An Extraordinary Ghost Story.
The haunted house at Pwlldu. Startling revelations. Authentic story from the rector of Govilon.
There has been a time in the history of Wales when the Welsh nation was a class of a very superstitious belief and a gloomy race. The influence of the Church of England had confessedly done little to civilize the people; they still retained many habits apparently derived from paganism, and not a few of the practices of popery. Their funerals like those of the Irish, were scenes of gluttony, drunkenness, and licentiousness, corrupt and immoral and wassail. Children are taught to repeat a rhyme like the following as soon as they are put into bed at night:
There are four corners to my bed, / And four angels there are spread; / Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, / God bless the bed that I lie on.
Pwlldu unfortunately is one of those neglected little hamlets in the way of Christianised civilization. There has been a place of worship erected for this purpose under the auspices of the Congregational, Calvinistic Methodists, and Baptists denominations, the various ministers of various denominations of Blaenavon, &c., in turns officiating every Sunday. The latter of these sects at last took to the chapel, and connected it with the Baptist Church of Llanwenarth. But for some unknown cause the chapel is closed. In addition to this place of worship the Wesleyan Methodist connexion erected a chapel, and the cause, under the care of the Abergavenny Circuit, flourished well for a time, but this like its predecessor is closed. At present there only remains one service on each Sunday at the National School, conducted by the Rector of Govilon and his schoolmaster.
Pwlldu is a small hamlet between two counties, viz., Monmouthshire and Breconshire, the first in the parish of Llanwenarth, and the latter in the parish of Llanelly. Its inhabitants are chiefly colliers and limestone quarrymen. The majority of these people unfortunately spend the Sabbath day in seeking for drink, dog fighting, and such other disgraceful games. In the Llanwenarth portion of the hamlet is the haunted house in question situated, and is inhabited by Mr William Charles, who is the chief manager of the Limestone Quarries, the property of the Blaenavon Iron, Steel, and Coal Company, Limited, and his family. A very strange and pitiful history could be given of some who at one time were the occupants of this house, but we deem it wiser not to reveal the sad history.
Mr Cropper, the rector of Govilon, and in charge of the church service at Pwelldu, has furnished us with the following narrative of the haunted house:-
“Pwlldu House has for a long time been noted in this somewhat peculiar way; the ghosts do not confine themselves to midnight perambulations, but have been seen in broad day-light, phantoms moving along the roof and dropping down into the garden; this was repeated three times. Again at dark an apparition in the shape of a girl with hair flowing down her back and without shoes on her feet, was seen by two people at once, but when called to, made no reply, but suddenly vanished.
Most frequently this ghost is heard without any form being visible; for instance, on one occasion it removed a thorn walking stick from some pegs in the bedroom wall, and at the same time making a commotion as if babies were falling out of bed, but no human being could be found. Some time ago from morning till evening a mysterious rap, rap, rap, was heard as if on the cellar wall.
Besides at night it is said to be a common thing to see a brightness appear above this house – again the clothes-horse has been seen walking the table (no small one), leaps up, it is not left anywhere near the door at night, but it has been frequently found blocking the doorway in the morning. We must class this one amongst the ‘useful ghosts’ as its appearance once saved a child from drowning.”
‘Nemesis’ is far from believing in ghosts, nor is he in any way of a superstitious disposition, but we cannot withhold from print that which is firmly believed by the inhabitants of Pwlldu and elsewhere. We are greatly indebted to Mr Cropper, the rector of Govilon for the information of the haunted house.
‘Nemesis’.
Radnor Express, 20th April 1899.