Preston Chronicle, Saturday 20th November 1852.
“Rappings” in England.
Strange noises are heard every night in an old building at Blackley, a village near Manchester. William Whitehead, a clogger, who has resided there for the last ten months, states that he first heard the “ghost” about six weeks ago, when it made noises like the cackling of a hen, or the moaning whistle on a railway; and when any of the family stood upon a certain flag in the back room it screamed like a child. Whitehead removed the flag, and, after digging a hole several feet deep, found a cream-jug filled with lime and bones. A village conference was assembled, and several declared that the bones were those of a human being, and that at some period a person had been murdered, and, of course, buried in a cream-jug. Numbers are attracted to the place and to the adjoining beer-houses.
The noises at Hull have ceased, – at one and the same time that the occupants of the house moved therefrom.
Morning Advertiser, Wednesday 10th November 1852.
Superstition at Blackley.
[From the Manchester Courier.]
The peaceable and well disposed inhabitants of the pleasant village of Blackley have been thrown into a state of considerable excitement by the alleged reappearance of a ghost, or boggart. The house where this unearthly visitor has chosen to take up its winter’s residence, is a very old building, adjoining the White Lion public-house, occupied by a person named William Whitehead, a clogger, who has resided there for the last ten months. He states that he first heard the “boggart” about six weeks ago, when it made noises like the cackling of a hen, or the moaning of a whistle on a railway; and when any of the family stood upon a certain flag in the back room, it screamed like a child.
Whitehead removed the flag, and after digging a hole several feet deep, found a cream-jug, filled with lime and bones. A village conference was sassembled, and several declared that the bones were those of a human being, and that, at some period, a person had been murdered, and, of course, buried in a cream-jug. The “boggart” is heard every night in the week, and occasionally during the day. The ancients of the place declare it is “Old Shaw’s wife,” a woman formerly resident in the Old Hall, which stood near to the haunted building; others say its appearance is consequent upon the wickedness of some of the neighbours.
On Saturday evening it made a greater noise than usual, and on Sunday Whitehead was digging nearly all day in search of the supposed spirit. The cellar steps were removed, and a very large hole, nearly sixteen feet long, four feet wide, and about five feet deep, was excavated, of course without success. We advise him next to set a trap; he may catch something. The family state that a few days ago the kettle (full of boiling water) was removed from the fire to the middle of the house floor.
An astrologer from Manchester, with his magic books and glasses, has visited the house, and parties looked through the latter to see if they could learn from whence came the spirit. An old man named George Horrox, who once resided in the dwelling, declares that on two occasions he saw the ghost in the shape of a young woman, and it occasionally made noises like the rumbling of stones. Several others gave similar accounts, and they do not hesitate to say the house has been haunted for the last 85 years.
The man who resides in the building shows no symptoms of fear; on the contrary, he declares he will find out what the annoyance proceeds from before he gives in; but it is in vain to tell many of the old people that it is anything but a boggart or ghost, and many families have left on that account.
It is rather astonishing to see so many people in the nineteenth century running to visit a haunted dwelling; but numbers are attracted to the place, and the publicans and beersellers will no doubt reap a rich harvest from the boggart hunters. The police officer, who resides only a few yards distant, and is professionally a sceptic in all matters relating to supernatural appearances, seems likely to have his duties increased by this troublesome spirit.