Union Hall – The Walworth Ghost.
On Saturday, Snow, the Constable of Newington, introduced an elderly man and his son into this Office, saying he understood that they had a singular application to prefer, the nature of which he did not exactly comprehend, but it was something connected with the rumour of a Ghost that was believed by the credulous to haunt some houses recently erected in Hampton-street, Walworth.
Robert Hedger, Esq., the Magistrate, before whom the applicants appeared, desired to know what gave rise to so ridiculous a story.
An elderly man now advanced to the Bench, and detailed the following particulars: – He had been a hard-working man, he said, and by great economy had acquired some property. Being desirous of investing his money securely, he purchased some land in Hampton-street, Walworth, upon which he erected several nice houses. Having procured some respectable tenants he had anticipated reaping a golden harvest from his speculation, but he was now apprehensive, that instead of its proving beneficial, it would be the reverse; and that too arising solely from the ill-nature of some persons to whom his houses were a fancied eye-sore. In order to render his tenants uncomfortable, and induce them to quit their habitations, a scheme of perpetual annoyance had been adopted. As soon as it was dark, missiles, such as small pieces of rubbish, were thrown at the windows and doors of the houses, and the inmates had in vain endeavoured to discover the individuals who thus disturbed them. Complaints were nightly made of this description, and the windows had been broken over and over again.
He and his son had kept nightly watch; they heard the stones and other things pass over their heads, but could not learn who threw them; as there were several houses close by, and some high walls, no doubt some person was secreted there for the mischievous purpose. So long a watch having been kept without discovering the author of the annoyance, an idle rumour now prevailed, that the whole work was accomplished by supernatural agency, and many superstitious people were inclined to give credence to the ridiculous representation.
Snow here placed before the Magistrate a basket full of stones, and a pair of old shoes, which, he said, had all been thrown at th ehouses in question. The Magistrate now enquired what the owner of the houses wished to be done? “I am anxious,” replied the applicant, “to have a summons against a young woman who lives near my dwellings, whom I strongly suspect to be concerned in the transaction.”
“What are your grounds of suspicion,” asked the Magistrate? “These shoes,” replied he, “which were found thrown at the door by my son a night or two back, exactly correspond with those which she wore, when asked to compare them.” Snow, now observed, that the morning after the shoes were found, he went and questioned the young woman, and on comparing the shoes with those she then had on, they corresponded in size and shape. But her mistress declared that she was never from her presence on the evening that the shoes were cast at the house, so that it was impossible to bring home the charge to her servant.
The applicant pressed very much for a summons against this young woman, but the Magistrate would not grant one. His worship, however, advised him to be vigilant, and he would soon discover the author of the mischief. Snow now remarked, that he had often apprehended people suspected of theft, but never any one reputed to be endowed with supernatural powers. If he once seized the ghost, he added, it would not easily vanish from his sight. The old man and his son then retired.
Morning Advertiser, 28th November 1825.
The Walworth Ghost.
During the last month the idle story of a ghost appearing almost nightly at a house in Hanover-street, Walworth, obtained circulation, and, with the superstitious, credit. It seems that some houses in the street have been recently erected and occupied; at the one in question lives a Mr Grinsell, whose family has been almost nightly disturbed, at the “witching hour of night,” by noises proceeding from missiles, such as stones, pieces of brick, &c. being thrown at the windows and doors.
In order to detect, if possible, the party guilty of this wanton sport, men have regularly been stationed on the premises; but although the windows were frequently broken, and the doors knocked at, no discovery was made by whom these things were done, until Saturday night – when Ann Page – not in the slightest degree resembling the sweet Anne Page of our immortal Bard, either in feature, or, it would seem, in disposition, – the servant of Mr Grinsell, was detected in throwing a hot coal through the window, into the parlour, in which were assembled a small party of friends.
On being accused of having so long annoyed her master and family, she uttered not a syllable in justification of her conduct, but inflicted a severe blow on her own face, and in short, committed such acts of violence, that it became necessary to restrain her. She was, however, quite calm when brought before R.J. Chambers, Esq. yesterday, who fined her 5l. under the Wilful Damage Act, and in default of payment, committed her to Brixton for one month.
The prosecutor represented that he had paid for watching and injury done to his premises not less than 10l.
Star (London), 13th December 1825.
The Newington Ghost.
For some time past the neighbourhood of Hanover-square, Newington, has been thrown into considerable alarm and agitation, in consequence of the nocturnal visits of what was generally believed to be a ghost. The time selected for the supposed sprite for playing his pranks was usuall between the hours of eight and eleven o’clock at night, during which time huge stones, brickbats, lumps of coal, old shoes, and various other missiles, were thrown in abundance through the windows, to the imminent danger of those within the houses.
Although considerable expense had been incurred by many persons residing in the street, in paying men to watch out and discover the manner in which the damage was committed, yet all endeavours were unsuccessful until Sunday last, when a Mr Grinsell, who lives in No. 21, in the street reported to be haunted, very fortunately for the landlord of his house, and the tranquility of the neighbourhood, discovered the ghost in the person of his own servant girl, Ann Page.
Before the Magistrates at Union-hall, on Monday, he gave the following account of the manner in which he had detected the author of the agitation that had existed of late in the neighbourhood.
He was sitting at tea on Sunday night with a few friends, when just as the clock struck seven, a lump of coal came rattling through one of the panes of glass, which fell close to him: he instantly took it up, but was obliged to drop it again on account of its being nearly red hot. This circumstance at once convinced him that the suspected ghost dwelt near the spot, and he, without loss of time, ran into the street, and was there informed that the person who had broken the window ran down the area steps, and vanished into the kitchen.
He immediately proceeded down, and saw his servant girl, who manifested considerable agitation. He threatened her on the subject, when after some hesitation, she acknowledged that she was the person that had been mistaken for a ghost. When placed at the bar she did not betray the slightest symptom of fear. She is rather a pretty looking girl, and when asked what could have induced her to break the windows of the inhabitants, she made no answer, and affected sullenness.
The pair of shoes which had smashed a pane of glass in one of the neighbour’s houses, upon being tried on her feet, exactly fitted them. The Magistrate having ascertained the damage committed by the defendant to amount to 5l. inflicted a penalty to that amount upon her: in default of payment she was committed for one month to prison.
Oxford University and City Herald, 17th December 1825.
Union Hall.
A Ghost.
For some time past the sober denizens of Hanover-street have been alarmed by the report of the visitations of a ghost: this spirit was also not of the most pacific nature, although rather more early in its attendance than is usual with disembodied spirits; between the hours of eight and eleven at night, brick bats, stones, old-shoes, &c. rattled through the windows of the houses. To watch was useless, as a proprietor of several houses declared; for during the time he was on the spot, the ghost was perfectly harmless, but when he left the spot, the stones &c. were again flung at the windows, and the same havoc created.
On Sunday night, however, the ghost was discovered. A Mr Grinsett, who lives at 21, Hanover street, was sitting at tea on Sunday night, when just as the clock struck seven, a lump of coal came rattling through one of the squares of glass, and fell close to him; he instantly took it up, but was obliged to drop it again on account of its being very hot.
This circumstance at once convinced him that the suspected ghost dwelt near the spot, and he, without loss of time, ran into the street, and was there informed that the person who had broken his window ran down his area steps, and vanished into the kitchen. He proceeded there, and saw his servant girl, who manifested considerable agitation. He questioned her on the subject, when after some hesitation, she acknowledged that she was the person that had been mistaken for a ghost.
When placed at the bar, she did not betray the slightest symptom of fear. She is rather a pretty-looking girl; and when asked what could have induced her to break the windows of the inhabitants, she made no answer, and affected sullenness. The pair of shoes which had smashed a pane of glass, in one of the neighbours’ houses, upon being tried on her feet, exactly fitted them. The Magistrate having ascertained the damage committed by the defendant to amount to 5l. inflicted a penalty to that amount upon her, in default of payment of which she was committed for one month to Brixton.
Johnson’s Sunday Monitor, 18th December 1825.