Behind the Lore: The Sins, Secrets, and Curses of Sir Lord John Robert Blackhart
When readers dive into The Ghost of Blackhart Manor, they quickly discover that the shadow hanging over the estate didn't start with Ethan's ruined football career—it stretches back over eight centuries. At the root of the Blackhart family legacy is Sir Lord John Robert Blackhart, a knight who marched into the East during the Third Crusade under the banner of King Richard the Lionheart.
To understand the ghost—and the curse—of Blackhart Manor, you first have to understand what drove men like Sir John to the Holy Land, and what they brought back with them.
What Were the Crusades Really About?
On the surface, the Crusades were framed as holy wars—grand, pious endeavors to reclaim sacred lands. Knights swore solemn vows, took up the cross, and rode toward glory. But beneath the religious fervor lay a brutal reality: power, conquest, and unimaginable wealth.
The Third Crusade brought together some of the most formidable warriors in Europe, led by figures like Richard the Lionheart. Men went into these campaigns seeking absolution, land, and prestige. What they actually encountered was years of grueling warfare, scorched earth, and exposure to rich, ancient civilizations that held treasures—and secrets—far beyond anything most of the men had ever seen.
Spoils of War: Wealth Beyond Measure
While many crusaders died of disease or perished on dusty battlefields, a select few returned home transformed. Few knights who survived the campaigns in the Levant and the surrounding territories didn't come back empty-handed.
They brought back spoils of war: rare textiles, foreign spices, ancient manuscripts, ungodly amounts of gold, and legendary relics. Returning crusaders used this newfound wealth to build sprawling ancestral estates, buy immense tracts of land, and cement their family names among the ruling elite for generations.
Our fictional Sir Lord John Robert Blackhart was one of those men. He was given a swath of land in Scotland with enough fortune to lay the heavy, stone foundations of Blackhart Manor.
(Note: Now, this is a bit of a stretch in real life, as much of the Highlands and Skye did not have ancient castles or manor houses that date back this far. But leaning into fiction and the one castle that had been around before this, Dunvegan, the inspiration for my MacLaoch series, was established in 800 AD. And since Scotland, or Alba in Gaelic, wasn’t under English rule until later, as the author, I’m assuming these lands that were ‘given’ were troublesome to have built upon. In that, who owned them before King Richard gifted them? And does this add to the curse?)
This is what my sweet creative AI thinks Sir John Robert Blackhart looks like. Rough around the edges, no?
What Remained in the Shadows
The historical records love to focus on the riches, but the darker truth lies in how that wealth was acquired.
Across the Levant (the Eastern Mediterranean that typically includes Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria) and the surrounding regions, crusaders engaged in merciless sieges, the looting of ancient sanctuaries, and the plunder of sacred sites. They seized artifacts they didn't understand and claimed sacred grounds that were never meant for foreign hands. Beyond the physical treasures, these men returned changed on a soul level—haunted by the violence they committed and accompanied by mysteries they could never fully lock away.
For Sir John, the fortune he brought back to Scotland wasn't just built on gold—it was built on blood, broken vows, and stolen knowledge.
As you can see, a man who participated in the Crusades might return unimaginably wealthy, but he just as easily returned cursed by his actions—leaving a dark, lingering debt for his descendants to pay eight hundred years later.
For a fascinating look at how crusading warrior-monks (the Knights Templar, a different but interesting group than the Crusaders) built immense wealth and sparked centuries of mystery, check out this deep dive on The Rise And Fall Of The Mysterious Warrior Monks. It gives great context on the real-world history that inspired the novel's Crusader lore.
Don't Miss the Pre-Order Drop! The curse of Sir John is coming to light this fall in The Ghost of Blackhart Manor. Want to make sure you don't miss the official pre-order date and launch-day previews? Join the newsletter list here to stay in the loop!
