In 1933, American archaeologist Arthur Kinglsey Porter vanished from an Irish island, sparking a mystery that has remained a source of interest ever since.
The New York Times featured the story of the Harvard professor who vanished on July 8 from the isolated Atlantic island of Inishbofin, with the headline, “Archaeologist lost from boat in storm.”
Porter had slipped off a cliff while out for a walk, according to the findings of the inquest into his disappearance, the first to be held in Ireland without the discovery of a body.
He faked his own death, according to a popular theory among the locals.
Nearly 90 years later, Irish language channel TG4’s documentary Ar Iarraidh will make another attempt to uncover the truth (Missing).
The disappearance of Porter and the ensuing mystery have become part of the island’s folklore, with three possible explanations being put forth.
One theory holds that he actually had a tragic accident and fell into the waters. At the inquest, his wife’s account of what happened was accepted.
A second theory contends that he killed himself because he believed his life was imploding around him, and a third contends that he pretended to be dead in order to flee.
A sarcophagus is connected to a fourth, paranormal theory. Alfonso Ansrez’s Spanish tomb from the 11th century was opened in 1926 by Porter, who brought it back to Harvard and put it on display in the Fogg Museum.
On July 8, 1933—the day Porter vanished—the lid was delivered to Spain. Some people believe Porter’s passing was a paranormal punishment for removing the lid.
The cliffs of Inishbofin are more like rocky slopes than true cliffs, so it is unlikely that anyone falling down them will perish. Few people think Porter’s death was the result of an accident as a result. The second and third theories are thought to be the most plausible.
Porter, who came from a well-to-do family in New England, owned Glenveagh Castle in Co. Donegal, northwest Ireland, about 12 miles southeast of Inishbofin, which he had bought for about £5,000 in 1929.
He also owned a cottage on Inishbofin where he lived with his devoted wife Lucy, who accompanied him on research trips throughout Europe. Both properties are located in the Glenveagh National Park and on Lough Beagh.
He was also a very well-regarded academic. He was a well-known expert on romanesque architecture and the chair of Harvard’s department of art history.
He may have appeared to be living a perfect life, but he was actually very troubled. He had a young lover named Alan Campbell and was secretly gay.
Even the front page of the New York Times ran a story on the disappearance of the Harvard University professor on July 8 from the isolated Atlantic island of Inishbofin (pictured), with the headline “Archaeologist lost from boat in storm.”
Porter was afraid that Harvard might learn about his sexuality—a scandal that at the time would have likely ended his career—because Lucy knew about his extramarital relationship.
In the midst of the 1930s economic depression, Porter was also concerned about the fact that his wealth was diminishing.
According to the 2012 book “Glenveagh Mystery: the Life, Work, and Disappearance of Arthur Kingsley Porter” author Lucy Costigan, she leans more toward the suicide theory.
Porter’s mother passed away when he was a young child, and his widower father shocked Connecticut high society by pursuing much younger women. Porter reportedly feared the possibility of a sexual scandal because of this, according to Costigan.
His sexuality was concealed by his marriage to Lucy, but suspicion increased after he hired Campbell as an assistant at Harvard University in Boston.
Campbell was openly gay, and Harvard had a history of kicking out gay students.
Campbell later left him, and Costigan told The Guardian that Porter became more reclusive as his fears of rejection grew.
Costigan, who also co-wrote a book about comprehending suicide, thinks that his personal struggles were what ultimately drove him to commit suicide. She did, however, state that she would like to think he staged his demise.
The ‘romantic version’ has Porter continuing his journey, she explained. He would be liberated from Harvard and his marriage, both of which had some limitations on him.
“It would be lovely to think he got away, escaped it all, and found some peace while carrying on with his archaeology work under a false name.”
The TG4 documentary favours the idea that Porter was able to escape the island, citing the fact that he changed his will three months prior to disappearing on July 8, 1933, designating Lucy as the sole beneficiary.
Additionally, it says that no extensive search of the island was conducted after he vanished, and that Lucy acted strangely right away.
She started writing a letter announcing that her husband had disappeared just a few hours after he left, which she never sent, according to The Guardian.
She left that same evening for the Irish mainland and informed a friend that Kingsley would not be returning that night. Kingsley won’t ever come back.
A fishing boat that was on the island the night before Porter vanished but was not mentioned at the inquest is also highlighted in the documentary, which follows journalist Kevin Magee as he investigates the case.
The Irish mediaeval monk Saint Columba, who fled to exile in Scotland in the 500s, is also said to have intrigued the American. The documentary notes that Porter also penned a poem in which the word “free” appears 21 times.
TG4’s video features interviews with Inishbofin locals who claim they saw Porter in Paris, Marseille, Spain and in India – suggesting he did continue his travels.
Scott Arneill, his grand nephew, is certain:
To put it as simply as he could, “What I believe happened is that he faked his own death,” he said in the documentary.