GHOSTS THAT HAUNT THE SEASIDE

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3713, 5 October 1926, Page 2

GHOSTS THAT HAUNT THE SEASIDE

CHIMES FROM UNDER THE SEA An account of an alleged haunting in a watering-place in Essex appearing in the Press reminds one (writes Elliott O’Donnell, in the. ‘ Sunday Chronicle ’) that ghosts do not confine their walking to dark and gloomy nights in winter, but are in evidence also in the summer. It is surprising how many of them arc to be found at the seaside.

For example, there is the Old Mint House at Pevcnsey. The story is that about the year 1580 a well-to-do Londoner called Thomas Dight murdered there, under circumstances of the greatest atrocity, bis paramour and her clandestine lover, and was supposed to have buried the lady on the premises.

V T bere exactly is not known for certain. it is certain, however, that a little room in the building, next to what is styled the Oak Chamber, is haunted by the ghost of a young woman; and from her costume, which resembles that worn in the days of Queen Elizabeth, she is generally supposed to be ibe phantasm of the murdered mistress of Thomas Dight. BEAUTIFUL HUT HAD. Centuries ago a noble castle occupied the site of the present crumbling walls of Horry Pomeroy ruins, near Tot nos, in Devon, and residing in it was a young and very beautiful girl, daughter of the owner. Though her face was fair and childlike, her heart was cruel. When still in the heyday of youth she committed a peculiarly atrocious crime, after which she disappeared Years later a figure, said to bear a striking likeness to her. began to haunt the castle, and it is reported to have gone on haunting it ever since, hut only before a death or some other dire catastrophe. Among the numerous people stated from time to time to have seen Ibe apparition was Sir Walter Farqwhar, the famous physician. Ho was visiting a patient, the steward's wife, who lived in the preserved portion of the castle, one day, when a young and beautiful lady entered the room and began the ascent of a staircase leading to an upper chamber.

When she reached the highest stair the light from a window threw her features into strong relief, and, to quote his own words, “ if ever a human face exhibited agony and remorse, if ever features betrayed that within the wearer’s bosom there dwelt a bell, those features rml that being were then present to me.” A FEAR REALISED. On the following morning lie mentioned the incident to the'steward. To his surprise a look of terror at once came over the steward’s face. Sir Walter naturally asked what was the matter, whereupon the stew, ard informed him that the figure he had seen going up the staircase was no living being at all, but the phantasm of the wicked lady who once lived in the castle, and that she never put in appearance excepting before the death of someone either dwelling on the premises or closely associated with the owner of the place.

That very day, at noon, the steward’s wife had a sudden relapse and died. BLACKPOOL’S GHOST. Blackpool has several haunting, though none more remarkable than the one popularly ascribed to the sea. According to tradition, the church and cemetery of Kilmigrol once stood about two miles from the shore, and wore one day submerged. Ever since then, on certain nights in the year, even in .stormy weather, a ghostly chime of bells may be heard ringing far under the waves. 1 have met people in Blackpool who assure me they have actually heard them.

A similar Jiannting is stated to take place off Whitby. According to local tradition, the bells of Whitby Abbey were sold when the Abbey was suppressed in 1-099. They were put on. board a ship to bo conveyed to Loudon, but as soon as the vessel conveying them weighed anchor and tried to leave the bay she sank, and the bells found a home on the sea bottom. And ever since then at certain times, as in the case of Blackpool, “ bells no human lingers touch ring their hidden chimes.” I am told there is a house near the Blackpool Winter Gardens which is periodically haunted by the phantasm ol a girl in blue. All blue—blue hat, bodice, skirt, and eyes. She is encountered on the staircase leading from the hull to the first landing, and looks so much like a real person that those who see her invariably take her for one, and it is only on learning afterwards that there is »<» such live individual in the house that they realise she is a ghost. The house is not known to have any particular history, and the cause of the Jiannting is a baffling mystery.

THE MALITHE DOG. Reel Castle, in the Isle of Man, is very singularly haunted, the phantasm most often reported to appear there being in the form of a shaggy spaniel. It is known as tho Mauthp Dog. One night during the time the castle contained a. garrison one of the soldiers, in a fit of drunken bravado, said he would go alone along tho worst haunted passage in I lie place and dare the ghost to frighten him. His friends tried to prevent him, but all in vain, and swaggering off with much profane talk, the soldier set out on ins adventure.

Some time later his comrades, who were silting round tho fire in tire guardroom waiting, heard a terrible noise in the passage, and presently 1 lie reckless one came staggering back, speechless with terror. When at length he' could speak he was understood to say he had seen the Man the Dog, and that its eyes were so ifNwdlnl it could only have conn' from Hell. The shock he experienced was so had that he never recovered, and eventually died. Rumor declares that at intervals the ghost dog is still to he seen in the ruins, as is also a. phantom hi the form ol a, mail-clad figure.

MYSTERY .MUSIC. Tho Croon Rridgo eave, near the little town of Pondine, in Carmarthensliirc. wml within easy driving distance <>l Tenby, is haunted by sweet and plaintive mnsie. Many years ago an old fiddler is stilted to havo entered the cave one day with a candle, presumably lighted. Mo was never seen again. Search was made for him, hut neither living nor dead was ho discovered, and •soon afterwards tho cave gained the

reputation for being haunted. It lias kept it over since. Those passing close to it on certain nights in the year hear the sound of someone fiddling proceeding from its depths and sometimes see an eerie blue light, but nothing more. There is a curious kind of haunting in a house at the old pier end of Wes-ton-super-Mare. On certain nights in the room known as the haunted chamber a very beautiful hand, obviously that of a woman, with tapering fingers and long almond-shaped nails, is seen protruding from the wall. it vanishes the moment anyone speaks or approaches it.

THE OPENING DOOR. In Ramsgate a door in a. room in a (louse close to the High street is stated never to remain shut on one night in the year. No matter if it is locked and all manner of things placed against it, as sure as anything it is found open in the morning. A __suicide under rather unusually grim circumstances is believed to have taken place in the room about sixty or seventy•years ago, hence, as is supposed, the haunting. At Brighton the ghostly happenings are in a house almost within sight oi Brunswick square. They are invariably in the form of whistling on the staircase. The whistling sometimes ascends, as if the whistler were walking up, descends to the hall, or is stationary, but nothing is ever seen.