THEY say life imitates art ... a fact which recently became spookily clear to a museum worker at Oxford Castle.

Ian Giles spends his days entertaining crowds at Oxford Castle Unlocked, posing as Daniel Harris, a former governor of Oxford Prison.

But while researching his family history, the 56-year-old discovered his grandfather, Ernest Woods, had worked as real prison warder there.

The coincidence became stranger when it emerged but Mr Woods had lived in Daniel Harris’ former house.

Mr Giles, of Cowley, said: “The hairs went up on the back of my neck and arms when I realised. It is very weird.”

Daniel Harris was prison governor of Oxford Prison from the late 1700s until 1809. He was responsible for the building of D Wing at the New Road jail and had a house built in Bulwarks Lane.

Mr Giles said: “Where the cafe at the Castle is now, that would have been his back garden. He had it built for himself and it was demolished when the castle was refurbished.

Mr Giles knows that about 100 years later, his grandfather moved his growing family into the same house.

He said: “I went to a talk about Daniel Harris and there were pictures of the house there. Well, of course, I recognised it and it went from there.”

Mr Woods came to Oxford in 1913 and worked at the prison until his death in 1929. An obituary the Oxford Mail said Mr Woods, also known as “Timber”, worked with a “cheerful enthusiasm”.

A colleague said: “Timber was respected not only by the staff, but by everyone with whom he came into contact.”

Mr Giles said: “I never met him, but he sounds quite popular. I think he was a very strict Victorian type of parent, but the kids adored him.”

His grandfather left a widow, Emma-Louisa, who moved out of the house in Bulwarks Lane, and seven children, including Mr Giles’ mother, Mabel.

He said: “I never really wanted to be a prison warder myself. I do not think I would be harsh enough. But this adds a whole new dimension to my job.”

There was another spooky revelation to come. Mr Giles said: “One of my uncles found an old table in a cupboard in that house, which he restored and I now own.

“It is a Georgian table, so I could very well be eating my breakfast from the same table Daniel Harris did.”

rpope@oxfordmail.co.uk