Odds Defied: The Cardsharp's Deceitful Venture into a Pyramid Tomb to Outwit Old Nick
In Liverpool, England, a peculiar pyramidal tomb stands tall in the graveyard of St Andrew's Church on Rodney Street. The crypt holds the remains of William Mackenzie, a gambler whose life and death have been shrouded in a captivating legend.
According to the local lore, Mackenzie, a 19th-century gambler, made a fateful deal with the Devil during a game of poker. Consequently, it is said that upon his death, his soul was doomed to descend back to hell. However, local tales claim that Mackenzie had an ingenious way to bypass this agreement. He requested to be interred above ground, perched at a card table with a winning hand still held in his skeletal fingers.
Born in 1794 as a weaver's apprentice in Nelson, Lancashire, Mackenzie later shifted careers to civil engineering. His fortunes multiplied during civil projects in Europe, but his passion for gambling was unquenchable. He died in 1857 at the age of 57, leaving footprints that transcended the grave.
While the story of Mackenzie's pact with the Devil has stirred the imagination for generations, it remains largely unsubstantiated by historical records. In fact, research suggests that the tomb was erected by his brother Edward in 1868, not long after Mackenzie's death, in memory of his second wife, Sarah. The inscription on the tomb indicates that Mackenzie died in 1851, not 1857 as commonly believed.
Regardless of its veracity, the tale of Mackenzie's pyramid tomb persists as a fascinating piece of Liverpool folklore. Visitors can still spot the unique monument within the St Andrew's Church graveyard, though it is gated off for preservation.
It is not the only pyramidal tomb of its kind. In Brightling, East Sussex, another stands in the churchyard of St Thomas a Becket, adorning the resting place of John "Mad Jack" Fuller. Similar to Mackenzie, it is said that Fuller was buried seated at a table, although evidence supporting this claim was not found until 1982 during renovations, when the truth was revealed to be different.
Historical records or not, the mysteries surrounding Mackenzie's pyramid tomb continue to intrigue, inviting visitors to ponder on the realms of myth and reality.
The pyramidal tomb of William Mackenzie in Liverpool's St Andrew's Church graveyard serves as a testament to a captivating casino-culture tale, where Mackenzie, known for his gambling exploits, allegedly made a pact with the Devil during a game of poker. Despite being interred above ground, he is said to have left behind a remnant of casino-games – a winning hand staged in his skeletal fingers.
Visitors to St Andrew's Church can still witness this unique casino-and-gambling-related monument, perpetuating the allure of the casino-games tradition and fueling curiosity about the boundaries between myth and reality.
