Spooks in Breconshire.
About the alleged ghostly visitations.
Another haunted house. The startling noises which are unaccounted for.
A correspondent, who appears to be a firm believer in the supernatural origin of the alleged unaccountable ghostly visitations to certain houses in Breconshire, writes as follows: –
“I find that the London Psychical Society have been intensely interested in the account I forwarded to you concerning the Breconshire ghost, and wish to have all details and particulars, so as to investigate. They have only to wail; I am rambling within the ghostly [?], and soon hope to run the quarry to ground. But they must have patience. These affairs spiritual require the utmost coolness and deliberation. Bring stolid disbelief to bear, and you get no satisfactory response, not even the flutter of a wing, or a sigh like that of an Eolian harp. Take up the thread carefully, hopefully, and it may lead to the object of your search, William Howitt, than whom we have never had a truer man, or most honest delineator of once [sic] wrote to me in defence of spiritualism.
“If you approach it in a spirit of frivolity you will be thwarted in your search, but take it up as you a subject of reverence and you will be grateful to me for the insight I have opened out for you into another world.” So thinking, I have been rambling through Breconshire and Radnorshire and though the haunt of the spectral knight in armour has not been yet gained, I have gleaned particulars of another haunted house which are of great interest, especially as they are authenticated by most respectable residents of Radnorshire, who will readily give, as they did me, the name and particulars of another haunted farmhouse. The name and locality I shall confide to the editor of the “Mail,” with liberty to give them to thoroughly worthy inquirers, as it would never do for hundreds of people from all parts of the district to be marching some fine day on a mountain farm.
“At T— D—,” said my informant, a lady of highest worth and respectability,”there have been some peculiar doings. The place is a small mountain farm, within sound of the Wye, and up to a short time ago inhabited by an old farmer and his family. For a long time they were troubled with most unaccountable noises, by rappings and movements of the furniture. When it was well known that all the family were downstairs, movements, knocks and such like were heard in the room above. They were all out one day last autumn harvesting; the door was locked, and it was beyond dispute that no one could have entered except by breaking the door or window. Yet when they returned from the field they found a condition of things which could only have been done by a sprite of mischief. Every article in the dairy had been taken out and placed in and about the kitchen. The kitchen table was laden.
This elfish prank was alternated afterwards by the blankets being drawn roughly from a sleeper’s bed. The only variation in the noises was when a married daughter visited the house. Then the rappings became more violent. When she had left they resumed their occasional quiet character and were only heard now and then, but always given so unmistakably that no one doubted but that they were supernatural.
“The farm,” said my informant, “is a typical Welsh farm, with little that is picturesque save the clusters of roses and the whitewashed surroundings, with trees here and there bent in the direction of prevailing winds. It is not long ago that the old farmer died. The family remain.”
“And are the family alarmed?” I inquired. “Yes, but have kept the facts to themselves for some time, not caring to think much about them; but still, they have been thinking of getting a minister there to hold a prayer meeting, and see if the unquiet spirit can be soothed.” “And have you any doubt of these matters?” was my concluding query. “I have none.”
And to this stage my inquiry has been brought for the present.
T— D—, I may add, is one of those pleasant spots on the Radnorshire hills, where the lively imagination can revel in a world of speculation. The side lights of the Wye Valley, trending from the famous river, upland meadows, and hilly cwms redolent of clover and newly-gathered hay, greet you – and yonder, with a belt of roses, isolated and lone, the haunted farm.
Evening Express, 7th July 1897.
The Latest Ghost Story.
The little community on a farm in the Wye Valley, under the Radnorshire Hills, are greatly concerned over certain ghostly visitations, which appear to have first made themselves apparent not long after the decease of the old farmer.
For a time the family were troubled with the most unaccountable noises: by rappings and movements of the furniture. When it was well known that all the occupants of the house were downstairs movements, knocks, and such like were heard in the room above.
They were all out one day at work; the door was locked, and it was beyond dispute that no one could have entered except by breaking the door or a window; yet when they returned from the field they found a condition of things which could only have been done by a sprite of mischief. Every article in the dairy had been taken out and placed in and about the kitchen. The kitchen table was laden.
This elfish prank was alternated afterwards by the blankets being drawn roughly from a sleeper’s bed. The only variation in the noises was when a married daughter visited the house. Then the rappings became more violent. When she had left they resumed their occasional quiet character and were only heard now and then, but always given so unmistakably that no one doubted but that they were supernatural. At present the affair is wrapped in mystery.
Exeter Flying Post, 19th July 1897.
The Radnorshire Ghost.
A spirit not quite above suspicion.
But which exhibited such intelligence as to enable it to understand questions put.
(By a Sceptic.)
The stories of the Radnorshire “hauntings” have given rise to the greatest interest among those who revel in ghost lore. The readers of the “Western Mail” have expressed so strong a desire to learn more of these remarkable cases that it was thought desirable to make fuller inquiries into the matter, and I undertook to report thereon.
I commenced my journey absorbed in meditation of a decidedly “ghostly” nature, endeavouring to predict what the next few hours would bring forth. I was shortly to interview one of the principal witnesses, to hear from his lips what his eyes had seen and his ears had heard.
On alighting from the train at the little village of —. I gazed around upon the beautiful country. Below me the River Wye was winding gracefully along the valley, reflecting the luxuriant trees which grew in rich profusion upon its verdant banks, on the clear and even surface of its sparkling waters. In the distance the hills rose majestically on either side, studded with fields and shrubs of varying hues and forms. On the rough land, numbers of rabbits sported and frisked among the ferns, whilst the air was made musical with the melody of feathered songsters, and the sound of cheery voices in the distance.
“Surely,” thought I, “this cannot be the land of ‘ghosts, hobgoblins, and dragons of the pit;?” But my business was not to speculate but investigate, therefore, after taking a final survey of this charming spot, I pressed forward with an elastic step to the anticipated interview.
I found Mr. — a very unassuming, genial, and intelligent man, totally unlike the kind of folk usually associated with ghost stories, and our conversation proved him to be keen and critical. It is evident that we cannot in justice declare that this witness is either “over credulous,” “subject to hysteria,” or to be predisposed to accept the “spirit” hypothesis without (at least to him) adequate proof. I found this gentleman very candid, and it is evident that his veracity cannot be doubted.
When I introduced the subject his face immediately assumed a serious expression. “It is a fact,” he said, “there can be no doubt about that.”
“Have you always believed in supernatural occurrences?” I asked. “No,” he replied, “up to the time of the hauntings I never believed in ghosts of any description, and treated the story of this case with contempt, until I was forced to believe in the facts as I had seen and heard them.”
“What were the phenomena as witnessed by you?” “Well, many things happened. Rappings, noises of various kinds, movement of articles of furniture, &c., and many things of a private nature.”
“What did the raps resemble?” “They varied considerably, commencing with a sort of scratching sound, apparently proceeding from the window, then they became louder and more distinct, and at last assumed a definite thump, thump, thump.”
“Were the sounds always located in the same place?” “No, they changed considerably; sometimes they came from the floor, then from the walls, again from the ceiling, and various parts of the room.”
“Did you ask questions and receive answers from the ‘ghost’?” “Yes. I said, ‘If you are a spirit, rap once,’ and, accordingly, we heard one distinct thump. Again I said, ‘Rap twice, three times,’ &c., and raps resulted, and were always of the number I requested. This experiment I have repeated many times, and in every case I received the number of raps asked for.”
“Did the ‘ghost’ exhibit any intelligence?” “Yes, for the result of the rapping experiment clearly proved that it heard and understood my questions. I asked, however, other questions of a personal character, but never received a reply.”
“Are you a spiritualist?” “No, nor any of those who witnessed the phenomena.” “Did you put your questions in the orthodox spiritualistic fashion?” “I don’t know what that is. I said ‘if — rap once,’ and so forth.”
“Do you think it probable that these knockings were produced by trickery – in connection with an inmate of the house, for instance?” “I at first thought that trickery was practised, and my suspicion fixed on an individual in whose presence the phenomena usually occurred, but after testing this person in many ways, I am convinced that my suspicions were utterly unfounded, for the individual is evidently perfectly honest.”
“Why were you suspicious of this person?” “Because the raps occurred under circumstances in instances in which imposture could be practised. For instance, sounds were heard in the room in which the individual was, while we were in the room underneath. Being removed from one room to another, the raps followed the person, always proceeding from the room he occupied, but while in the company of others, no sounds were heard.”
“Under the circumstances, why do you consider him above suspicion?” “Becasue the raps were heard while he was asleep, and they at last became so loud, as to be completely out of the power of any child to produce. Again, many things occurred, such as the movement of furniture, &c., in locked rooms, which could not have been produced by any living person.” “In rooms when the doors were locked?” “Yes, under these circumstances heavy sacks were thrown down; trunks emptied , and their contents deposited upon the floor; furniture was moved, and things generally disturbed, and dairy utensils were flung about. These disturbances have occurred when the whole family were out of the house, which was left locked up in perfect order, but upon their return, disclosed a state of general confusion.”
“How long did these remakable occurrences continue?” “Six months, during which time scarcely a night passed without something supernatural occurring.”
“Were apparitions seen?” “Nothing was ever seen that I know of.”
The gentleman endorsed the statements contained in the article which appeared in the “Western Mail” of the 8th ult., declaring the report to be fundamentally accurate.
In the course of the interview many things were revealed of a private nature, which Mr. — obtained my promise of secrecy. Practically, the investigation has only begun, but from the commencement, we may predict interesting details in the near future. Several witnesses have to be interviewed, and arrangements made for further research are now being made, and it is hoped that in the space of a fortnight we shall be in possession of many new and interesting facts. In the meantime, it will be premature to attempt to formulate a theory or hypothesis; we must content ourselves with the simple record of facts.
Evening Express, 30th July 1897.