The Trowbridge Ghost.
[From the Bath Herald.]
A rustic correspondent has sent the following for insertion; and, as we have received information from another source that the main facts are true, we have been induced, for the amusement of our readers, to give it a place in its native orthography:-
“A Trew and Particler Account about the Trubbidge Gost.
“Mister Printer,
“As there ha been a main buslle made here about a Gost I’ll try and gi’ you a little account of it but as I be’ant much of a riter or speler you must meake sich olterashons as is propper because as how I beant a gramer skoller. Well to come to the story you must naw as how that every body said that there was amazing zights to be zeen and noises heard up at Samuel Angel’s house up by the Rose and Crown and as many volk had been up and Sam’ls Wife had told ’em aol the truth of the matter; I thaut as how I’d go and hear about it, because I do not like zecond hand stories, they be often like snow balls that git bigger the further they goes.
Zo as I was zaying after I came home from Shop on Windsey nite I went up and took a naybor wi’me and when I got up to the hous there was sich a swarm of volk in the rode of all zoris zum a cussing and telling’m to bring the Devil out that they mite zee’n and they used sich words as were shokkin to be heard in a Christian country.
It was a long time bevour we could git in, for Febey Angel (that his Samuel wife) had been so yriten’d in her own hous that she was gon to her next door naybor and there we went to ‘m, Samuel having been disturb’d zo many nites was fal’n asleep; we axt Febey to gi us a trew and perticler account aul about it and to tell no lies – and zo she said she wood and she began by zaying as how last Saturday nite was a week after she and her husband was got to bed as how they was awake bevour 11 o’clock w’ noises nocking hard against the pertition just by the zide o’ the bed, and skrotchen against the ed’s hed as if thare was sumthing that wanted to get em.
Well it till take up to mutch of yure peaper to tell you aal she zed but she zed that every nite it had followed ’em with the same to do and that aal the naybors round had been disturbed wi it. Won nite her husband was struck 7 times upon the head wen she was laying by him wi’ one child upon each arm and that the door at the bottom of the stairs was one nite slam’d so hard, that she thot it had been split to shivers.
Well she went on I spose for half an our, and she laid it down like a parson and she said that she had wondered and said to her husband “wat can it be, is it against we, or the huse.” So they agreed to try by sleeping in the hous ware we then were, and they vound it was against them for now there was a fresh rig and this was last Tuesday nite as ever was – for they had not been long a bed, bevour Samuel said to his wife “why I yeel my pillar move” and almost while a man could tell three it was pull’d away from under his head – he put it rite and it was moved again and again she said for 20 times.
They had a lite called for and people come to zee and there was 3 volk set upp and we were aal in hopes that they would have been able to ha’ gin some account about the trick vor aal the gentlevolk zed as they new it was a trick, however the mornign come and they ge’d a wonderful account of the tricks of the Ghost; one of the sitters up told mo wi’ his own mouth, that the noizes which was made was terrible.
And as for the pillar that was moved as quick as shot, and was aal in a work, and a work, and a work, like a head of barm in new beer – Well as I zed, I had a mind to go on Thursday, but my naybor didn’t coal vor me; but 2 or 3 of the Gentlemen set up, and they vound out the Gost in a crack o’time, and nocking and the skratchin aal cum from one Gost and it was this –
– It was Febey Angel (and I’ll be hang’d if I don’t think she’s a dark Angel, or a lim of the old won); the nocking was dun wi’ the heel of her shew, and the skratchin was wi’ her long vinger nails under the bolster against the bed’s hed – and the bolster was moved from under the head by her long strong arm; and when we came to ax them who had set up wether they had really zeed the pillar move, they zed – no – when the pillar moved they were call’d up to zee it and put it rite – lor what vools they must have been!
Won of the Gentlemen who found out the chete went up on Friday nite and there was ever so many volk, and zum who were a mind still to believe in the Gost, and zo he told ‘m as how he would if they liked to go up and perform aal the rigs of the noizes, and he did zo – and the volk who had heard it bevour aal zed as how it was just like it for aal the world, and they were shower that it was aal a humbug story aal together.
Now let us zing long live the King / And Febey long live she / And when the Gost do next appear / May I be there to zee. I am Zir Yr humble Sarvant, TIM TRUTH.
Sheffield Independent, 6th April 1822.