HOW did a wealthy, God-fearing church benefactor, in the prime of his middle life, come to be found dead from a gunshot wound in Oberammergau, the Bavarian village world-famed for the staging of its Passion Play every 10 years?

It's a riddle that still surrounds Arthur Henry Lyne Evans, of the colliery and foundry-owning Evans family of Haydock, more than a century after his death. And it is unlikely ever to be solved.

Geoff Simm, Newton-based author of the publication 'Richard Evans of Haydock', gives the Victorian gunshot victim the benefit of the doubt. He has recorded that death was "possibly a shooting accident".

But in his 1960s booklet, 'A History of the Parish of St James The Great, Haydock', G. E. Lowe, carrying the impressive letters of ALA, AI (Inf.Sc.) behind his name, adopts a rather more positive view concerning the fate of the man who had been a pillar of that particular church.

He writes that, while recuperating from illness at Oberammergau, a place very familiar to him, Evans "died from a self-inflicted shot wound". He makes no mention of any accident.

I'm grateful to George and Marie Potts of Clipsley Lane, Haydock, for gift of the Simms publication, and to Vernon Smallwood of Ashton Road, Newton-le-Willows, for loan of the booklet produced by Lowe.

They were responding to an earlier letter, from reader M. Rigg of Priory Close, Whiston, who, during a recent visit to Oberammergau, came across Arthur Evans's headstone and had also read in a guide book that this same Evans, from Haydock, had donated the present organ to the village church.

Mr Rigg was keen to know more. And the two publications forwarded to me should certainly cure his curiosity.

Geoff Simms recorded that Arthur Evans took no part in the running of the family's impressive list of collieries but instead lived off the interest from his father's estate. "He pursued a life in the study of the arts, being a writer of hymns and songs and a great lecturer".

His great love was for the Oberammergau Passion Play and his numerous lectures on the subject raised funds for the organ mentioned by Mr Rigg.

In 1872, when in his early 20s, Arthur married Mary Sherlock, daughter of Harold H. Sherlock, vicar of Holy Trinity, Downall Green. She also carried with her the impressive title of Mary Leche de Cawarden, and the couple settled in a Haydock landmark premises, The Homestead, which remains in occupation to this day.

Arthur founded the Haydock Reading and Debating Society, providing the building, its furnishings, artefacts, and most of the books and papers available at its opening. This society, intended for working-class enlightenment, began life as a temperance society.

Ironically, it is now a thriving modern drinking club, while still retaining its unique original name.

In one section of his booklet, devoted to Fr. Francis Ireland, vicar of St James's from 1896 until 1925, G. E. Lowe writes: "He lost a great worker for the parish when news of the death of Arthur Evans came from Oberammergau". Evans had been a generous benefactor since the consecration of this church in 1866.

Included among the many dignitaries, in his audiences, during Evans's series of lectures on the famous Passion Play, had been the Archbishop of Canterbury and Prince Christian, son-in-law of Queen Victoria.

The whole village population attended Evans's funeral in Oberammergau . . . "a great tribute, as he was not of their religion."

Lowe's account says that St James's connection with Oberammergau is shown by four carved angels in the high chancel and the old font cover, "which were almost certainly brought from the Bavarian village by Arthur Evans". At various times, the wealthy benefactor acted as sacristan and church warden.

Writes Lowe: "The high altar cross is a memorial to him, and a likeness of his face is perpetuated in the Lady Chapel's St David window".

H BUT the secret of Arthur Evans's violent death - suicide or accident - lies buried with him in that Bavarian grave.