions. David Pretty, Robert's son, who saw the Sutton Hoo treasure in its entirety for the first time at the relaunch of Room 41 last week, is certain Edith would have loved seeing people marvel at the . Further remains have been found in the vicinity of Mound 5, which post-date the Anglo-Saxon burials. Some academics disliked the way one of the archaeologists, Peggy Piggott (played by Lily James) was portrayed, and the story certainly includes several fictions. So many stories. We know this because fragments of a pot from that period were found in a pit. Which is the best heritage organisation to join. Martin Carver and his team discovered a toy spade and a pair of Roberts roller skates while digging around the Tranmer House at Sutton Hoo. Was Edith Pretty a Real Person? Where is Her Son Robert Pretty Now? Is It was likely inspired by the fact that Peggy Piggott's 1936 marriage to Stuart Piggott (portrayed by Ben Chaplin in the film) eventually ended in divorce in 1954. Robert Dempster's Father, Robert Dempster, had founded the company at Elland in Yorkshire in 1855, and this became R & J Dempster and sons in 1883, which Robert founded with his brother, John. Treasure trove:The famous Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon helmet highly decorated with warrior motifs (pictured left) and a gold buckle with an intricate snake design (right). All Rights Reserved 2023 Biographygossips, Deena Centofanti Age, Husband, Salary, Net Worth 2022, Jorge Garay Age, Height, Boyfriend, Net Worth 2022, Siblings, Vernica Castros Son Michel Saenz Castro Bio, Age, Net Worth, Married, Jayden Croess Age, Net Worth 2022, Brother, Girlfriend, Frances Glandney Age, Birthday, Daughter, Smokey Robinson wife, Liza Koshy Boyfriend, Net Worth 2022, Height, Parents, Siblings. The author John Preston is the nephew of Peggy Piggot and so some of his decriptions of characters and happenings would have been from her stories. Although the first Sutton Hoo exhibition opened at the British Museum in 1940, it was soon packed up and kept in underground tunnels between Aldwych and Holborn tube stations to shield it from air raids during WWII. At the time of the excavation, all the children in the family were excited when the ship was opened, and we were given rivets from the Anglo-Saxon boat. Record information. Edith Pretty gave the items to the Ipswich Museum, where they were put on display. In 1907 the Dempsters moved to a huge house in Cheshire, Vale Royal, seat of the aristocratic Cholmondeley family, from whom it was leased. But its only when you dig around a bit (pun intended) that you realise theres a third, very human, story which almost joins the other two up. It must have been a ghostly, gruesome, spot. This Drama film name is Carey Mulligan portrayed Edith Pretty, while Archie Barnes portrayed Robert Pretty. When war broke out the following year, she quickly became quartermaster of the Red Cross military hospital in nearby Winsford, before insisting on leaving the safety of Cheshire to serve in France. I have never heard of Sutton Hoo but bloody hell I would love to visit and see these wonderful things in person talk about awesome. Edith was sent to Wimbledon House School in Brighton, soon to be renamed Roedean now one of the most prestigious girls schools in the country where she became known as Dempy. Robert.M.Dempster@gmail.com PMID: 22788955 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2012.700504 Abstract Basil was married to Dorothy 'May' Brown, who worked as a domestic servant. Those helmets are awesome, I bet the wearers of them were fierce warriors. Growing up, Edith had traveled a great deal with her family, visiting Austria-Hungry, Greece, and in her late twenties, Egypt. Once activated, you will receive notification of each new post. After her parents died, Pretty and her sister inherited an estate worth approximately $22 million today. Gathered from those who lived during the same time period, were born in the same place, or who have a family name in common. Your photos are exceptional youre obviously a talented photographer. The role of stigma in parental help-seeking for child behavior problems Authors Robert Dempster 1 , Beth Wildman , Adam Keating Affiliation 1 Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH43215, USA. The Sutton Hoo excavation took place in the fields of her private estate. Robert Dempster Pretty 1930-1988 - Ancestry Flowers . 1922 Michigan, USA. While it makes for a suspenseful moment in The Dig movie and novel, the true story seems to lack any record of Basil Brown being nearly buried alive. Married less than a decade, how Edith Pretty must have missed Frank. View. Jul 14, 2020, 08:38 ET. Therefore, the general view is that there must have been a body, but that all traces of it have disappeared. public. Brilliant idea, Janina you could run the stories in parallel and then see how they come together..! I kicked at a stone that looked like a piece of bone, and picked it up.