Robert Ellis Cahill

Robert Ellis Cahill
Sheriff of Essex County, Massachusetts
In office 1975–1978
Preceded by	Roger Wells
Succeeded by	Charles Reardon
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 7th Essex District
In office 1970–1975
Preceded by	Michael J. Harrington[1]
Succeeded by	J. Michael Ruane
Member of the Salem, Massachusetts City Council[2]
Personal details
Born	November 25, 1934 Salem, Massachusetts[2]
Died	June 19, 2005
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic[3]
Alma mater	Boston University
Occupation	Public Relations Sheriff Politician Folklorist Author

Robert Ellis Cahill (November 25, 1934 – June 19, 2005) was a folklorist and author. He was the author of more than three dozen books on New England history and folklore, as well as on scuba diving, shipwrecks and pirates.

Cahill served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1970 to 1975.^[3]

In 1974, Cahill was elected Sheriff of Essex County, Massachusetts. 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.^[4] While serving as Sheriff, Cahill investigated an alleged curse Giles Corey 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.^[5]

Several of Cahill's books center on the infamous Salem Witch Trials 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 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.

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 throughout New England.

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)

• Col. Leslie's Retreat Archived 2009-02-20 at the Wayback Machine

• Boston Globe: Robert Ellis Cahill obituary
• Salem Gazette: Robert Cahill: A Key to Salem History Archived 2008-06-28 at the Wayback Machine
• Salem History Online Archived 2008-06-25 at the Wayback Machine