“Laying” of a ghost at Leeds.
A respectable family residing in Nippet Lane, Stony Rock, Leeds, have been for the past six or eight weeks seriously disturbed in mind by the extraordinary noises heard from time to time in their dwelling. These noises took the form of rappings, and were heard at all times of the day and all periods of the evening until after nightfall.
At dinner, the family would be alarmed at the violent rappings at the dining room door; at tea, the front door and the sitting room door would be similarly affected; and if the family adjourned to the garden, the rappings could still be distinctly heard.
Treated at first as a novelty, the “visitation” at length became a serious nuisance, and various methods were considered with the view of terminating it, but all apparently without avail. Scientific friends were called in, and the mysterious visitant was obliging enough to attend their seances, and to manifest itself in every possible way, except by palpable appearance, so as to give them an opportunity of speculating upon its character. But the men of science went away as puzzled as they came, and the agency remained undetected.
Stony Rock being situate over coal workings, it was at one time suggested that the noises heard might be occasioned either by the workmen in the pit, the soughing of the air through the gates, or be the result of some atmospheric phenomenon. But it was held that if the rappings were caused naturally they would not be confined to vibrations of the doors, but the windows, foundations, &c., of the house would be likewise shaken.
It was then suggested by some good-natured friends – Mr — being a large coal owner – that the noises were a retributive punishment upon Mr — for allowing his men to be out on strike, but unfortunately for these theorists, the noises commenced several weeks previous to the men leaving the pits.
“Grave” rumours began to be circulated about the neighbourhood; a certain Dame Nippet, who lived at Stony Rock a century ago, being the subject, and her legend the general matter of consideration. Stony Rock, a century ago, was a kind of tea-gardens for the Leeds citiens, Dame Nippet being especially celebrated for her cheesecakes, her crumpets, her possets, and her fruits and flowers. An unfortunate parish apprentice of a servant girl was the old dame’s assistant at Stony Rock, and the legend went on to recite that the dame’s ill-treatment of this poor lass led her to commit suicide one morning, in the barn, by hanging herself. The story goes on to say that the dame never prospered after the suicidal act had been committed, – she never recovered the shock; her nerves were thoroughly unstrung; she was unable to rest during the hours of night; in the whistling wind she heard the reproaches of her expiring maid; all her cattle died off by wholesale; and ultimately the old beldame, wretched and unpitied, died raving mad. It was scarcely to be expected that Mother Nippet would rest in such an unholy and unconsecrated grave; and it was soon whispered that she regularly “revisited the glimpses of the moon,” and her influence for evil was soon appallingly evident by the mortality which attended any unfortunate animal which strayed within the circle of her walk.
Ultimately an exorcist was employed to charm Nance Nippet again, into her grave; her wandering spirit was laid by some mystic spell, and she was warranted to rest in peace so long as the “holly bush should grow green at Stony Rock.” A cycle of time has since been described; the spell has been broken; the holly bush no longer grows green at Stony Rock; that erst lovely retreat of the Leeds citizen is now pit-hills and brick-yards; and the troubled spirit of the dame was said again to be abroad in the night, and causing the disturbances in the coalmaster’s house.
The health of the inmates began to be affected by this mysterious and annoying visitation, and, by way of catching at the last chance, the coalmaster dolorously invoked the assistance of his spiritual pastor. The minister of religion came, and so did the spirit; but whether it was that old Nance was a dissenter, or that the parson was not sufficiently earnest in his task, we are unable to speak, but this much was evident – he had failed to lay the perturbed spirit.
The inmates were seriously contemplating a removal to some less noisy tenement, when a startling discovery was made. Spirits are generally held to be immaterial, but one morning when Mr. — was about to pull on his boots, he discovered, to his great astonishment and annoyance, that the leather had been literally cut into ribands. The servant-girl generally acted as the shoe-black, and to her he appealed for an explanation.
She boldly affirmed that the mischief must have been done by the ghost; but on being threatened with a policeman, her tone visibly altered, and she acknowledged, in contrite and penitent strains, that all the mysterious noises of the past two months had been cuased either by her, or in conjunction with the abigail of the adjoining house.
The mystery was solved. Mr — now remembered that no noises had ever been heard after Jane had retired to rest, and that she was always in the house when the rappings took place, and he consequently discharged her with a suitable caution; no doubt heartily glad to get rid of her without an exposure of a more public nature. Since Jane’s discharge there has been an end of the “spirit rappings” at Stony Rock.
Manchester Times, 15th May 1858. (verbatim in many papers)
the original is written in the opposite direction and is very long: