A Genuine Haunted House.
Mr John Sarll, of the Cock Inn, has lately had two cottages near the church made into one, and a family of 10, including father and mother, grown up sons and daughters, took possession of a roomy house, leaving a two-roomed cottage for the purpose.
But they had neglected to make terms with the “Ghost.” Strange and unaccountable noises were heard during the night, and the father and one of the sons summoned up courage to go downstairs, and under cover of banging the furniture about, invited the ghost to appear. Alarmed at this unwonted intrusion, the ghost refused to appear, and became very quiet, but on their going to bed again it re-commenced its nocturnal rambles with a resounding accompaniment of lump, lump, lump, which greatly terrified the inmates.
As superstition dies hard in these rural districts, the family, after trying vainly for two nights to overcome the terror, determined to make a flit of it next day to their old home. Notwithstanding the rain they piled their household goods on the donkey cart and departed, determining never again to sleep in the haunted house.
The sceptical and the scoffers who believe not in the old-time haunted house with its thrilling adventures, aver that the unaccustomed noise was caused by a mouse or rat running up and down the inside of the walls, occasionally loosening a piece of mortar, which lumped down on the floor beneath. Others say the alarm was caused by Mr John Dew’s horses in a neigbouring stable, who at times, becoming restless in the night-watches, lumped about their stable floor and rattled the chains which confined them to the manger.
Former occupants were often disturbed by strange noises, but naturally put it down to the mice and rats, which were known to be on the premises. A former resident, some years ago, goes still further in her statements, and avers that she actually saw the ghost on one occasion, and that it was a woman, but why this unquiet spirit disturbed the peace of the inmates, the ghost was not friendly enough to disclose.
Bedfordshire Times and Independent, 31st October 1891.
The Ghosts of Gamlingay.
The interest in the haunted house continues and it has been suggested that some light sleepers should be told off to watch and endeavour to solve the mystery, and discover the supposed buried treasure. According to some reports, the ghost was successfully interviewed some years ago, and was said to be a handsome lady in white satin or white print. But the interviewer was unable to examine the lady’s costume, and could only judge it by the rustling. She is also said to have worn white satin slippers, and carried a baby in her arms.
Others think that the ghost is a miser returning at irregular intervals to gloat over his buried treasures, but no one up to the present has had the temerity to unearth the hidden gold. Others state that the apparition appears in the shape of a shoemaker, and that the “lumping” is due to the anxious haste with which he sets to work to make up his arrears, which had gathered in volume from long neglect.
Superstitious believers, and there are many here, notwithstanding the advent of Board Schools, two churches, and four chapels, say that the ghost is set free from the warmer regions and allowed a change for a short time by his Satanic Majesty, who, as they say, roams the earth, and occasionally requires a little help from his satellites for his nefarious practices.
A legend of a ghostly visitant is extant, connected with the farm premises lately occupied by the Misses Kitchen, and rumour has it that the nuisance and excitement caused by the nocturnal visitant reached such a pitch that 12 clergymen were hastily summoned, to exorcise, by book and candle, the unquiet spirit who completely terrorised the district. Whether the exorcism laid the ghost or not is not known, as the oldest inhabitant is silent on the subject, but maintains, however, that it was never seen to walk again.
Some years ago, lace-making was extensively carried on in the village, and the young girls used to sit up together till a late hour to finish their work in a house which is still pointed out. At the stroke of 12 at night, the fashionable hour for spirits to promenade, a ghostly company was said to assemble upstairs, and indulge in a set dance for a considerable time, but whether they indulged in a modern round dance, set of quadrilles, or the old-fashioned country-dance, our informant knows not, but declares that, out of sheer bravado, the young girls used to throw their work down, join hands and dance in rhythm to the ghostly footsteps above.
[…] At Gransden, some time ago, alarming noises were heard in a house, sounding like someone stumping up and down stairs. The householder investigated with his gun, but on opening the bedroom door, the noise ceased and nothing was seen. This occurred at intervals all night, and next morning, it was found that some rats had got into the apple loft and amused themselves by dropping the apples downstairs. […] The moral of all this: that the strange sounds in all so-called haunted houses would resolve themselves into similar simple cases if ascertained.
Cambridge Independent Press, 7th November 1891.
Is the ghost mystery solved?
A resident, on Tuesday evening, on passing the “haunted house,” stopped and listened, and distinctly heard the “lump, lump, lumping,” which so much disturbed the late occupants. An examination revealed the fact that the strange noise was caused by a window sash, which lumped occasionally, three taps at a time, when urged on by the rising wind.
Bedfordshire Times and Independent, 14th November 1891.
Dispossession of the Ghost.
The celebrated haunted house in Gamlingay will soon be a matter of the past. Tenantless, since the scurrying out of its late inmates, the proprietor has engaged workmen, who are busily engaged in pulling to pieces the ghost-haunted premises, and the ghost with its rattling chains and lumping movements will have to seek a fresh hiding-place for the resumption of its ghostly rambles, or give up in despair of convincing 19th century scepticism. The old-fashioned thatched cottages will have their place taken by new cottages better fitted up with modern improvements to suit the needs of the labourer.
Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow, 11th November 1892.
Legends of old days.
Many houses have been condemned as haunted and avoided by the weak and credulous, from circumstances the most trifling in themselves, and which only wanted a vigorous mind to clear up at once to dissipate all alarm. But a house in Dutter End, a large desolate building, remained uninhabited for several years on account of mysterious knockings that were heard within it. Nobody could account for the noises, and the fear became at last so excessive that the Vicar, schoolmaster, and others of the parish, sat up one night smoking cigars and drinking whiskey, to lay the ghost. But it never appeared.
Herts and Cambs Reporter and Royston Crow, 3rd February 1905.
For the past four weeks Gamlingay play-goers have been entertained nightly with drama, comedy, and variety at a portable theatre, and on Saturday the travelling company ended their Gamlingay season with a play entitled “The Haunted House in Gamlingay.” The large audience present were thrilled and puzzled by the mysterious happenings that took place and the play reminded a few of the record in the “History of Gamlingay” of a large and desolate building in Dutter End which remained uninhabited for several years on account of mysterious knockings that were heard within it. Nobody could account for the noises and the fear became at last so excessive that the Vicar, Schoolmaster, and others of the parish of that time sat up one night to lay the ghost. The ghost (if any), however, was shy to manifest its power before them and they neither saw nor heard anything unusual.
Bedfordshire Times and Independent, 8th November 1935.