Robert Ellis Cahill (November 25, 1934 – June 19, 2005) was a folklorist and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

. He was the author of more than three dozen books on

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

and

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, as well as on

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

shipwrecks A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...

and pirates.

Politics

Cahill served in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

from 1970 to 1975. In 1974, Cahill was elected Sheriff of

Essex County, Massachusetts Essex County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the state, and the eightieth-most populous in the countr ...

. During his tenure as Sheriff, Cahill sought to modernize the department. The jails in Salem and Lawrence lacked toilets, which meant inmates had to defecate in buckets. There were also no rehabilitation programs in either jail and guards had no formal training. The minimum-security Correctional Alternative Center in Lawrence opened during Cahill's tenure. While serving as Sheriff, Cahill investigated an alleged curse

Giles Corey Giles Corey ( August 1611 – September 19, 1692) was an English-born American farmer who was accused of witchcraft along with his wife Martha Corey during the Salem witch trials. After being arrested, Corey refused to enter a plea of guilty o ...

placed on the office. He found that all Essex County Sheriffs as far back as he could trace either died in office of heart problems or retired due to "an ailment of the blood". In 1978, Cahill, who suffered from a rare blood disorder himself, retired after he suffered a heart attack and stroke.

Writing

Several of Cahill's books center on the infamous

Salem Witch Trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...

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 ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

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 or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. 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 A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

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 Lauren Robinson Story)" *''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 Wayward Sheriffs 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)''

Poems

*
Col. Leslie's Retreat
'

References

External links

Boston Globe: Robert Ellis Cahill obituary

Salem Gazette: Robert Cahill: A Key to Salem History

Salem History Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cahill, Robert Ellis American folklorists Sheriffs of Essex County, Massachusetts 1934 births 2005 deaths Boston University alumni Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Politicians from Salem, Massachusetts Writers from Salem, Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians