 As such, its author may have changed the names of his lead characters in light of their questionable relationship with the historical figures of William and Elizabeth.In the mid-19th century, a Chester newspaper printed an account of William's tale that made no mention of his time in the cave and stated that he died in 1819.Another made repeated reference to a small blue stool on which William, as a boy, had carved the initials "E & W." Predating Charles Foster Kane's Rosebud by a century, the stool served as a reminder of a more innocent time as Elizabeth awaited execution.