The Wadebridge Ghost.
For some time past a tale has been current among the superstitious of Wadebridge and neighbourhood, that a house situated in Trenant Gurt, in the parish of Egloshayle, is haunted by night. The house is occupied by an old woman and her son, who has lately come home from sea. The report is that at different hours during the night a constant rapping is heard on the floor of the bedroom, commencing very low at first, but increasing until it resembles the blows of a sledge-hammer on the floor, the noise being so great that it causes the inmates to leave the house and seek refuge in that of a neighbour.
This having occurred several times, on Friday night last some men remained in the house in order, if possible, to obtain a little light on the cause of the noise; so having summoned up all their courage, they seated themselves downstairs to await the arrival of the ghost. Shortly after midnight the rapping commenced just over the heads of the watchers, and one of them tapped on the ceiling with a stick in answer to the unusual sound, when the invisible one rapped with such vigour as to make the house shake. This was quite enough for the brave watchers, who speedily decamped, leaving the ghost in full possession of the premises.
On this becoming known the following day, it caused some excitement in the neighbourhood, and it was decided to hold a meeting or congress in the house that night, and endeavour to solve the mystery. Accordingly, about 11 o’clock on Saturday last, upwards of a hundred people had assembled, including men, women, and children, and several of the most courageous, who had apparently been endeavouring to steady their nerves by indulging in alcoholic beverages, were admitted inside, while the rest surrounded the house with a determination that there should be no escape for the disturbed.
During the night repeated remarks might be overheard, in a whispered tone, such as “There it is,” “I can hear it,” “So can I,” “O, I dare say there is something in it,” and the absurd opinions of some old women that were present were amusing in the extreme.
After remaining there until the small hours of Sunday morning made their appearance, the crowd outside the house gradually dispersed, leaving the inside watchers in the land of dreams under the influence of their Saturday night’s potations, and thus ended the Wadebridge ghost congress.
West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 6th March 1873.
[As above … no escape for the disturbed…]
The inside witchers, however, went to sleep, and the outside ones got so cold that, in the exercise of a wise discretion, they soon made the best of their way home, and so the mystery remains unsolved.
Royal Cornwall Gazette, 8th March 1873.