Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime herself, was the subject of a possible crime on December 3, 1926. It was a Friday evening and all accounts agree that Agatha kissed her daughter good-night, left her home and then disappeared for 11 days.
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan. I would love to be Miss Marple when I grow up, you can read my blog about it here. I love Christie’s twists and turns in her mysteries and just when you think you know who-did-it…another plot twist. Her disappearance actually fits well with her style of writing, you have the characters, the drama, the mystery, but unlike one of her stories, there is not a clear ending. When looking at her disappearance it is riddled with speculation and unknowns.
Why did she disappear?
Before we tackle the big question, let’s look at the timeline and history leading up to that night.
In 1926, Agatha was already a best-selling author. Her latest book, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, was selling well, but personally, her life was marred by tragedy. Earlier that year, Agatha lost her beloved mother and was struggling greatly with the loss. It is reported that her husband, Archie Christie, either not knowing how to help her grieve or not willing to help, was absent and unavailable to Agatha. Needless to say, her mind was not in a great place when she found out about Archie’s affair with Nancy Neele and his desire for a divorce.
Again, the historical records are fuzzy as to exactly when she found out, some say it was the night she disappeared or that she already knew and the 3rd was when he finally left the home.
Friday, December 3, 1926
Friday, December 3, 1926- Agatha left home. The historical record is clear on that, but the waters again muddy quickly. There are many varied accounts of what exactly happened that night. Did they fight? Did he leave quietly? The reports vary. It is certain that she packed a suitcase, kissed her daughter good-night and told the maid she would be back soon.
Interestingly enough, we have some accounts that Agatha wrote her secretary a letter before she left, outlining her travel plans, and then another letter to the Chief Deputy Constable of the Surry Police that she was afraid of her safety. I can not find evidence of either letter. A separate account mentions she wrote Archie a letter as well, but more about that later.
Saturday, December 4, 1926
Christie’s car was found abandoned on a slope at Newland’s Corner, near Guildford, and there was no sign of Christie, blood in the car, or damage from an accident. The car was near the Silent Pool, where kids were said to have drowned, and the pool was searched with no luck. Inside the car, was a fur coat, a suitcase with belongings and a driver’s license.
The largest man-hunt of the day started, with nearly 1,000 police officers and private citizens joining the search. This was also the first time airplanes were used in such a search. Leading mystery authors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorthy Sayers were brought in to lend their expertise to the case. Sayers investigated the scene of the crime and Doyle used one of Christie’s gloves and consulted a medium named Horace Leaf. Sayers did not find additional clues and while Doyles’ medium was unable to provide a location, Leaf is quoted as saying Christie was alive but “half-dazed and half-purposeful.” So, where did Agatha Christie go?
Tuesday, December 14, 1926
Christie was discovered 11 days later at a spa hotel in Harrogate, The Hydropathic Hotel, now The Old Swan, with no memory at all as to what had happened. She checked in on December 4th with little luggage and under the name Theresa Neele from South Africa. She claimed she had just lost her child and was recovering. Remember, Neele is the surname of her husband’s mistress, interesting right? She remained at the hotel, enjoying herself until she was identified by a banjo player, Bob Tappin, who alerted police. Upon the arrival of her husband, Archie, witnesses say she thought she was her brother. It is said Christie did not regain her memory or speak of the incident again.
Was it a publicity stunt to sell more books? Was she seeking attention or revenge? There are two theories that I believe make the most sense.
The Fugue State
Did Christie, under the stress of Archie’s affair, dealing with her mother’s death, and the car accident, go into a fugue state or a sort of amnesia? She claims that she did not know how she got to the hotel, or how long she had been there. Is it possible that she wandered into an elegant hotel and just happened to choose the surname of her husband’s mistress as her own? Was that name bouncing around in her subconscious and in her amnesia she claimed that name?
I have a hard time with this theory. It is odd that she did not express any other signs of social awkwardness to the other guests. She was able to converse, be social and seemed to be enjoying her stay. Would she so quickly have been able to assume this other identity and such a cover story? Maybe? But what about money? How was she to pay for her hotel bill? How long would she have remained at the hotel if she had not been identified? This theory raises many questions. I, as it seems the police of the day, liked the next theory better.
The Revenge State
Ok, it is certain that anyone in Christie’s shoes would have lots of wild emotions to deal with during this period. The loss of her beloved mother, her husband’s affair, and his desire for a divorce would cause huge emotional turmoil. It begs the question though, how did she handle it all?
I love the way Agatha’s brain works the complex plot lines and intricate details in the pages of her stories. I have no doubt that she could have worked something similar off the pages as well.
It is believed that her car accident and a trip to the hotel were all part of a complex plan to seek revenge. Agatha knew that the first suspect in a disappearance would be the husband. Remember the letter that she wrote to her husband? Sources from Christie’s house reported they saw Archie burning a letter from Agatha the next day – what did the letter say? Was she setting him up as a suspect?
Author Jared Cade in his 1999 book Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days interviewed family members and got the untold story. James Watts had married Agatha’s sister, Madge. It was told that James’ sister, Nan, was the one who helped Christie in her revenge. Agatha pushed her car down the hill, took the train to London, met Nan and got supplies, cash, and clothes, then took the train to the spa.
It is also rumored before she disappeared Christie told Archie that she was so good at writing mystery stories that she knew that if there was ever a time that she needed to disappear, she knew exactly how to accomplish that. He gave an interview to a newspaper, saying that this was her way of proving herself right. Was this her way of putting herself as the main character of the story? Or did the family make this story up?
In conclusion…
I tend to say that Agatha wanted some time to grieve and wanted to embarrass and hurt her husband for cheating on her. I also tend to believe that she was unaware of how famous she had actually become and was uneasy with the fact that she caused such a large search and a scandal. It was easier to hide behind the wall of amnesia than to admit she was angry and acting out.
In the end, the 11 missing days were almost easily forgotten and life moved on. Christie got divorced and then remarried, still was a hugely popular author, and widely loved by the public.
This was an incredibly interesting story to look into and read about. There are unconfirmed reports of letters that Christie was supposed to have sent from the hotel, about a ring that she lost at Harrod’s, before her amnesia. Letters she sent to the paper asking for the lost family of Theresa Neele to write care of the paper. I could not confirm any of these but the speculation was fun. If you want to learn more, I have hyperlinked my sources and you can check out the numerous books and movies made on the subject.
Thanks for journeying through history with me and examining the mystery of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. Mystery month so far has been a blast! If you are new to the blog, I have tackled several topics already, Amelia Earhart and Jack the Ripper, and I looked through history for The Amber Room, known as the 8th Wonder of the World.
So what do you think? Why do you think Agatha Christie spent 11 days missing? Let me know in the comments. If you have a mystery that you want to me learn about, let me know what too. Or if you just want to tell me your favorite food or just say hello…I am excited to hear from you.
Till next time,
Kimberly