The Every-day Book and Table Book, v. 1 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the AlmanacHone, William
History
The Every-day Book and Table Book, v. 1 (of 3): or Everlasting Calendar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac
Hone, William
Days; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
Mr. Pain then desired Mrs. Golding to send her maid for his wife to come
to them, and when she was gone all was quiet; upon her return she was
immediately discharged, and no disturbances happened afterwards; this
was between six and seven o’clock on Tuesday morning. At Mrs. Golding’s
were broken the quantity of three pails full of glass, china, &c. Mrs.
Pain’s filled two pails.
The accounts here related are in the words of the “narrative,” which
bears the attestation of the witnesses before mentioned. The affair is
still remembered by many persons: it is usually denominated the
“Stockwell Ghost,” and deemed inexplicable. It must be recollected,
however, that the mysterious movements were never made but when Ann
Robinson, Mrs. Golding’s maid-servant, was present, and that they wholly
ceased when she was dismissed. Though these two circumstances tend to
prove that this girl was the cause of the disturbances, scarcely any one
who lived at that time listened patiently to the presumption, or without
attributing the whole to witchcraft. One lady, whom the editor of the
_Every-Day Book_ conversed with several times on the subject, firmly
believed in the witchcraft, because she had been eye-witness to the
animation of the inanimate crockery and furniture, which she said could
not have been effected by human means--it was impossible. He derived,
however, a solution of these “impossibilities” from the late Mr. J.
B------, at his residence in Southampton-street, Camberwell, towards the
close of the year 1817. Mr. B------ said, all London was in an uproar
about the “Stockwell Ghost” for a long time, and it would have made more
noise than the “Cock-lane Ghost,” if it had lasted longer; but attention
to it gradually died away, and most people believed it was supernatural.
Mr. B------, in continuation, observed, that some years after it
happened, he became acquainted with this very Ann Robinson, without
knowing for a long time that she had been the servant-maid to Mrs.
Golding. He learned it by accident, and told her what he had heard. She
admitted it was true, and in due season, he says, he got all the story
out. She had fixed long horse hairs to some of the crockery, and put
wires under others; on pulling these, the “movables” of course fell.
Mrs. Golding was terribly frightened, and so were all who saw any thing
tumble. Ann Robinson herself, dexterously threw many of the things down,
which the persons present, when they turned round and saw them in motion
or broken, attributed to unseen agency. These spectators were all too
much alarmed by their own dread of infernal power to examine any thing.
They kept at an awful distance, and sometimes would not look at the
utensils, lest they might face fresh horrors; of these tempting
opportunities she availed herself. She put the eggs in motion, and after
one only fell down, threw the other at the cat. Their terrors at the
time, and their subsequent conversations magnified many of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account