“Ghost” at Tydd.
Mysterious rappings on cottage door.
This is an age rather too sceptical to accept stories of ghosts, even when the authentication seems to be most reliable, so the happenings at a cottage at Tydd, about two hundred yards from St. Mary’s Church, if allowed to be called the visit of a ghost, will be by no means believed as such. The cottage, which was the scene of the curious spectacle of a crowd endeavouring to “lay” a ghostly visitant, is that of Mr. Eason, a small holder, and it is by no means isolated. It is situated at the further end of the village of Tydd St Mary, and occupied by Mr and Mrs Eason, their twelve-year-old daughter, and Mr Eason’s mother, who has lately gone to reside with them.
About the 7th of this month commenced a series of rappings on the door, which have been ascribed to some extraordinary agency. During the first few days the door was answered to the knocks, but nobody stood without. It may be as well to explain that the door is at the back, and that of the room used by Mrs. Eason, sen., as a bedroom, she being aged and not able to easily go up and downstairs. When the raps had been responded to several times it began to be suspected that boys came up to the door, knocked on it, and then ran off, but effort after effort to discover the supposed practical jokers failed. That the boys threw stones was also assumed, but this was not borne out by investigation.
The noise was always in the daytime between nine in the morning and seven in the evening, contrary to the usual ideas of ghostly visits, which need the shrouds of darkness and a nervously anticipating subject.
But none of the occupants of the house were in a nervous state likely to magnify the reality of the mystery, nor were they apprehensive of anything at first. But the complexity grew when after three or four days there came knockings from a box which stood near the door. The knockings of these days were not loud, but such as could easily have been made by the knuckles. The box was shifted into the next room when the sounds had been emitted several times, and with it went the disturbance. The knockings became louder, and once whilst they were proceeding Miss Eason went to the box and knocked on the outside, but quickly gave it up, because, she said, “They knocked back as fast as she knocked.” A curious fact about the rappings is that they were very quickly given.
The knockings continued at various times, and one day while Mrs Eason was cleaning the stove in the room she propped the door open. The knockings came and went just the same, and the occurrence began to get nerve racking. Neighbours were quietly told of the mystery, and remained sceptical until they had heard the raps themselves. Then they became curious, and invaded the house to ensure by their numbers that the rappings actually took place. They came just the same, and amongst those who heard them were two Long Sutton tradesmen, who had made a hearty laugh of the first report of them that was made to them. They acknowledged it to be no laughing matter later.
A doctor also from Long Sutton would have liked to hear them, but the “ghost” was discreetly silent in his presence. His chauffeur, however, remained after the doctor had gone to visit patients, and he vouched for the rappings.
The tension began to tell on the Eason’s nerves, and they became very uncomfortable. Every device that could be thought of for trying to ascertain the cause was of no avail, and a search of everything that might have been of use for concealment to anyone was searched.
The culmination of the affair came on Monday, Jan. 15th, when blows such as might be given with a heavy stick appeared to come spontaneously from the door. There was still no known cause. The villagers remained interested, and continued to visit the haunted cottage, to make various futile suggestions and efforts. On the 16th the rappings were less violent, and then they died away. Beyond a very slight knock or two on Wednesday, nothing has since been heard. It is estimated that there were a hundred curious visitors to the cottage on the 15th. Many could speak positively of the nature of the disturbance, but all are equally ignorant of the cause.
So greatly did the matter perplex Mr Eason that on Saturday he called on two Wisbech spiritualists to ask advice, and arrangements were made that if the rappings are repeated he will immediately communicate with them, and they will endeavour to ascertain how nearly human are the causes of this terrifying (to the Easons) experience.
The old lady, Mr Eason’s mother, occupied the room during the whole period, although she became convinced that it was something supernatural.
Cambridgeshire Times, 26th January 1912.
“Ghost” entertains a crowd.
Mysterious rappings in the daytime.
Ghostly rappings on the back door of a cottage at Tydd-street, St Mary, a village near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, are reported by a local correspondent, who writes that they are causing great excitement.
At first, he said, the noise was supposed to be the work of a practical joker, but constant watching disproved that theory. The noises occurred between nine in the morning and seven in the evening. On Wednesday fully 100 people assembled round the cottage and the noises were distinctly heard by all.
The owner of the cottage has consulted two Wisbech spiritualists, and nothing has been heard of the knockings since then.
Derby Daily Telegraph, 27th January 1912.