More Weird Stories
Of the Eccleshall Ghost.
Extraordinary stories continue to be told concerning the mysterious and ghostly happenings at a house at Eccleshall, an old-world country town in Staffordshire. For weeks past the occupants of the house have been amazed at inexplicable occurrences, the crockery and coal in the house seeming bewitched.
According to the Daily Telegraph, coal placed in the firegrate persists in leaping out in the full view of the residents and smashing windows at right angles to the fire. In less than a week after the weird visitation began every window downstairs was broken, and as fast as new windows were put in they got broken again. The firegrate was taken out and the chimney swept, but to no purpose. The coal, however, burns excellently when put on fires in other people’s houses.
A minister who visited the house was greatly startled at the antics of the coal, and took a hasty departure. Another sceptic visited the house and pooh-poohing the whole affair, went at once and stood with his back to the fire. Immediately a piece of coal leaped out and hit his hat.
The spook on one occasion played pranks with the crockery cupboard, smashing all the earthenware it contained, yet, when the cupboard was opened, no explanation whatever was forthcoming.
The extraordinary affair has created widespread interest.
Dundee Evening Telegraph, 16th March 1909.
A lively sport.
More extraordinary tricks.
Startling tea-table prank.
Enormous interest is still being manifested in Staffordshire in the ghostly occurrences at a house at Copmere, a little village three miles from Eccleshall, which were reported in our columns some days ago. The house is an ordinary country dwelling, standing close to a big pool and not far from the roadway. For months, it is said, the occurrences have been repeated almost daily, and a report is being circulated of a typical incident on Saturday.
The mistress of the house and a girl of fourteen who has been keeping her company were about to sit down to tea when “something came from somewhere” and smashed both their cups and saucers into pieces. At the same time – so the girl has told a journalist – a chair in the room spun round on one leg. The two cried for assistance, but when the neighbours came in nothing could be found to account for the affair. Almost all the windows in the lower rooms of the house have been broken by pieces of coal, apparently thrown from the fire-grate, which has been taken down and rebuilt without any diminution in the frequency of the occurrences. As fast also as new windows are put in they are broken, and the tenant has now given up replacing them in despair.
It is pointed out as a singular feature of the case that the windows are all in such a position that it is practically impossible for coal projected from the fire-grate to hit them without first rebounding from some obstacle. China has also been broken and furniture damaged, and the occupants of the house have been hit by missiles.
While a newspaper representative was in the house a gentleman entered who stated that recently on two occasions on which he had been called he had been violently struck in the back by lumps of coal and although he had turned sharply he had not been able to find an explanation.
The tenant is away from home during the day, and his wife is so unnerved by the occurrences that neighbours, out of sympathy, are now generally in the house with her. But despite this another window was smashed two days ago. Meanwhile the house is a Mecca for the curious, parties in motor-cars and horse carriages and on cycles visiting it from many miles around.
Northern Daily Telegraph, 18th March 1909.
A few extra details from an article in the London Daily News, 18th March 1909.
A Village Mystery.
Weird occurrences in “haunted” house.
(From our own correspondent.)
Hanley, Wednesday night.
Extraordinary interest is manifested in the country district surrounding the town of Eccleshall, Staffordshire, in mysterious occurrences at a house at Copmere, a little village some three miles distant from Eccleshall.
The village is very inaccessible, being miles removed from a railway station, and the scene of the mysterious visitations is a house which for forty years has been owned and occupied by Mr. Richard Jones and his wife – an ordinary country dwelling standing close to a big pool and not far from a road.
For a month past uncanny occurrences are reported to have been repeated almost daily, the last being on Saturday. When Mrs Jones and a fourteen-year-old girl who has been living with her since the perplexing affair again were just about to sit down to tea […]
Bewitched House.
The pranks of a spook with a poor sense of humour.
Many curious people, attracted by a story of ghostly occurrences, are visiting Copmere, a lonely Staffordshire village near Eccleshall. It is solemnly stated that an elderly lady, the wife of an old and respected inhabitant, was about to sit down to tea with a little girl when “something came from somewhere” and smashed the cups and saucers. At the same time – so the girl told a Press representative – a chair in the room started spinning round like a dancing Dervish on one of its wooden legs. Cries for assistance were raised, and the neighbours rushed in, but they could find nobody who had played this prank.
Almost all the windows in the lower rooms have been broken by pieces of animated coal which, under the influence of some unknown force, leap from the fire. As fast as new windows are put in they are broken. Moreover, the pieces of coal have hit people. A gentleman states that he has been struck in the back by lumps of the coal whilst he has been in the house. Each time he turned sharply round, and could see nothing to account for the annoying business; but probably an invisible spook was grinning up the flowing sleeve of its shroud. The house in Cock-lane was a far more comfortable place to live in.
Cornubian and Redruth Times, 25th March 1909.