A Ghost.
The inhabitants of Kennington Cross have, within these few days back, been much alarmed by the report of a Ghost haunting a house occupied by a Widow Lady, of the name of Robbins, at 7, Prince’s-place. The adjoining house was reported to be haunted for some years, and has been shut up, but has been lately tenanted, since which time the Ghost has changed its quarters.
Mrs Robbins, Mr Lorimer, who occupies the first floor, and Mrs Brown, a laundress, who does their washing, all agree with respect to the house being haunted, and each tells wonderful stories of the different tricks played by the Ghost: such as ringing the bells, throwing the sashes of the windows wide open, throwing the china and glass about, and breaking them. They affirm that the plates, and knives and forks have rose off the table in their presence, and flown in their faces.
Several Gentlemen in the neighbourhood, who were hard of belief, went to remain some time in the house with the inmates, and have been much alarmed at the rattling of the chairs and tables, their hats taken off their heads by an invisible hand, and thrown in their faces.
The street before the house, which is within 100 yards of Kennington Cross, is hourly crowded with persons attracted to the spot from the report: the parish officers and beadle have been obliged to attend there these three days and nights. Mr Lorimer, who is a Catholic Gentleman, had two Catholic Clergymen there on Tuesday for the purpose of laying the Ghost. We made it our business to make strict inquiry on the spot into the truth of the above before we reported it to the public; and from what are able to learn, although incredulous, it may be depended upon to be correct, as far as the report goes in the neighbourhood, and from the statement of an eye-witness, Mrs Brown, the washerwoman.
Morning Post, 29th October 1818.
Ghost at Kennington.
We, the undersigned, have been frequently on the premises occupied by Mrs Robbins and Mr Lorimer, at Princes-place, and have caused the family to go out of the house, and have remained in it for several hours, when none of the occurrences mentioned in your statement occurred.
We are convinced that the things narrated to be moved about the house were thrown by the very individuals who have been most industrious in propagating the tale, and who had made their entrance into the home through the kitchen window, to practise the trick, and avoid detection, and would not appear when required to attend an examination on Tuesday evening.
(Signed) Thomas Foy, C. Jefferies, J. Nash, James Tibby. Officers, Marlborough-street and Brewer-street. Oct. 29, 1818.
Morning Post, 30th October 1818.
Ghost At Kennington.
Yesterday a young woman, of extremely decent appearance, applied to the Magistrates, and stated that her name was Brown. She held a newspaper in her hand, and directed the attention of the Magistrate to a paragraph, headed by the title of “The Ghost at Kennington,” which puported to be a statement of a variety of circumstances which had recently taken place at Kennington, and was signed by Thomas Foy and Charles Jefferies, officers of the Public Office, Marlborough-street, and two other persons.
That part of the statement, which it was her wish should be particularly noticed by the Magistrates was to the following effect: – “We are convinced that the things narrated to be moved about the house were thrown by Mrs Brown, the Laundress, and the servant. Mrs Brown had made entrance into the house through the kitchen window to practise the trick, and avoid detection, and would not appear when required to attend an examination on Tuesday evening.”
Mrs Brown then proceeded to inform the Magistrates, that the whole statement was a gross calumny, which had operated to the ruin of herself and family. Her occupation was that of a laundress, and she had in that capacity been employed by Mrs Robbins and Mr Lorimer, inhabitants of the alleged haunted house. During the time that the officers were in the house, for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of the strange noises and motions complained of, her husband attended with other persons, and, at the same period, she went thither, for the purpose of delivering some clean linen to Mr Lorimer, and to desire that her husband would come home, there being no necessity for his continuance in the house.
The servant girl informed her of the officers being in the house, and at the same time intimated that they would object to her admission. She then effected an entrance through the kitchen window. This had been construed by the officers as a clandestine entry, for the purpose of carrying on a trick. After delivering the linen to Mr Lorimer, she went out with her husband at the street door, in the sight of the officers. She had never, in any way whatever, refused to attend an examination, as stated; nor, indeed, had she ever been required to attend one, or been informed that an investigation of any description was in contemplation. She should most cheerfully have given her attendance had the circumstance been within her knowledge; for no person was more desirous than herself for an explanation of what appeared to be an inexplicable affair. She was perfectly unacquainted with the causes of the strange noises which had been heard, and of the extraordinary motions that had been perceived in the house in Princes-street, but she had experienced a serious injury by the publication of the statement of which she complained. Many of her customers refused to employ her any longer, considering that she was an improper character, and she had been stigmatized in the neighbourhood as the inventer of an extraordinary trick, for the purpose of carrying some sinister object into effect.
The Magistrate informed the complainant that it was not in the line of his duty, nor was it within his power to afford her any sort of relief for the injury which she stated she had sustained. If her character had been slandered, and she by such slander had sustained an injury in her circumstances, the law provided a remedy. She must apply to a higher tribunal.
The applicant withdrew, apparently much distressed and disappointed.
Morning Advertiser, 3rd November 1818.