A Runcorn Ghost Story.
Recently a family from Birkenhead took up their residence in a house in a street in a populous part of Runcorn, and leading off one of the principal thoroughfares. Their tenancy had only been of a few days’ duration, when their nocturnal slumbers were disturbed by strange noises, which usually were heard between midnight and two o’clock. They partook of the character of the shuffling of the feet in the passage. On two occasions, however, the apparition made itself more clearly manifest, for members of the household declare that they had seen the form of an elderly woman, whose clothing they minutely describe, pass through the house. During one night the son occupied the sofa in the kitchen, when the supposed ghostly visitant passed by, and plucked a pillow from under his head. He was naturally alarmed. The same “old lady” made her appearance again so late as last Saturday night, when the extraordinary sounds were heard, and the mother of the family saw a form clad as already stated.
The result is that they have removed to another house during the present week. In consequence of the statements the place has been visited by many people during th epast few days. It is affirmed by neighbours that other tenants have declared the house to be “haunted,” and of course the reason attached is that years ago a murder was committed near the place.
Halifax Evening Courier, 5th June 1896.
Ghost laying at Runcorn.
A night in a “haunted” house.
The ghost story which has been going the rounds in Runcorn excited considerable interest during last week end and the beginning of this week but practically the matter has now gone beyond the three days’ wonder stage. During the week several offers were made by would-be ghost hunters but permission was reserved to the representative of the “Examiner” and a few friends to spend the night in the “haunted chamber.” Tuesday night was selected for the visit and at about 11 o’clock our representative joined a party comprising six members, at the street corner. At that time the street was perfectly quiet and ingress to the premises was easily obtained.
The house is a four-roomed building erected on modern lines and it certainly does not look either ghostly or uncanny. Beyond the fact of its being empty there is nothing to single it out from any other house in the street. On getting inside, the back room or kitchen was speedily taken possession of by the party, and arrangements were made for the passing of the vigil in comparative comfort. One member produced from his pocket two or three candles which, on being stuck upon the mantleboard by the primitive process ofmelting one end of the candle and trusting to the setting of the wax to hold it upright, lit up the room in a creditable manner. Seats were formed out of the cupboard drawers, and draughts were prevented by neatly pinning a newspaper over the window. Having made everything as comfortable as possible the members of the party after declaring themselves ready for the ghost or any other unearthly visitant, began to cast about for means to pass the time until daybreak.
Ghost yarns and cards found the chief favour, particularly the former, told by an elderly gentleman with a view to depressing the spirits and ardour of the amateur ghost layers. Between 11.30 and 12.30 a visit was paid by a well-known medical man, who having failed to frighten the ghost hunters by masquerading with the folds of a borrowed sheet, got in the house and made himself sociable with the rest of the watcher. By that time all expectations of ghostly visits had been abandoned by the inmates of the house, and the only question was to get the time on pleasantly. None of the party had the least expectation of seeing anything uncanny, but there was a feeling that some noises caused by natural means had been the secret of the propagation of the ghost story. During the night, however, not the vestige of a sound was heard, save those made by the watchers themselves, and beyond the doctor’s little joke no apparitions were seen.
A few facts may be mentioned which may have a tendency to clear the matter up. In the middle of the house is a door which when not closed swings somewhat heavily on its hinges and makes a creaking noise which would be easily magnified by nervous people into something that should not be. At the rear of the house is a stable and during the night the horses were heard to stamp their feet and this may account for the sound of footsteps complained of by a tenant. Another little thing, which, though a trifle in itself, may account for the apparition, may be mentioned. When the back premises are lit up and the doors joining the front and back rooms together, are open, a peculiar reflection of the light is thrown upon the front window. This reflection is in turn thrown on a window across the road, and the effect produced by walking across the front room in the dark is that of suddenly seeing a sheet of light. As this can only be seen in one position it might have an unpleasant effect upon a nervous tenant, though at the same time the cause and the effect can be easily seen by walking across the room.
These little incidents which have been mentioned are of course plainly accounted for on natural grounds and nothing ghostly can be attributed to them, and beyond them nothing whatever was heard in the house on Tuesday night. The party was in the house until daybreak, and the members of it instead of having an uncomfortable evening with the awe inspiring prospect of the appearance of a ghost only spent the small hours of Wednesday mornin gin holding a pleasant card party, which, save for the lack of furniture, could not have been more enjoyed in a club fitted with the most perfect appointments.
St Helens Examiner, 13th June 1896.
A Runcorn Ghost Story.
During the week a curious rumour has gone the rounds of Runcorn, and as its subject consists of all the original features (in these days) of a ghost story it is fast gaining ground and credence in the town. During the last three weeks a family new to Runcorn has been occupying a small house in a side street off one of the chief thoroughfares in the town and for a few days their residence there went on uninterrupted. Later a son was left asleep on the sofa and in the middle of the night he ran screaming up to his mother’s room complaining that the pillow had been taken from under his head.
From that time onward weird and uncanny noises have been heard at night time in the house, generally taking the form of shuffling footsteps on the stairs together with the rustling of garments. Nor have these mysterious manifestations been the only incidents, as the lady of the house has twice seen the phantom figure of a mysterious old woman who entering through doors in different rooms has been closely followed and found to have disappeared in a very unsatisfactory manner. The elderly “spirit’s” last appearance occurred last Saturday, when she was seen by the mother and one of the sons to glide across the kitchen. This seems to have been too much for the whole family as they have moved their quarters a few streets away from the house favoured by the alleged nocturnal visitor.
The affair has caused no little excitement and the street has been visited by many people, while the house is becoming an interesting building in the eyes of the superstitiously inclined neighbours. In a matter of fact age like the present, this paragraph will no doubt cause many of our readers to furtively smile on reading it, but our representative on interviewing the late occupants was bound to admit that they at least were unpleasantly impressed with their recent experiences. Moreover the ghost’s appearance during its nightly walk has been vividly described by Mrs. —, who goes into minute particulars in speaking of the dress, gesture and deportment of the Runcorn perturbed spirit.
Widnes Examiner, 6th June 1896.
Journalist’s story of how it was “laid.”
Writing in the last week’s issue of the “Warrington Examiner,” on the occasion of Mr T. Weston taking over the editorship, Mr George Edgar, author of the “Blue Bird’s Eye” and other successful novels, gives some pleasant reminiscences of his early days as a local journalist. Of Runcorn he says: –
“There came a time when I joined the Warrington ‘Examiner.’ I represented the paper in Runcorn, where a localised edition was published. I was very young in those days and not very discreet, but the ‘Examiner’ was kind to my faults. Away from the office, representing the ‘Examiner’ at Runcorn, was a pleasant task for a youth. I recall perhaps the most interesting thing I did there with great glee to this day. I discovered a ghost story and told it in the ‘Examiner.’ The haunted house was in a little side street in the centre of Runcorn town. I made the ghost, a phantom little old lady, very spectacular and invested the house with an eerie flavour of a Christmas Number castle. The result somewhat surprised me.
“The ‘Examiner’ was published in Runcorn at five o’clock on Friday evening. By seven o’clock half the population of the town was about that little side street, hooting and howling, and playfully engaged in smashing the windows of a harmless cottage. The landlord and owner of the property was breathing dreadful threats as to what he would do to me and the ‘Examiner’. I went home by all the side streets that night. He was in a more reasonable frame of mind the next morning. I compounded with him. As I had raised the ghost I offered to lay it. I volunteered to stop in the house all one night, and if I saw no ghost to say so in next week’s paper. I remember we made up a nice little card party of about six. There was no ghost, and I duly credited the house with an absence of spooks of any kind. The landlord was placated and I – well I retired on my vaguely won laurels.”
Runcorn Weekly News, 25th April 1913.
A Runcorn Ghost Story.
Towards the middle of June, 1896, a rumour became circulated that a cottage in Brook Street, Runcorn, was haunted. A woman who had been the tenant for a very short period concluded the occupancy somewhat hurriedly and for her reason gave a circumstantial account of nightly visitations and a woman’s ghostly figure which set locks, bolts and bars at defiance.
The result was the nightly gathering of hundreds of boys and girls to the great disturbance of the neighbourhood and apparently much to the disgust of the ghost for the many watchers never caught one glimpse of her fearsome face.
One night several young men took up their quarters in the empty house with four candles to enlighten the darkness. The only visitant they had was one who was clothed in this “too solid flesh.” He appeared enveloped in a white sheet, but so little dismayed was one of the party that his fist shot out and had not the ghost disclosed his identity he might have been severely “handled.”
Runcorn Weekly News 19th June 1931.