Mysterious Rappings in a House.
Psychic Society says it has solution.
From our own correspondent.
Canterbury, Tuesday.
Mysterious rappings in a miner’s house in the Northgate area of Canterbury have led to an investigation by the Canterbury Society for Psychical Study. Members declare they have located the disturbance, and will deal with it as occasion demands. Many rumours about the happenings in the house – some not without humour – are current in the city. One states that a man, once delivering coal at the house, went to pick up the empty bag, and found that all the coal had jumped back into it.
Daily Herald, 23rd July 1930.
Canterbury Ghosts
Some traditions of an old-world city.
By J.F. Ellis.
In a London newspaper recently reference was made to some weird happenings in a Canterbury house. Two policemen were sent to this house – which is in Northgate Street, and in which rooms are occupied by a family named Douglas – in the hope that they might be able to solve a mystery that has aroused considerable discussion.
Complaints had been made to the authorities of super-natural bangings on walls. While one officer stood in the entrance passage there was a loud thump on a partition behind his head, although the room behind was unoccupied. While interviewing Mrs Douglas, the other constable was struck on the face by a flying piece of coal, and when in the act of picking it up, was struck by a second piece.
The officers thoroughly examined the walls and even took up floor boards, but were unable to discover anything to account for the bangings. During the investigation the first constable was struck by a thimble, which flew from a dresser and rolled slowly down his leg.
The police left the house to the accompaniment of further bangings on the walls. Other weird occurrences, apart from flying articles, are stated to have been experienced, including that in which an old lady was mysteriously lifted from her chair and set on her feet.
The husband is an engine winder, employed at Chislet Colliery, near Canterbury.
This is of peculiar interest not only to those who are students of psychological phenomena, or believers in spirit manifestations, but to one who has lived long in our premier Cathedral City it repeats an oft told story so common as to excite little interest to those whohave dwelt there for any length of time. Canon Barham, Tom Ingoldby, was well acquainted with the ghostly traditions of Canterbury, and the surrounding district, and satirised them in his amusing lays and legends, “The Story of Nell Cook: a legend of the Dark Entry,” a now almost forgotten effort of his pen, is too rich not to be quoted in this place, and we must beg the editor’s indulgence to quote a few stanzas for the benefit of our readers: [not related to poltergeists at all].
Chichester Observer, 6th August 1930.