Robert Ellison

Robert Ellison was found dead in a wood on Thursday 15 January 1958 eight months after he went missing on 14 May 1958.

His death was said to have been puzzling but the police said that they had decided that he did not die from foul play.

His body was found in the snow in a wood at Camp Wood, Gwehelog, between Usk and Raglan by a 15-year-old boy that had been out searching for sheep. He had gone missing in May 1957.

Robert Ellison had lived at The Parsonage in Yorkley, Forest of Dean near Lydney and was a doctor.

It was noted that there were a number of puzzling facts regarding his disappearance.

First that he had been driving his car on the evening that he disappeared, but that he had left it in a car park in Chepstow which was 17 miles from where his body was found and it was not known how he got there. His car was found on 22 May 1958.

Second, that Robert Ellison watched badgers for a hobby and it know that there were hundreds of badgers in the Forest of Dead which was within a few miles of Yorkley where he lived, and yet he was found in a wood that was 30 miles from where he lived.

Thirdly that when he had left home that he had made no mention of his intention to go badger watching, instead just telling his wife that he was going off to visit some patients near Lydney.

It was noted that soon after Robert Ellison disappeared that his wife left the district and went to live in Sheffield.

Robert Ellison's inquest was held on Wednesday 21 January 1959 at Pontypool where an open verdict was returned.

It was noted that he had been suffering from recurrent attacks of a depressive illness for which he had received treatment but said that he had never threatened to commit suicide.

However, it was also heard that in October 1957 that Robert Ellison had been found ill and suffering after having gone out badger watching in the St Briavels district of the Forest of Dean after having been missing for three days.

The inquest heard that it was impossible to say how he came to be in the wood or how he came to die.

Robert Ellison had been a captain in the RAMC and an assistant medical officer at the City General Hospital in Sheffield. He was married and had a young daughter.