Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents, and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Legends -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Miscellanea
"Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 6th May, 1876."
This provoked another letter from a fresh correspondent:--"SIR,--I was
in York when the letters appeared in the _Chronicle_ and the _Journal_
about the ghost in Holy Trinity Church. A lady, a member of the
congregation, who has frequently seen the ghost, gave me the following
simple explanation. Opposite the window there is a cottage, in one of
the windows of which there is a swing pane of glass. The tenant of the
cottage can cause the ghost to appear and disappear at pleasure by
simply opening and shutting it, thus causing reflected sunlight to fall
on the church window:--I am, &c.,
"J. L.
"May 9th, 1876."
Another correspondent rushed into print:--"SIR,--though I am not one of
those who can boast of having seen the York ghost, yet even to me the
explanation published in today's _Journal_, in a letter signed 'J. L.,'
seems utterly inadequate to explain the matter. The fact of a swing
window opening and shutting might throw sunlight upon the church window,
but it is perfectly clear that in such a case the reflection would not
be confined perpetually to the same identical part of the window, the
angles caused by the sun and the swing window being of course varied,
according to the time of day. It strikes me that by those means the
figures could not be reversed on their return as is always the case,
according to the story. Again, the apparition is often seen in dull
weather, when no sunbeam could be reflected. If the light were actually
turned on to the stained glass, the congregation seated in the body of
the church would be able to see it as well as those in the gallery, but
they do not. I should like to see the matter explained. Yet a reason
such as 'J. L.' gives for it is altogether unsatisfactory, and may be
taken for what it is worth, which is not much, considering the evidence
against him, and the fact that his information is only second-hand.--I
am, &c.,
"R. H. H.
"Newcastle-on-Tyne."
VI
"M---- Rectory, York, "_Aug. 11th, 1875_.
"DEAR SIR,--Having had the pleasure of reading your interesting
book 'Yorkshire Oddities,' I recognised an old acquaintance in the
'Trinity Ghost.' Happening to have found out an apparent
explanation of the ghost, I thought you would be interested in
hearing what I know about it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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