The Luffincott Ghost.
A Launceston Exploring Party.
Mysterious tappings: Was it rats?
By one of our reporters.
On Monday two friends with myself decided to pay a visit to Luffincott, the same night with an idea of seeing the Luffincott ghost, and accordingly, about 7.45 p.m. started from Launceston. We cycled, reaching Luffincott Rectory at 8.45 p.m., just in time to see the outside of the building in the fading light. It is situated in a very isolated but lovely spot, and at one time must have been a splendid building. I did not count the rooms, but to give one some idea of the size of the house, I should say there were about 12 or 13 apartments, some of which (including one bedroom) were of splendid size. It was an easy matter to effect an entrance, the door which we tried being unlocked.
Our first business was to carry our cycles to a place of safety, and we decided to take them to the bedroom where the ghost was supposed to have been seen, and where we intended to pass the night. This done, we set about to make ourselves as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. We took seven or eight chairs upstairs, and a small table, and borrowed two mattresses from an adjoining bedroom, which we used for stopping up the window, for there was no glass and it was rather cold.
Having done all we could to make ourselves comfortable, we proceeded to explore the house. We carefully went through each room twice, but found nothing worth mentioning. Some of the rooms were in a very good condition, but for the most part they had been damaged by visitors. A lot of damage has been done since I last visited the place (Whit-Sunday). A lovely marble mantel-piece has been torn down, and the piano is in a worse condition.
About 10.15 p.m., discovering it was supper time, we retired to our bedroom, and if the “spook” had looked in on us 10 minutes later it would have found us busy.A record was found on one of the doors, written by the naval officers who spent a night there just previously, to the effect that “a tapping noise was heard in one of the rooms, but when followed up, ceased,” and advising all who wished to hear it, as to where it could best be heard. At 10.30 we blew out lights and sat waiting and smoking. There was a hole in the ceiling and roof through which we could see a small patch of sky, and through which came the melancholy “voice” of an owl.
Between 11 and 12 o’clock a slight tapping noise was heard, similar to that described by the naval officers, but on investigation the noise the officers heard was proved, by the evident scuttling following it, to be made by rats, of that we were satisfied. I lighted a match for one of my friends who wished to have a cigarette, and looking at my watch at the same time, saw that it was within five minutes of the “witching hour.” We sat smoking until 1 a.m., when we made another round of inspection, having seen and heard nothing at 12 o’clock. One of my friends must have had a good nerve, I think, for he left us once and did a bit “on his own.”
A ghostly effect was produced by my other friend running something over the wires of the piano, which had been laid bare by previous visitors. Finding nothing downstairs we again returned to the bedroom, where we stayed without seeing or hearing anything until about 2.45 a.m. We then made a final round and went downstairs with our cycles. We had a refreshing ride home, reaching Launceston something before 4 a.m., Tuesday morning.
Cornish and Devon Post, 8th June 1907.
The Luffincott Ghost.
Protest from the Late Rector’s Relatives.
We have received a letter from Miss Parker, niece of the late Rector of Luffincott, who expresses surprise that such stories as that respecting the Luffincott ghost should be allowed to appear in print, considering that so many of the late Rev. F. Parker’s relatives are still alive. Miss Parker states that she lived with her uncle a good many times before he died, and she never heard him give expression to any threat of returning to this world in a ghostly form. “He was too good a man to talk such rubbish.” Miss Parker doubts whether any “ghost” has ever been seen at Luffincott.
Mrs W.B. Fulford, of Exmouth, another niece of the late Rev. F. Parker, says her uncle was of a most quiet, studious character, and would be the last man to hurt anybody’s feelings. She does not consider the stories a justification for letting Luffincott Rectory get into such a state of desolation.
Western Times, 28th June 1907.
Deserted rectory.
Discredited ghost stories.
The public has not heard the last of the story of the Luffincott ghost. The Bishop of Exeter intends to sequestrate the living at the end of July in consequence of the unpleasant notoriety the parish has gained. In the meantime stories are told and re-told concerning the doomed rectory, each spring from the fact that the present rector quitted the place suddenly after seeing the apparition of his predecessor, the Rev. F. Parker.
A niece of the late rector, Miss Parker, expresses surprise that stories concerning the “ghost” should be allowed to appear in print, considering that so many of the late rector’s relatives are still alive. Miss Parker states that she never heard her uncle give expression to any threat of returning to this world in a ghostly form. She doubts whether any ghost has ever been seen at Luffincott. Another niece, Mrs W.B. Fulford, of Exmouth, says Mr Parker was of a most quiet and studious disposition. She does not think the stories a justification for letting Luffincott rectory get into such a state of desolation.
Bolton Evening News, 29th June 1907.
Our Letter Box.
Former rector of Luffincott and the ghost.
To the Editor of the “Western Times.”
Sir, I laugh to scorn the foolish stories about a ghost at Luffincott Rectory. All the time I was Rector I slept in the room in which Dr Parker died, and never had the pleasure of seeing his ghost. I say pleasure because he was a good man, and (if ghosts existed) I should like to have had a chat with him. The story is a disgrace to those who originated it, and to England. It shows the dpeths of superstition into which shallow minds sink. I spent some £300 on that beautiful Rectory, and never was happier than I was when Rector of Luffincott.
Yours faithfully, S.C. Haines. 56, Vale-road, St. Leonards-on-Sea.
Western Times, 5th July 1907.
Luffincott Rectory Burnt.
The night before last Luffincott Rectory near Holsworthy, was burnt to the ground. The cause of the fire is unknown. The house had been unoccupied for many years, was in a very dilapidated state, and popularly supposed to be haunted. The “ghost” was alleged to be that of Mr Parker, a former rector, which, it was stated, appeared one night to a successor, who became so annoyed that he left the house, abandoning his furniture. Parties spent nights in the deserted house, keeping fires going with chairs, tables, and other household commodities for the purpose of laying the “ghost” if they could.
The Rectory stood in a gloomy dell, in an isolated position, and was practically demolished before the fire was observed.
Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 2nd March 1911.