Spooks at Barrow.
Weird noises and vanishing bedclothes.
Newly-married couple’s experiences.
The supposed discovery of a haunted house has created considerable excitement at Barrow. The rumour has arisen in connection with a certain house in the centre of the town in one of the streets running between Rawlinson and School streets. It has been unoccupied repeatedly during the last three months, although there is a scarcity of houses in Barrow, and particularly in this part, which is very convenient for men employed at the shipyard. It is said that several of the tenants who lived in the house a few days heard strange noises, which they could not understand, and which led them to believe that there was something very uncanny. They quickly found fresh quarters.
The story goes that the last tenants were a newly-married couple, and the reception said to have greeted them is one which they never expected, nor one which was calculated to make their early married life as happy as it should have been. The young couple were soon informed by the neighbours that they would not stay long in the house, and having heard noises during the night, they became alarmed. They, however, tried to brave the situation out, and got two lodgers to live with them, so as to afford some sort of protection.
The lodgers were allotted a top room in which to sleep, and their repose does not seem to have been peaceful, for they heard noises during the night, something like wood-chopping, and on the following night the bedclothes would not remain on the bed. A light was obtained, and a thorough search was made for the causes of this extraordinary experience, but the searchers were unsuccessful.
Then they placed the bed close to the wall and fastened the bedclothes against the wall, but even then they could not sleep, and the bedclothes began to move again, and the lid of a box in the room began to lift up and close down again. A second search was made, but with no success.
The lodgers complained to their landlady, and left the house, and soon afterwards the newly wedded couple found fresh quarters, where, it is reported, they are more happily circumstanced.
The cause of all this trouble remains a mystery. It is no use talking to the people of the neighbourhood about every result having a cause. They have made up their minds that the house is haunted, and nothing will disturb this belief. The house is now empty, and if the fears o f the neighbours have any influence on possible tenants, it will probably remain unoccupied for some time.
Shipley Times and Express, 11th January 1907.
A Haunted House.
A remarkable story of a haunted house in the centre of Barrow is causing a little interest in the shipbuilding borough. It is stated that the house is in a street adjoining one of the main arteries, and it has repeatedly been unoccupied in the last three months owing to a series of unusual incidents.
A newly-married couple were the last tenants, and to the surprise of the young wife she was told by a neigbour that she would not stay long in the house because it was haunted. Strangely enough, noises were heard at nights in all parts of the house, and it was decided to take in a couple of lodgers for the sake of company.
The lodgers slept in a top room, and on their first night in new quarters they could hear noise similar to wood chopping. The next night their bed clothes would not keep still, and though a candle was lighted there was no trace of a ghost. Following this the bed was placed close to the wall and the clothes fastened down, and when all seemed quiet the lid of a large box in the room began to flap up and down. Another search for the intruder was unavailing, and yet in the darkness the strange noises continued.
The result is that the haunted house is again unoccupied, and the experiences of new tenants will provide interesting gossip for the womenfolk of the neighbourhood.
Lurgan Times, 12th January 1907.
Strange story of a haunted house.
A remarkable case of an alleged haunted house in Barrow, which no one has taken seriously, has had a strange development. It is reported that the house has been left by several tenants owing to peculiar noises stated to have been made at night, and a newly married couple alleged that two lodgers they had could not keep their bed clothes on the bed, and that they heard a box in the bedroom opening and shutting.
Yesterday several youngsters and others of more mature age attacked an empty house in Harrison-street, thinking that it was the one said to be haunted. They broke the windows with stones and other missiles and damaged the door. This, however, is not the alleged haunted house at all, and the owner of the latter is keeping its locality quiet with a view to the protection of his property. The police have now the matter in hand, and a strict watch is being kept over the property in the neighbourhood where the house supposed to be haunted is situated.
London Evening Standard, 11th January 1907.
Frolicsome Ghost.
Prevents sleep by purloining bedclothes.
Much excitement has been caused in Barrow owing to the supposed discovery of a haunted house. The house is in the centre of the town, and has been unoccupied repeatedly during the last three months, although there is a scarcity of houses in Barrow, and particularly in this part. It is said that several of the tenants who lived in the house a few days heard strange noises, which they could not understand, and which led them to believe that there was something very uncanny. They quickly found fresh quarters.
The last tenants were a newly-married couple, and the reception said to have greeted them is one which they never expected, nor one which was calculated to make their early married life as happy as it should have been. The young couple were soon informed by the neighbours that they would not stay long in the house, and having heard noises during the night, they became alarmed.
They, however, tried to brave the situation out, and got two lodgers to live with them, so as to afford some sort of protection. The lodgers were allotted a top room in which to sleep, and their repose does not seem to have been peaceful, for they heard noises during the night, something like wood-chopping, and on the following night the bedclothes would not remain on the bed.
A light was obtained, and a thorough search was made for the cause of this extraordinary experience, but the searchers were unsuccessful. Then they placed the bed close to the wall and fastened the bedclothes against the wall, but even then the bedclothes began to move again, and the lid of a box in the room began to lift up and close down again. A second search was made, but with no success.
The lodgers complained to their landlady, and left the house, and soon afterwards the newly wedded couple found fresh quarters where, it is reported, they are more happily circumstanced. The cause of all this trouble remains a mystery.
Empire News and the Umpire, 13th January 1907.