staticgirl
Abominable Snowman
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2003
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I have come across an account of two haunted houses in Halton Holgate, near Wainfleet, in Lincolnshire whilst idly googling for historical Lincolnshire related content. The book itself is a travelogue describing a tour of Lincolnshire and was published in 1898. The writer was desperate to include a haunted house in his itinerary. First he describes the articles that appears in 'The Standard' (which appears to be a nationally available paper which he buys in London and Boston) and then visits the house himself. It is quite long so I have just clipped some excerpts and then the link to the ebook which is available in the Project Gutenberg website.
The first account appears to be a local 'Big House':
And the second account, a farm:
The travelogue writer makes enquiries and was told the bones were either 'dug up from the churchyard to infill the foundations' or 'a pig'. He also encounters Lincolnshire reticence and vagueness about distances. On first seeing the farm-house he remarks "we had expected to find an old-fashioned and perhaps picturesque farmstead, weathered and gray, with casement windows and ivy-clad walls. Nothing could well have been farther from our ideal of a haunted dwelling than what we beheld; no high-spirited or proper-minded ghost, we felt, would have anything to do with such a place, and presuming that he existed, he at once fell in our estimation—we despised him!" The farmhouse wife agrees to show them round but only once she's finished peeling the potatoes! She then describes what sounds like a poltergeist, the ghost of a little old man and the digging up of the bones. After the bones are uncovered the little old man does not reappear although the noises continue.
It's a vivid description and the author devotes quite an effort into describing everything even though he claims to be highly amused by the whole affair.
You can view the whole account at 'Over Fen and Wold' by John James Hissey, published 1989
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65900/65900-h/65900-h.htm#CHAPTER_XIV
I hope you enjoy reading about a good old fashioned haunting as much as me
The first account appears to be a local 'Big House':
Chapter XIV - "...after a haunted house this journey, but, nothing daunted, the following morning we set forth on the same errand, having heard that there was “a real haunted house” at Halton Holgate, a village situated about eight miles from Wainfleet. Haunted houses are strangely coming into note and repute again; I really thought their day was over for ever, but it seems not so....
...In a long letter to the Standard that appeared therein on 22nd April 1896 under the heading of “A Haunted House,” the writer gravely laments his lot in having unwittingly taken a lease of a house from which he and his family were driven, solely on account of the ghostly manifestations that took place there! The letter, which I afterwards learnt was written in absolutely good faith and was no hoax, commences: “In the nineteenth century ghosts are obsolete, but they are costing me two hundred pounds a year. I have written to my lawyer, but am told by him that the English law does not recognise ghosts!” ..."
And the second account, a farm:
"...We came here on Lady-day. The first night or so we heard very strange noises about midnight, as though some one was knocking at the doors and walls. Once it seemed as though some one was moving all the things about in a hurry downstairs. Another time the noise was like a heavy picture falling from the wall; but in the morning I found everything as right as it was the night before. The servant man left, saying he dared not stop, and we had to get another. Then about six weeks ago, I saw ‘something.’ Before getting into bed, my husband having retired before me, I thought I would go downstairs and see if the cow was all right, as it was about to calve. I did so, and when at the foot of the stairs, just as I was about to go up again, I saw an old man standing at the top and looking at me. He was standing as though he was very round-shouldered. How I got past I cannot say, but as soon as I did so I darted into the bedroom and slammed the door. Then I went to get some water from the dressing-table, but ‘feeling’ that some one was behind me I turned round sharply, and there again stood the same old man. He quickly vanished, but I am quite certain I saw him. I have also seen him several times since, though not quite so distinctly.”
Mrs. Wilson conducted her interviewer to the sitting-room where the figure appeared. The floor in one corner was very uneven, and a day or two ago Mrs. Wilson took up the bricks, with the intention of relaying them. When she had taken them up she perceived a disagreeable smell. Her suspicions being aroused, she called her husband, and the two commenced a minute examination. With a stick three or four bones were soon turned over, together with a gold ring and several pieces of old black silk. All these had evidently been buried in quicklime, the bones and silk having obviously been burned therewith. The search after this was not further prosecuted, but a quantity of sand introduced and the floor levelled again. Dr. Gay, to whom the bones were submitted, stated that they were undoubtedly human, but he believed them to be nearly one hundred years old. ..."
The travelogue writer makes enquiries and was told the bones were either 'dug up from the churchyard to infill the foundations' or 'a pig'. He also encounters Lincolnshire reticence and vagueness about distances. On first seeing the farm-house he remarks "we had expected to find an old-fashioned and perhaps picturesque farmstead, weathered and gray, with casement windows and ivy-clad walls. Nothing could well have been farther from our ideal of a haunted dwelling than what we beheld; no high-spirited or proper-minded ghost, we felt, would have anything to do with such a place, and presuming that he existed, he at once fell in our estimation—we despised him!" The farmhouse wife agrees to show them round but only once she's finished peeling the potatoes! She then describes what sounds like a poltergeist, the ghost of a little old man and the digging up of the bones. After the bones are uncovered the little old man does not reappear although the noises continue.
It's a vivid description and the author devotes quite an effort into describing everything even though he claims to be highly amused by the whole affair.
You can view the whole account at 'Over Fen and Wold' by John James Hissey, published 1989
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65900/65900-h/65900-h.htm#CHAPTER_XIV
I hope you enjoy reading about a good old fashioned haunting as much as me