Ghost Larks January 26, 2017
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
Nineteenth-century newspapers are full of ghost reports. One thing that is rarely taken into account in modern ghost books, is just how many of these were larks. Remember that ghosts led to ghost riots and general excitement. Bored in an evening? Throw a white sheet over your head. Here is a typical one:
At Felling, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, the inhabitants have been excited the vagaries of a so-called ghost. A capture was effected early yesterday morning, and the ghost was discovered to be a young man holding a good position in the town. Dun Ev Tel, 6 Jan 1886, 2.
Sometimes there were surprising levels of sophistication and ghost gangs were formed. When a ‘ghost’ was chased and captured.
He turned out to-be young man named Frederick Cressing and was covered with white cloth obtained from a laundry woman named Mudge, whose son together with another young man were waiting near with a trap to convey the ‘ghost’ away should the necessity arise. West Times 30 Sep 1895, 2.
In other cases ghosts were found to have paper banners (to scare passers by) and peas (to throw at windows) or, why not, pistols with paper bullets: Morp Her, 7 Dec 1872, 2; Ab Eve Pre, 30 Sep 1885, 2;
Why did they do it? We have looked previously at ghosts covering criminal activities. But what about ghosts trying to steal a job?
The ghost was seen frequently after [frightening a woman on horseback], and frightened a number of people, until a party of young men armed with sticks suddenly surprised it one night when uttering some hollow sepulchral moans and captured it after an exciting chase of three-quarters of a mile over a rough country. The ghost then turned out to be a late aspirant to the office of lodge-keeper on the property of a local gentleman, and he had assumed the part of a ghost with the view of frightening the successful candidate for the keepership. NDJ 25 Jan 1883, 6.
Other times it was a matter of mental illness:
The Ilfracombe police have captured a live ghost. For some days past persons walking the vicinity of the higher end of Torrs-park, the Zigzag, and the road towards Lee, have made complaints of seeing something flitting about the roads. Two nights ago a party of young people were surprised at a figure in white in one of the dark and shady paths at the end of the avenue. Next evening a crowd visited the spot, and heartily cheered, groaned, and laughed person in white, who soon made off. On Wednesday evening Police-Sergeant Pike was on duty near locality, when the cry of ‘Ghost’ was raised on all sides, and, on being pointed to a spot, Police-Sergeant Pike proceeded there, and succeeded in taking a ‘ghost’ to the police-station. The person, who was dressed in a woman’s white apparel, turned out to a clergyman—a visitor to the town. It soon became evident, police that the rev. gentleman was somewhat queer in his mind, and the necessary steps have taken to have the movements of the ‘ ghost,’ more closely watched in the future. Wells Journal 24 Nov 1892
Beach remembers another transvestite priest/ghost, one of the most painful stories he has ever published on this blog.
Or what about trying to get rid of tee-totallers? Look out for the speaking pig on the road between Tremadoc and Penmorfa.
They were found to be the son of a publican living not ten miles distant from Tremadoc, and a female friend. The object of these nocturnal and ghostly visits supposed to be to frighten the Good Templars [tee-totallers], who assemble at the schoolroom situated between the two places named, in order to keep them away. One evening lately prominent member of the Good Templars was startled at hearing what appeared first to be a member of the swine tribe grunt articulately the words ‘Good Templar’ as he passed. On closer examination, however, he discovered the object to be no other than a publican in that disguise. There is great indignation felt on account of these unworthy tricks. Ed Ev News, 23 Jan 1874, 3
Other motives or notable fake ghosts: drbeachcombing at yahoo dot com
