Weird Wales

Welsh UFO Sightings 1827

Welsh UFO sightings from 1827. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

PRESS
1827
Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire

The North Wales Chronicle (08/11/1827 - reprinted from the Cambrian, 03/11/1827) told the tale of a man who moved into the area and took on a house the locals believed to be haunted... It turned out that the inhabitants of an old rabbit warren were finding their way inside.

This story did the rounds fairly regularly. Here's a query in the August 15th 1873 edition of The Cambrian asking for more information on it:

QUERIES. TY-GWYN, LLANFYLLIN.—An old story has been revived in the local pages of Mr Rice's Oswestry Journal for this month, entitled The Montgomeryshire Ghost.' The story goes that once upon a time Mr Thomas, an excise supervisor, took a haunted house near Llan-fyllin, from which he derived much profit, the ghosts' turning out to be rabbits Can any of your contributors give the origin of this story ? I first read it five-and-twenty years ago, and it was by no means a new one then. Where is Ty-gwyn, the house in question ?

The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality of November 29th 1827 reported an interesting snippet in their 'Scraps, Local and General' section:

"Those places on fields and commons, of a circular form, vulgarly called the "rings of the fairies," are supposed to proceed from lightening, the second circle arising from the grass growing more plentifully where the first grass was burnt up."

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1897

Welsh UFO sightings from 1897. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

October 1897
Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff

Two weeks after the death of the Dean, Reverend Charles John Vaughan, an image of the man appeared on the stone west wall of the church, along with the initials DV. A now lost photograph was taken and determined genuine by contemporary photographic experts. Church authorities seemed less convinced; once the stain had dried out a notice board was placed over the spot where the image had formed.

Miracles, a parascientific inquiry into wondrous phenomena - D Scott Rogo

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1882

Welsh UFO sightings from 1882. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

PRESS
March 1882
Ruthin

A couple moved to a new house and were so spooked by the ghostly going-ons they quit their tenancy and moved back to their old address. The Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser of March 18th 1882 reported:

The latest ghost story is that a man and his wife were living at the east end of the town, and thought proper to remove to the west end. They did so, and were comfortably (?) settled, when a ghost appeared to them in a white apron and played some ghostly pranks, such as plucking the pipe jut of his mouth when smoking, and when they went to bed something pulled her hair, and in other ways dis- turbed their slumbers. One night of this treatment was sufficient, and the next morning the goods and chattels were marched back again to the old house, where, it is supposed, no ghostly visitants disturbed their dreams.

The North Wales Chronicle of the 18th said:

THE BORTHYN GHOST. A sensational story is told of a ghost at Borthyn. A married couple took an empty house there. During the first night of residence in the house, there was such an unearthly clatter up and down stairs that the new occupants of the dwelling were greatly alarmed. People say - how they became informed we do not pretend to relate - that the new tenants sat up in bed half the night afraid to venture further and discover the nature of the disturbance. In any case, such a ghostly experience was not to be repeated, and the parties quitted their tenancy on the following day.

The Denbighshire Free Press of the same day was less reserved in their retelling:

GHOST STORY. -In a neighbourhood not far from Borthyn, a real live ghost has been seen. Our readers affect to laugh at ghosts and hobgoblins, and assert that they could walk through a grave at midnight in defiance of ghosts of all kinds, and will, of course, sneer at the above statement, but its no laughing matter, as a couple of respectable residents in the above locality can prove.

They moved to a fresh house, but no sooner had they done so, they became aware that it was already tenanted by some strange ghostly personage, who frightened the mistress out of her senses, played all sorts of tricks with the master, even to pulling his nose and ?king his whiskers when the stillness of night came on. At last, things became so serious, that to avoid being carried away bodily. they packed up their bags, and in hot haste, left the dwelling to seek the quiet and peace of the old domielle; and for ever will be firm believers in ghosts and haunted houses.

Presumably it was this case referred to in a January 13th 1883 article from the North Wales Chronicle:

Ghastly subject to be facetious about, but really the recent Ruthin jawbone joke is altogether too good a thing to miss. It transpired something like the following: - A licensed victualler well-known in the borough went to Llanfair for a "constitutional," and happened to stroll into the churchyard. Walking about amongst the tombs, he perceived something which looked like a human jawbone, picked it up and took it to Ruthin, no doubt thinking it would be a curiosity to exhibit in the bar parlour as having some mysterious connection with the recent Llanfair ghost. There are some good practical jokers at Ruthin, and they clutched at this episode with a relish. A letter was concocted and posted to the landlord of the house in question, the following being the text of the epistle:—

The School House, Llanfair, D.C., January 3rd, 1883. Sir., —I understand that you were seen picking up in Llanfair Churchyard from the grave of the late Mr --, certain human remains, and as they turned out to lie the jawbone of tho grandfather of the present Miss of she has instructed me to tell yon that unless you restore the same either to the parish clerk or myself by to-morrow morning for proper and decent interment, she will order criminal proceedings to be taken against you for your unrighteous conduct. Yours truly, THOMAS THOMAS.

We should explain that Thomas Thomas is the police constable of the village. On receiving the above letter the landlord was in a great stew. He sealed up the jawbone in a neat package, posted off fleet as a hart to Llanfair, searched the whole village for the police constable, but in vain. He then returned to Ruthin in John Gilpin fashion, brought up Inspector Humphreys, and made urgent inquiries for P.C. Thomas, that officer, seldom, if ever, having been in such request. On eventually coming across that shrewd "arm of the law," our friend found that somebody had been playing a harmless, though somewhat provoking, joke. The Ruthin jawbone joke is the present "nine-days wonder" in certain circles.

PRESS
March 1882
Llanhamlach

Much excitement was caused in the area by reports of lights flitting about the graveyard. But it turned out to be the reflection of lights from a nearby house. The Tenby Observer of March 30th 1882 reported:

A BRECONSHIRE GHOST. Some little consternation has been caused in Brecon and its immediate neighbourhood by reports that at the small church of Llanhamlach, a short distance from Brecon, lights were to be observed flitting about the church during the evening. This report was strengthened by the emphatic declaration of some of the villagers of the neighbourhood, who strongly persisted that the lights were to be seen each evening at about seven o'clock, and continued for several hours, and this was verified by several whose business or other pursuits took them past the church at the time referred to, and the excitement created by this casual confirmation of the villagers' statement bids fair to make the place a second Llanthony.

This state of things continued for several days, until, on Monday evening, a party of young gentlemen, having become interested in the tale, went to Llanhamlach for the purpose of "seeing these supernatural lights," or else to explode the idea. They succeeded in doing the latter. Llanhamlach Church is situate some 100 yards or more from Peterstone House, the residence of Captain Perring, between which place and the church are some fantastic yew trees. After the enquiring visitors had seen the lights in the church, and noticed that the shadow of a particular tree seemed also to be reflected in the church, the tree was next examined, when it was found that the lights from Peterstone House reflected on to this tree, thence to one side of the windows, from whence the shadow was thrown on the wall. This, of course, "laid the spirit," and the party of scientific explorers returned to Brecon highly elated at their successful campaign.

The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News of August 26th reported on local supersition:

GHOSTS MAKING COFFINS. Superstition is almost as rife as ever in this locality, many of the inhabitants maintaining, and in their droll way, expressing their belief in ghosts and ghost stories. One of the queerest tales I have heard for a long time is that related to me by some carpenters concerning their own trade and its connection with the weird inhabitants of spirit-land. They say with great earnestness, that they have heard during the night, several times, sounds of labour in the workshop, sometimes planing, and at other times sawing, &o., as if they were making coffins, until they could swear there was somebody working there. The next day or so, they should have an order for a coffin. So this noise of carpentering in the shop at night was a sign that someone was dead in the place, and they believed it as a fact, that the spirit wis working, for it was not once had they heard it, but several times.

PRESS
Sunday 3rd September 1882, c. 15:00
Llandudno Pier

Nature (vol 27, #691 - 25th January 1883) received a letter from Mr F. T. Mott of Leicester reporting that he and several other 'worthy' citizens from Leicester and Manchester saw a large black snake-like creature travelling very fast across the mouth of the bay. They estimated its speed at 30 mph and its length as 200 feet, swimming at about a mile distant. Various solutions were put forward by readers, but fellow witness Mr W. Barfoot - a J.P. from Leicester - wrote that although he had seen everything from flocks of sea birds to whales at sea, what they had seen that day could not be accounted for by any such creatures.

Issue #692:

Issue #693:

Issue #694:

The North Wales Express of October 6th reported:

I learn that the ghost which has for some considerable time past been so troublesome at Bryncoch, Llanfair D.C., has at last been secured, not alive - but dead. I am sure this news must be a relief and a general satisfaction to the inhabitants of Llanfair. It is uncertain who is to receive the honour of having found this imaginary being, but certainly it is according to the sale bill that the "Corps" is to be sold and "carried off the premises" on the day of the sale, with (I presume) the usual three months' credit.

PRESS
November 1882
Colwyn Bay

The North Wales Chronicle for November 18th reported:

Here's a ghost story which quite eclipses the recent experiences at Llanfair D.C. One night, not long since, the landlady of one of the Sea View Villas at Colwyn Bay was disturbed in her slumbers by a series of the most unearthly yells, and when awakened saw — or, at least, fancied that she saw — the spirit of a deceased relative, who had left a legacy to her, standing in the centre of her bedroom. This was too much for her weakened nerves, and consequently she fell into a swoon. Her husband and two men lodgers had to carry her into a neighbour's house, and each of them refused to re-enter the "haunted" dwelling. The house has since been left unoccupied, and the tenant has given the owner a notice of his intention to quit the premises. The affair has created quite a sensation throughout the village, but all with one voice ridicule the idea of the house being haunted.

PRESS
November 1882
Lisvane

Poltergeist like activity was reported at a cottage in Lisvane. The Western Mail of November 29th (reprinted in the Weekly Mail of December 2nd) reported:

A GHOST AT LISVANE. A correspondent writes: —Some of the inhabitants of the usually quiet little village of Lisvaue are just now greatly disturbed by the nightly visitations of what they unitedly venture to call a ghost. About midway between the Parish Church and the Welsh Baptist Chapel is a small cottage occupied by a widow and her three or four children. There is also in the house a lodger, who has reached an advanced age. To this little cottage, it seems, the apparition pays its visits.

A few nights ago, after the family had retired to rest, the lodger felt the bed clothes all carried away from him. He instantly got up, and having struck a light "searched in terror wild," but strange to relate he could see nothing. After having looked in vain under the bed, and carefulty examined every hole and corner of the house, the lodger resolved to return to bed. He no sooner began to doze than the bedclothes were removed a second time. To his utter amazement he could see nothing, neither could hear anybody in the house.

The widow and her children constantly hear chairs drawn about the house, and cups, saucers, and bottles crashing as if broken into a thousand pieces. The occupants of the little cottage have been terrified to such a degree that they dare not go into a dark room lest they should feel the ghost pulling at their clothes behind or its cold hands on their flesh. The villagers themselves feel such an amount of interest in the mysterious proceedings which are nightly taking place at the cottage that the matter has been put before an eminent gentleman who is well versed in the doctrine of Spiritualism, and whose reply they are now anxiously awaiting.

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1879

Welsh UFO sightings from 1879. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

PRESS
January 1879
Caerphilly

Tragic tale of death premonition from a boy who duly died by falling through ice. I've written more about Daniel Desmond and his family HERE.

PRESS
January 1879
Bodlondeb, Conwy

The Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald of 11th January told readers that ghostly cries 'like those of a child in distress' were being reported in the area. The North Wales Journal (17/01/79) confirmed the story, stating that the path was now deserted in the evenings, but said that sceptics were inclined to say the cries were the sound of porpoises.

PRESS
March 1879
Ponterdawe, Swansea

I've also been collecting tales of 'corporeal' ghosts and other supernatural tales that could represent UFO activity. This one was never much of a candidate but it's such a good story it deserves recording anyway! Apparently a local friendly society's rules refused to pay out on suicides - but one ex-member was determined his widow should get the money...

Ashby-de-la-Zouche Gazette, 19 April 1879

STRANGE CASE OF SUPERSTITION IN WALES. A strange ghost story comes from the Principality. There is a friendly society at Ponterdawe, in the Swansea Valley, amongst whose rules is one that the funeral allowances on account of a deceased member shall not be paid in cases of suicide. One of the members recently died by his own hand, and the club accordingly refused to pay the death money. For this reasonable and just refusal the members are now complaining that they are subjected to serious persecution from the unseen and presumably a ghostly agent. The manifestations began on a recent Sunday, when one of the officers, returning home over a lonely road, was assailed, as he asserts, by the spirit of the late member, who, failing to obtain a satisfactory reply to his demand for the money in a somewhat unspiritlike manner, assailed the unfortunate man, and actually "tore his clothes to ribbons." Such, at least, was the account he gave, in tones of horror, at the first public-house he came to after this terrible encounter.

But the ghost does not appear to have been satisfied with this demonstration. On the following Tuesday evening, whilst the members were assembled in the lodge room, the usual knocks were heard at the door of a brother seeking admittance. The door was opened, but no one was to be seen. The members, however, are all very certain that they heard the voice of the deceased utter the words: "Pay my widow my funeral, and then I shall be at rest." The meeting precipitately broke up, and the members are now puzzled to know what to do with such a determined deceased brother. The narrative is worth repetition, if only as bringing to light a novelty in the conduct of those who "revisit thus the glimpse of the moon."

The story seems to have originated in the Western Mail (08/04/79) before being picked up by English papers and then, via the Birmingham Gazette, making it back to Wales in publications like the Llangollen Advertiser (18/04/79) and the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald (19/04/79).

STRANGE GHOST STORY FROM PONTARDAWE. A correspondent sends us the following extraordinary statement: - It appears that a friendly society, held not a hundred miles from Pontardawe, Swansea Valley, is likely to have some trouble through non-payment of the funeral allowance to a deceased member. The story runs that one of the members having recently committed suicide, the club refused to pay the death money, according to their rules. As one of the officers was returning home last Sunday week, he was met, in a lonely part of the road, by what he asserts to be the ghost of the late member, who, failing to get a satisfactory reply to his demand for the money, tore the man's clothes to ribbons. Such is his story, as related in accents wild at the nearest public-house he came to. The following Tuesday evening, while the members were assembled in the lodge-room, the usual knocks were given at the door, which, upon being opening, disclosed nothing; but a voice (the deceased's) was heard, saying "Pay my widow my funeral money and then I shall be at rest." A general skedaddle ensued, and now they are puzzled to know what to do with such a determined ex-member of their lodge.

Meanwhile, a fellow member of the friendly society in question wrote to the Western Mail (16/04/79) to complain that the story was untrue and completely without foundation. Sadly it was too late - almost every newspaper in Wales carried the tale at some point that April.

THE PONTERDAWE GHOST STORY AND YOUR CORRESPONDENT. SIR, - In your issue of Tuesday last appears a report of the extraordinary ghost story at Ponterdawe, in which a certain friendly society is represented as refusing to pay funeral money to the widow of the unfortunate man who committed suicide. The unfortunate man was a member of two friendly societies at Alltwen, namely, the Loyal Patriot Lodge of Oddfellows, M.U., and the Friend in Need Friendly Society. As the story is totally untrue and without the slightest foundation, I therefore, as a member of the said societies, on behalf of the said societies, and at the desire of several gentlemen, ask you to give to the report the most unqualified denial in your next issue of the Western Mail and Weekly Mail, it being most defamatory and damaging to the character of these societies and their officers. There is not a word in the rules of either society that deprived the widow of the funeral money, neither was the committee mentioned held, nor a word uttered at either of the societies against paying the widow, and, further the person who invented the ghost story is not a member in either of the societies, much less an officer. But it seems that the only object of your correspondent in sending such lies to your paper was to deceive the public and discredit a certain friendly society - I am, &c., LOVER OF TRUTH.

PRESS
September 1879
Tonyrefail

The village of Tonyrefail had been haunted by a 'ghost' lobbing stones. It turned out to be Elizabeth Jones who was duly fined for the offence at Pontypridd Police Court.

South Wales Daily News 18th September 1879

CREDULITY AT TONYREFAIL. CATCHING A "GHOST". Elizabeth Jones, Tonyrefail, was fined 5s and cost at Pontypridd police-court, on Wednesday, for damaging tiles, the property of Thomas Edmunds, of the same place. The hearing of the case occupied a considerable while, and created much amusement. It appears that the inhabitants of the locality have been for some time in a state of consternation, owing to the hurling, at odd seasons, of numbers of stones at the tops of houses there. Complainant was one of the aggrieved, and his property sustained damage to the amount of 5s. It was supposed by many that an invisible hand threw them, and they were chary about walking about. At last it was found that defendant was playing these pranks. The costs which she had to pay amounted to over £2.

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1693

Welsh UFO sightings from 1693. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

December 1693
Harlech, Merionethshire

This much cited story of a strange fire coming from the sea originated with Maurice Jones, then rector of Dolgellau, in a letter dated 20th January 1694 to the antiquarian Edward Lhwyd (Floyd).

Lhwyd contributed various letters to Philosophical Transactions v18/208, the journal of the Royal Society, on topics of interest - including Jones' description of "a fiery exhalation [that] came from the sea and set fire to the hay with a blue weak flame. The fire, though easily extinguished, did not the least harm to any of the men who interposed their endeavour to save the hay, though they ventured (perceiving it different from common fire) not only close to it, but sometimes into it."

That quote is actually just part of a longer letter by Jones reprinted in the journal:

This letter contains no answer to your queries about the locusts, for I am wholly intent at present upon giving you the best account I can of a most dismal and prodigious accident at Harlech in this county, the beginning of these holidays.

It is of the unaccountable firing of sixteen ricks of hay, and two barns, whereof one was full of corn, the other of hay. I say unaccountable because it is evident they were not burned by common fire, but by a kindled exhalation, which was seen to come from the sea.

Of the duration whereof I cannot at present give you any certain account, but am satisfied it lasted at least a fortnight or three weeks; and annoyed the country as well by poisoning their grass as firing the hay, for the space of a mile, or thereabouts.

Such as have seen the fire, say it was a blue weak flame, easily extinguished, and that it did not the least harm to any of the men who interposed their endeavours to save the hay, though they ventured (perceiving it to be different from common fire) not only close to it, but sometimes into it.

All the damage sustained happened constantly in the night. I have enclosed a catalogue of such as I have received certain information of, and have nothing to add, but that there are three small tenements in the same neighbourhood (called Tydhim Sion Wyn) whereof the grass is so infected, that it absolutely kills all manner of cattle that feed upon it. The grass has been infectious there three years, but not thoroughly fatal 'till this last.

Pray send me with all convenient speed your friends' thoughts and your own, of the causes, and if possible, also the remedy of this surprising phenomenon, etc.

December 24th 1693. Richard Griffith of Lechwedh-du, Humphrey Owen of Garreg-wenn, and Richard Davydh of Erw-wen, each of these lost a rick of hay the 24th at night.

December 27th 1693. That night was burnt one rick of hay of John Philips of Ynys-Llanvihangel y Traethau, two ricks of hay of Griffith John Owen of Cefn-Trevor-bach, and Katherine William, widow, of Cefn-Trevor-fawr, lost two ricks.

December 29th 1693. That night Francis Evans of Glas-vryn had one rick burnt. Richard Davydh of Erw-wen, predict. had a barn full of hay of three bayles of buildings burnt down to the ground.

Philosophical Transactions vol 18 issue 208

V18/#213 from October 1694 featured an update on the situation. Edward Lhywd wrote to Dr. Lister on August 23rd with all the latest information:

An intelligent person, who lives near Harlech in Merionethshire, assured me the fire still continues there; that it is observed to come from a place called Morva-bychan in Caernarvonshire, about 8 or 9 miles off, over part of the sea. That cattle of all sorts, as sheep, goats, hogs, cows and horses, still die apace; and that for certain, any great noise, as winding of horns, drums, etc. repels it from any house, or barn, or stacks of hay: on account of which remedy, they have had few or no losses in that kind since Christmas. That it happened during this summer, at least one night in a week, and that commonly either Saturday or Sunday; but that now of late it appears something oftner. The place whence it proceeds is both sandy and marshy. This is all I could gather from him.

Philosophical Transactions vol 18 issue 213

Edmund Jones wrote about the event in his 1780 A Relation of Apparitions of Spirits in the Principality of Wales:

"In Merionithshire. IN the year 1694, there was a strange fire which kindled in the night about Harlech-Town, in this County, chiefly in the night time, and continued for several months, but chiefly active in two months. It was a weak blue flame, which burned little else but corn and ricks of hay, and the thatch of houses. Every night there was a hue and cry that such a house, hay, or corn was burning, and the neighbours ran together to extinguish it; and as it was not a very strong fire, they ran into it to extinguish it; though they must not stay long in it. Some, most of the learned, called it a Meteor, which came from the sea on the the Carnarvon side. But if a Meteor from the Carnarvon side, why not rather in Carnarvon than Merionithshire? why in Merionithshire than any other part of Wales, or in the world? why no where else in the County but about Harlech? And why at that time more than before or after? The people gave another account of it in former days; — that it was an effect of witchcraft, which is the more likely thing, as it cannot be accounted from nature."

Thomas Pennant included an account of the so called 'Harlech Meteor' in his 1781 A Tour In Wales:

"Winter of 1694. — A pestilential vapour resembling a weak blue flame arose during a fortnight or three weeks out of a sandy, marshy tract called Morfa Byden, and crossed over a channel of 8 miles to Harlech. It set fire on that side to 16 ricks of hay and 2 barns, one filled with hay, the other with corn. It infected the grass in such a manner that cattle, etc., died, yet men eat of it with impunity. It was easily dispelled: any great noise, sounding of horns, discharging of guns, at once repelled it. Moved only by night, and appeared at times, but less frequently; after this it disappeared."

John Mason Neale also wrote about in his 1847 book The Unseen World:

"Of a less innocent kind was the celebrated Harlech meteor of 1694. Between Harlech and the Caernarvonshire side of the Traeth Bychan intervenes a low range of marsh land, running up some way into the country. Just before Christmas, 1693, a pale blue light was observed to come across the sea, apparently from the Caernarvonshire coast, and moving slowly from one part of the neighbouring country to another, to fire all the hay-ricks and some of the barns which it approached. It never appeared but at night.

At first the country people were terrified at it; at length, taking courage, they ventured boldly close to it, and sometimes into it, to save, if it might be, their hay. As summer came on, instead of appearing almost every night, its visits were confined to once or twice a week, and almost always on Saturday or Sunday. It now began to cease from firing ricks, but was hurtful in another manner; for it poisoned all the grass on which it rested, and a great mortality of cattle and sheep ensued.

At length it was traced to a place called Morvabychan, in Caernarvonshire, a sandy and marshy bay, about nine miles distant from Harlech. Storm or fine weather seemed to make no difference to this meteor; but any loud noise, as shouting, firing guns, blowing horns, appeared to prevent its doing mischief. It was seen for the last time in the August of 1694."

Here is the Caernarfon Herald of January 3rd 1986 reporting on a 1720s map describing the event:

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1887

Welsh UFO sightings from 1887. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

PRESS
February 1887
Rossett

The Denbighshire Advertiser of February 5th reported on a very corporeal ghost:

A GHOST CAPTURED! The inhabitants of this village and the adjoining ones of Burton and Lavister have been for the past fortnight scared by a ghost. The ghost in question has appeared during the dark evenings in the lonely parts of the roads and lanes enveloped in a white sheet, and iuttering distinct groans has terrified several persons. The other evening his ghostship was stopped in his career by a dog seizing him by the leg. He turns out to be a resident of the neighbourhood was "short of something better to do."

The Western Mail of February 3rd gave some more detail:

CAPTURE OF A "GHOST." A correspondent at Chester telegraphs:- The inhabitants of the village of Rossett, near Chester, have been greatly alarmed by a "ghost" that has been seen there recently. While a bicyclist was returning home the other night the "ghost" suddenly appeared before him. He fired a pistol at it, but failed to bring it down. Next night the "ghost" approached a man who had a dog with him. The dog seized the "ghost," whereupon there were loud cries for assistance. The "ghost" proved to be a villager not over fond of work, tricked out in white clothes. The country-side has been kept in a state of terror by this man's masqueradings. The Cardigan Observer of February 12th reported:

THE "GHOST" AND THE DOG. The women and children of Rossett, near Chester, have been greatly alarmed recently by an apparition in white in country lanes. Terror also reigned in neighbouring villages where the repute of the ghost's moonlight flittings had become noised abroad. One night the ghost solemnly approached a gentleman returning home. His large dog, which accompanied him, at once bounded forward and seized the apparition, which yelled lustily with pain. The gentleman released the ghost, Who turned out to be a villager, not over fond of work, tricked but in white clothes.

PRESS
April 1887
Mumbles

A well known local resident was revealed to be masquerading as a ghost. The Weekly Mail of April 23rd reported:

A PSEUDO GHOST AT THE MUMBLES. On Sunday night some of the inhabitants of the Mumbles, who have been for a long time puzzled by reports of supernatural appearances in the neighbourhood, set upon a person clothed in white and with a blackened face as he was passing over the Caswell-road towards Newton, and discovered his identity. It appears that the masquerader was a well-known resident, Mr. Warlow, engineer to the Oystermouth Waterworks. He only escaped a ducking in the neighbouring horse-pond by the interference of the vicar (the Rev. Secretan Jones) Warlow stated that he was merely amusing his children.

Most of the Welsh papers covered the story, but the most detailed - and embellished... - write up was in the Cambrian of April 22nd:

THE CASWELL ROAD GHOST. CLEVER CAPTURE. THE GHOST SUCCESSFULLY LAID BY THE VICAR. Angels and ministers of Grace defend us! Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, Be thy interests wicked, or charitable, Thou com'st in such questionable shape. That I will speak to thee.

For some time, especially during the past winter, there has been some talk of a ghostly visitant in the neighbourhood of Caswell Bay, and the road leading thereto. The engineer of the Waterworks Company at Oystermouth, whose duties lead him at all hours of the night to visit the pumping engine house at Caswell Bay, has, more than once, spoken of having seen a figure dressed in white, gliding along the road or flitting over the sands, and suddenly disappearing into the rocks which line the golden shores of that beautiful Bay. He has vowed vengeance on the ghost if he ever comes within striking distance of it, for the many shocks he had brought on by the sudden appearance and disappearance on his lonely rounds of duty, for although, as he said, he was not afraid of the Devil, this unsightly visitant had more than once caused his heart to bound with a quickened throb, his knees to shake, and his hair to stand on end, like "quills on fretful porcupine." Beside all this, he declared that it was a downright shame for any one to play such a trick; oh! miserable, flagrant dilectue, the ghost he said he saw turns out to be himself.

On Sunday night, about 8:30, the quiet hamlet of Newton was the scene of much excitement; a lonely widower sitting disconsolate in his ingle nook, heard a knock at his door, and before he could rise and open it, the door silently opened, and the firelight's fitful gleam fell upon a figure dressed in white, with black face and arms, and in a voice grave and deep enough to have issued from the tomb itself, asked if it could have lodgings for the night. The man stood appalled at the sight before him, his knees smote, his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth; in silent horror he gazed at the apparition, which quietly backed out of the doorway and fled. "For oh! it was a terrible sight, Enough to make his hair turn white, To make him shrink within his skin, At the way that ghastly ghost came in."

The click of the garden gate aroused the horrified man from his stupour of surprise; he started, rubbed his eyes, looked - it was gone. Like a flash, it came upon him that his strange and unearthly visitor must be the Caswell Ghost. In the twinkling of an eye, he was out, and across the road to a neighbour's house, where, in spasmodic jerks, he told what he had seen. Fortified and encouraged by a draught, hastily swallowed, of his neighbour's supper beer, they both went out armed with the first weapons they eould lay hold of. Children screaming, the patter ot feet, and cries of fright, led them on the track his ghostship had taken, and as they went they picked up another brave man and true, who followed on. Turning to the left, up the village of Newton, they overtook an old woman, and speaking to her said — "Aunty Mary, is that you?" "Yes," was the reply. "Did you see anything pass here?" "Yes, I saw something queer." "Which way did it go?" "Why, into Will Owen's house."

The ghost, not knowing that it had been followed, had in the meantime gone to Farmer Owen's house, and, knocking the door, it was opened by a granddaughter who screamed and bolted. A grandson went to the door, and he also saw and fled in dismay. The old farmer himself then went to see the cause of all this, and the ghost asked for lodgings; the brave old man's oaken staff went up, and would have descended with a sounding whack on the head of the ghost, but discretion being the better part of valour, even in a ghost, it silently backed away down the court — as a front garden is locally called and again fled, but alas! right into the group of men talking to Aunt Mary. Here, panic-struck, apparently by the array of arms around it, it stood in silent perplexity, while the men were also speechless from sheer wonderment and awe.

Aunt Mary, however, had her wits about her, and said, "Catch hold of it, and see what it is." This had the desired effect, and one of them cried, "I'll tackle it," and he went for it. With a sidelong jump the ghost shied off and again fled, and rushing down the road plumped into a lot of people, mostly ladies, coming from Church service. Here was confusion worse confounded. Cries, screams, hysterical solos, told the effect the apparition had on the weak nerves of these ladies, startled out of their wits; some fainted, while others stood rooted to the spot spell-bound with fright and terror others ran screaming away, and soon a crowd was collected. Every house in Newton and Nottage poured out its wondering inhabitants. The Vicar walking quietly up the hill, heard all this, and looking up in the gloaming, he, too, saw the flying white figure, and gave chase, his coat flapping like wings, and seeing the men running, he called out to them, "Catch him, catch him," but the Vicar's University training gave him the advantage, and overtaking the ghost first, grasped it like a vice, and shaking it heartily cried, "Speak, who are you?"

One can almost fancy him saying, as did Horatio — I'll cross it, though it blast me; —Stay, illusion!...

"Stay, and speak." (Ghost tries to wriggle out of his clutch.) "Who are you, speak?" said the Vicar. "Here, Smith, just strip his hood off, and let us see who it is." His bonnet, a long one, projecting well over his face, is readily grasped and torn away and all looking, cry: "Oh, my prophetic soul! Will Warlow." The scene that followed is beyond description; and many were ready and willing to take summary vengeance on the practical joker, and but for the restraining hand and words of the Vicar, would have done so. The culprit tried hard to explain why and wherefore he had done so, saying it was to "amuse his children," that he had donned the dress. We are sorry that an otherwise steady and industrious man, civil and respectful in every way, should have so far forgotten himself and his neighbours as to have performed this silly trick."

The Cardiff Times of April 23rd said:

A "GHOST" AT THE MUMBLES. According to a Swansea paper the inhabitants of the Mumbles, and more especially of Caswell, have been rejoicing of late in the visitation of what is described as a ghost. On Sunday night the supposed ghost was captured, between eight and nine o'clock that evening, a figure, clothed in white and with blackened face, was flying along the Caswell-road towards Newton. Near the top of Newton-hill several rushed out, and succeeded in laying hands on the supposed spectre, who, notwithstanding his entreaties and his protestations that it was only a joke, was ruthlessly stripped of his white garments, when, to the astonishment of all present, the well-known form of the chief engineer of the Oystermouth WaterWorks was revealed. Meanwhile a crowd had assembled, including the vicar, the Rev. Secretan Jones, and several well-known ladies and gentlemen or the locality. Warlow, who is a Salvationist, upon being interrogated as to what object he had in playing the role of the departed soul, replied that his only motive was to amuse his children. The vicar said that he acted in a very foolish manner.

PRESS
May 1887
Sketty

The South Wales Daily News of May 26th reported:

A GHOST AT SKETTY. There is said to be much consternation amongst the more nervous inhabitants of Sketty because of the rumoured appearance of a ghost in the village. The ethereal visitor is said to wear a white dress which touches the ground, round the waist is a black band, and the head is enveloped in a black mask, to which horns are fixed. Several unsuccessful attempts to effect a capture have been made.

The South Wales Echo of May 27th printed some comment on this in their 'Man About Town' column:

What, except the insufficiency or the inefficiency of the police, should make the neighbourhood of Swansea the privileged ground of "ghosts" is more than I can understand. The apparition at Sketty, as reported yesterday, is either the third or fourth since the beginning of the year. One was chased and caught only a few weeks ago; I do not know what became of the others, but I could hope that they had been caught and ducked. There is no mystery about these visions in the sunless hours. Every ghost you can be sure you see is either an idiot or a scoundrel, and more often the latter. If he is only a fool, he tricks himself out to frighten people; in the other case he goes into masquerade for a worse purpose. "Several unsuccessful attempts to effect a capture," said the paragraph I saw. Humbug There could not have been a policeman or an athletic man in the neighbourhood.

Swansea

June and July 1887 saw poltergeist activity at the home of the Revd David Phillips, as reported in the Cambrian Daily Leader. By July large numbers of regional and daily papers had picked up the story; here's a typical example from the Sheffield Independent of July 7th:

"A SPIRITUALISTIC MYSTERY. For several days great excitement has prevailed in Swansea among the Calvinistic Methodists of South Wales respecting some extraordinary manifestations alleged to have taken place at the residence of the Rev. David Phillips, Walters Road, Swansea. It is stated that strange noises are heard about the house, that doors open apparently of their own accord, and that chairs move about as though propelled by some unseen agency. Hithero all attempts to discover the cause have been futile."

The Herald of Wales for July 9th gave a little more detail:

ALLEGED MANIFESTATIONS OF SPIRITUALISM AT SWANSEA. THE SPIRITS DISARRANGE HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, OPEN DOORS, &C. THE SPIRITS CHALLENGED.

A correspondent of a morning contemporary [Western Mail, July 5th] writes: - "For several days past great excitement has prevailed among the Calvinistic Methodists of a large portion of South Wales respecting some extraordinary manifestations alleged to have been witnessed daily and nightly at the residence of the Rev. David Phillips (C.M.), Swansea. The Rev. Mr. Phillips is one of the keenest-witted men living, and, therefore, is not likely to be easily imposed upon. It is stated that strange noises are heard about his house; doors open apparently of their own accord, and chairs fly about as if they had wings. Other strange things occur, all of which have baffled the investigations made to discover the cause. The strange manifestations still continue, and no one, it is said, is more puzzled thereat than the rev. gentleman himself."

There is, we understand, some justification for the rumours afloat, but it would be wrong and unfair to make the Rev Mr. Phillips or any member of his household responsible for the same. The phenomena which has manifested itself in Mr Phillip's is akin to that which first attracted the attention of Caroline Fox, the American founder of the cult of Spiritualism, and deserves to be studied calmly and carefully - not treated after the manner of the ghost stories of the past.

THE MANIFESTATIONS. It appears that these manifestations extend over a considerable period, but that until about two months ago very little attention was given to them. They were explained away as being natural phenomena. Matters becoming worse, and the phenomena stranger and more inexplicable, Mr Phillips and his family became concerned, and attempted to discover what caused these strange occurrences. And, undoutedly, these manifestations are very strange. For instance, the servants makes one of the beds on the morning, but when in the afternoon she has occasion to visit the bedroom, she finds the bedclothes on the floor and the bed all thrown about. Another member of the family wishes to leave the room, and, behold, as in the case of the imprisoned Peter, the door opens before him of its own accord.

Day after day articles of furniture, of no inconsiderable size, such as chests of drawers, &c., have been removed from the places which they generally occupied. But this was not all. Every member of the family and several visitors heard the noise made in, though they never saw, the removal of those articles. Every effort was made by Mr Phillips, and his son, Mr Martin Luther Phillips, B.A., to discover the cause. A strict watch was maintained, and every nook and every corner of the house was carefully searched, but nothing turned up. No man nor spirit could they discover. Still the beds were turned upside down, and the furniture took walks all over the place.

There are some rather important facts to be remembered in connection with this case. Nothing whatever has been damaged, and whatever agency has been at work, it is a very considerate as well as skilful agency. Having failed to account for these manifestations, Mr Philips and his family are not in an enviable frame of mind. They have become so terribly frightened that they have lived but very little in the house for the last two months, and we believe that, although the servants are now back, they do not sleep there except when the master is at home. Mrs Phillips, however, is still away.

The matter was much talked of at the recent meetings of the South Wales Calvinistic Methodist Association at Porth. Hence, it is surmised, the paragraph in this morning's paper, for in Swansea the affair has been kept secret. It was at Porth where the manifestations in the Rev. Mr. Phillips' house in Swansea were first publicly mentioned...

We understand that the Rev. David Phillips and his friends are somewhat annoyed at the paragraphs which have appeared in the papers referring to the hitherto unaccountable phenomena which have taken place at the rev. gentleman's residence. But we would point out that in all probability one of Mr Phillips's ministerial friends is responsible for the statement in our Cardiff contemporary, and that it was not until that statement appeared that we took any cognisance of the many rumours which had previously reached us.

The South Wales Echo of July 18th 1887 reported: I hear a good story from Carnarvon of a "ghost story" which was unravelled at the Assizes there last week. The plaintiff was the Rev Richard Hughes, a Presbyterian minister well known in the Principality, and the defendants were the proprietors of Gwalia, a Welsh Conservative newspaper published at Bangor. The libels took the form of letters, in which the writer affirmed that ghosts had been seen near the plaintiffs house, alleging that they could not rest because he had robbed an old man, who was now deceased." For the plaintift it was contended that the author of the reports was actuated by political motives, being a teacher in the Church schools who had frequently challenged the plaintiff at Disestablishment meetings. The jury assessed the damages at £10, and judgment was entered for that amount, with costs, which, I suppose, is enough for Mr Hughes's purpose, though I should like to have seen a more substantial penalty passed upon the imaginative romancer.

Charles Fort included the tale in his 1931 Lo!: "As told in the Cambria Daily Leader (Swansea, Wales), July 7, 1887, poltergeist phenomena were occurring in the home of the Rev. David Phillips, of Swansea. Sometime I am going to try to find out why so many of these disturbances have occurred in the homes of clergymen. Why have so many supposed spirits of the departed tormented clergymen? Perhaps going to heaven makes people atheists. However, I do not know that poltergeists can be considered spirits. It may be that many of our records -- see phenomena of the winter of 1904-05 -- relate not to occult beings, as independent creatures, but to projected mentalities of living human beings. A woman of Mr. Phillips' household had been transported over a wall, and toward a brook, where she arrived in a "semi-conscious condition." I note that, not in agreement with our notions upon teleportation, it was this woman's belief that an apparition had carried her. Mr. Phillips and his son, a Cambridge graduate, who had probably been brought up to believe in nothing of the kind, asserted that this transportation had occurred."

PRESS
September 1887
Rhondda

A miner saw a ghost which tapped him on the shoulder. When he and his colleagues ran away, the 'being' chased after them. The South Wales Echo of September 24th reported:

A GHOST IN THE RHONDDA. A number of night hauliers employed at the Ocean Collieries, Cwmpark, were on their way to work late one night this week, when suddenly, so runs the story, an ethereal being, clad in the garb of a female, appeared unto one of them, who was lagging behind his companions, and with audacious impudence, tapped him gently on the back. Experieucing an unwonted sensation, our friend shrugged his shoulders, and turned his bead in order to ascertain the cause. Then, to his inconceivable horror, he beheld an awe-inspiring figure, evidently not belonging to the sublunary sphere, and which suddenly vanished into "thin ethereal air." In an agony of fear, the poor man cried out piteously, and thus arrested the attention of his fellows.

In a more or less incoherent manner — rather more than less — he detailed to them what he had seen. This done, the whole company took to their heels and sped over the ground with the fleet-footedness of deers. The mysterious visitant, however, was not to be so summarily aud easily shaken off. It reappeared, gave chase, succeeded in overtaking the affrighted hauliers, and, in regular old-man-of-the-sea fashion, clambered on the shoulders of one of the flying squadron, much to that unhappy Sindbad of consternation and terror. Having thus proved to demonstration the superiority of its fleetness to that of the poor human bipeds, "the stranger from way beyond" again mysteriously disappeared, to the immense relief of the company. It is not told whether our worthy haulier frieudu had been imbibing too freely of the liquid which stingeth like an adder, but certain it is that their extraordinary experience has created quite a sensation among, the busy population of the Rhondda.

PRESS
September 1887
Rhyl

Police apprehended some boys who were intending to frighten people as 'ghosts'. The Rhyl Advertiser of September 24th reported:

HOW THE POLICEMAN SCARED THE GHOST AT RHYL. The favourite hour for ghosts and hobgoblins, and other terrifying spirits, to wander about, is the quiet hour of midnight; and the favour- ite resort the neighbourhood of Church-yards and cemeteries. But the ghosts in Rhyl are too respectable to keep late hours, and they eschew the uncanny association of gravestones, on account of timidity probably. At the same time,they want a lonesome, but not a gruesome, locality to flutter about in their immaterialism. Church-street is credited with being the proud possessor of the first spiritual visitant to Rhyl for a long time. His Ghostliness made his presence known on Monday night, and appeared to have located itself in a tree at Tyn-y-coed.

Passers-by were startled by the mysterious shaking of the boughs of the trees, and the fluttering of the inevitable something white." Rumours travel fast, and the redoubtable Taffy (who is not a Welshman) was quickly on the scent. He is proof against ghostly terror, and at the unearthly hour of half past eight in the evening on Wednesday, he posted himself to watch for the ghost, which had, it was stated, made his second visit on that evening. The goblin catcher took full possession of the street —would not allow an ordinary mortal to walk up and down, reserving the whole for the anticipated encounter between himself and the slippery one wanted." He paced about in mysterious silence, and was watched by a terri- fied crowd which was perfectly awestricken by the bravery displayed by the dashing Hibernian. His coolness seemed to affect the ghost too. It would not break cover in the presence of the majesty of the law, as represented by the invulnerable P.C. He had evidently scared the ghost, but took up two boys on suspicion of having planned and carried out the ghostly visitation, but they were let offby leaving their names and addresses behind them.

The Llangollen Advertiser of September 30th reported:

A GHOST IN CHURCH STREET Finding that recently considerable excitement had been caused in the localities of Seacombe and Queen's-square, Liverpool, by the appearance of "ghosts," it entered into the minds of some of the young bloods in Rhyl that a similar sensation might be interesting in this town, especially now at the gay end of the season. Consequently operations were taken in hand, and a woody lawn in Church-street was fixed upon as their locale. This, it is said, was chosen not only because it was convenient for the seclusion of the wire-pullers, but because there was a ghost tale attached to the ground since last year. On the former occasion the ghost consisted of sheets of newspapers attached to a string. This was drawn across high branches of the trees, and the papers which covered a stone acting as ballast drawn up and down. This year the ghost took the form of a couple of lights, or dark lanterns.

A few flashes on Monday and Tuesday evenings were observed by several passers by, and a ghost story was at once established. On Wednesday it obtained an extensive circulation, inasmuch that before darkness had fairly set in there was a crowd of boys, and not a few grown-up persons - strange to say — congregated an the spot, patiently awaiting the spectral visitation. The crowd did not comport itself with that decorum which should characterize the conduct of those expecting a visit from "another world," and the yells of the juvenile portion of it caused an intolerable nuisance to those residing in the neighbouring houses. The police got wind of the affair and arrived on the spot. Considerable difficulty was, however, experienced in dispersing the crowd, some of the grown-up people being as stupidly obstinate as the lads were troublesome in darting about and shouting. Two lads were so demonstrative that they were marched off to the police-station, where they were shortly afterwards released on promise to be of good behaviour. Quietness was ultimately secured, and the Church-street ghost may be said to have been laid.

The South Wales Echo of October 22nd reported on another fake ghost:

LAYING A WELSH GHOST. The Wrexham police were able on Thursday night to by a ghost, which for several night had been playing pranks in the cemetery. Large crowds have beeu attracted to the neighbourhood after dark by the appearance of the traditionary ghost, all in white, with raised arms and gliding motiop, and which vanished immediately an effort was made to approach it. On Thursday night the usual crowd assembled, aud had the gratification of seeing the ghost laid by the police and the cemetery superintendent, who caught his ghostship while going through his nightly performances. The cause of the commotion turns out to be a young man named Mathias Davis, who was brought before the magistrates yesterday charged with trespassing and assaulting Mr Harris, cemetery superintendent. To add to the ghostly character of his visitation, prisoner had placed a number of lighted candles under the shrubbery. The prisoner was fined 16s, or 14 days.

The Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser of the same day also reported on the story:

A REAL GHOST STORY. Ou Thursday a report was current in the town that there was a ghost seen in the Borough Cemetery on the previous night, and that the vision had attracted the attention of a number of people. The report spread rapidly, aud was the cause of a crowd assembling outside the cemetery from nine to ten o'clock on Thursday night. The police were communicated with, and Sergeant Wynne and P.C. Rowland were soon on the spot and endeavoured to disperse the crowd, and also assisted the custodian to discover, if possible, the cause of the excitement. The ghostly character of the entertainment was produced, it appears, by the lighting of matches, and thereby bringing some of the statues and monuments into prominent relief.

This amusement could only be carried on by human ageney, and as no one was allowed to be on the premises after dark - the gates being locked at half-past five, the natural conclusion of the nervous and superstitious was that the agency was supernatural, and therefore a ghost. There appears to have been several operators on Thursday night, some of whom were recognised and will be summoned, while one was pounced upon in the act of striking a match, and while being collared by Mr Morris, the custodian, kicked him violently. The police present, however, were called and soon took him into custody, when he was locked up for the night, and brought before Messrs T. C. Jones and G. Bradley on Friday morning, when the facts of the case were deposed to by Mr Morris the custodian, P.C. Rowland, and a young man named Richard McDermot, and the prisoner, whose name is Mathias Davies, was fined 10s 6d and costs, or fourteen days in default. Other summonses are to be issued, and we opine that the ghost will be effectually laid.

PRESS
Gwaenysgor

A ghost in the form of a dog was reported by the Rhyl Advertiser of December 3rd:

A GHOST AT GWAENYSGOR. The residents of the quiet little village of Gwaenysgor have been thrown into a state of great excitement over the report that a ghost has made its appearance in one of the farm-houses near the village. Rumour says that this supernatural being made its headquarters at Ty Isa Farm, occupied by Mr Robert Jones, and of course makes its appearance at the ghostly hour of midnight. The ghost, it is said, comes in the form of a dog, and lies quietly on the floor, but the moment any one attempts to touch it, it vanishes in a most mysterious fash- ion, and its departure is accompanied by a ringing of bells, and other things necessary to make the story complete. Several, it is stated, have seen the ghost, and the excitement caused by its visit still continues.

The Llangollen Advertiser of December 9th reported:

The Glyndyfrdwy "ghost" has now ceased to trouble the neighbourhood. The cause of the present happy state f things was a threat made to the farmer's boy that if the stone-throwing continued he would be imprisoned. The "ghost" then took his leave.

CONVERSATION

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1880

Welsh UFO sightings from 1880. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

PRESS
February 1880
Portmadog

The Llangollen Advertiser of February 27th 1880 reported on a ghost that wasn't:

A GHOST STORY. -For some time past the windows of a particular house in this town were now and then smashed in the night, and the door coal-tarred. No living being, in corporeal state, could be seen committing the mischief; it was, therefore, thought that it was done by some evil spirit. Some persons said, however, that the "ghost" was akin to the celebrated ghost of Pant-y-wenol, Last week this was proved to be the case, as the " ghost" was "caught" alive and well, in the form of two married women living in the neighbourhood.

PRESS
March 26th 1880
Gwynfil

A woman woke up to find see the figure of a bird on her wall and her window broken. It was believed local men had used a magic lantern to create the 'ghost'. The Cambrian News of April 30th reported:

Raising a Ghost. —John Jones, carpenter, and John Evans, blacksmith, Brynmaen, Gwynfil, were charged by Jane Jones, spinster, Tynewydd, with having maliciously broken a window at Tynewydd, and with having done injury to the extent of 10s. on the 26th March. Mr. Griffith Jones, solicitor, Aberystwyth, appeared for complainant, and Mr. Hugh Hughes. jun., Aberystwyth, for defendants.

John Jones said he lived at Canada, Gwynfil. On the 25th he met John Evans, one of the defendants, and he said "remember to come over to the place we agreed upon, Jane Jones's house. He went to send Elizabeth Herbert, and returned to defendants between one and two o'clock in the morning of the 26th, and together they went to complainant's house. They told witness to watch on the road. John Evans commenced to break the windows. After that John Jones lighted a. magic lanthern, and threw a figure on a wall inside the house."

Cross-examined by Mr. Hugh Hughes: First met John Evans near the blacksmith's shop, about three quarters of a mile from complainant's house. It was then about ten o'clock. He met Elizabeth Herbert before he saw John Evans. He took her home in about half an hour, then went to John Evans's house in another half-hour. He met the two defendants previously. They got to Evans's house about eleven o'clock. The inmates of the house had not gone to bed, and there was a light in the house. He and the other two left Evans's house between eleven and twelve, and went towards Jane Jones's house, which they reached in about an hour. The magic lantern belonged to John Evans. Hugh Herbert was petty respectable. (A laugh.)

Witness had had no conversation with him with reference to the affair. He had not told Herbert that he had met Jones of Cefngarn, at Cefngarn, and that he had insisted upon witness's going back to Plas Capel public house; neither had he said that Jones had given him (witness) beer, and wanted him to admit that John Jones, Evans, and himself had broken the window. They remained near Jane Jones's window about an hour, but they began to break the window as soon as they got to the place. There was no light in the row. Jane Jones did not come to the window, and he did not see her. He did now know whether she got up or not. After breaking the window he and his companions walked home quietly. They broke the window of the bedroom with an instrument they had from the blacksmith's shop. Re-examined: During the whole of the time witness did not see a watch or clock.

Jane Jones, the complainant, said she would not refer to the fact that a fowl was thrown down the chimney on the preceding day. On the 25th she went to bed, and fell asleep. She awoke, saw a light, and observed the figure of a bird on the bedroom wall. (Laughter.) She heard footsteps outside. She did not speak, but closed her eyes that she should not see the figure. She could not sleep afterwards. Next morning, rising about six o'clock, she saw that the window had been broken in. She left the house through the window, because she feared there was a man in another part of the house.

Jane Jones, sister of John Jones, the first witness, said that John Evans, Roderick Evans, and John Jones asked her where her brother was, and she went with them in search of him. John Evans asked, "how did you fare yesterday?" John Jones replied, "Boy, you don't mean to admit or confess?" Cross-examined: That conversation occurred after the police had been making enquiries. She was not present when there was a conversation in which a policeman took part, but she knew what the men were talking about, because something had been said to her previously about the matter. Mary Jones, sister of John Jones, Cefngarn, said that John Jones, the defendant, had a magic lantern. John Jones, Cefngarn, said he owned the house occu-pied by Jane Jones. The damage was abouut 10s. Wm. Jones, farmer and butcher, Penlone, said between one and two in the morning of the 26th he saw two men going from the direction of Jane Jones's house. This was the case for the complainant.

Mr. Hughes said it was a case of mistaken identity. He called John Evans, one of the defendants, who said he was a blacksmith, living at Brynmaen. He went to a prayer meeting and returned about eight o'clock. He then went to his father's house, and got home soon after eight. He did not go out again that night, and went to bed soon after eleven o'clock. He did not get up again until five or six next morning. John Jones, the other defendant, lodged at his (witness's) father's house. He came home that evening about eleven o'clock, went to bed, and got up about six next morning. Canadian Joaes was not there that night. Daniel Evans, John Evans's father, Elizabeth Herbert, Hugh Herbert, Roderick Evans, and John Jones, one of the defendants, were also called to corroborate the evidence as to an alibi.

At the conclusion the Bench said they were of opinion, from the evidence they had heard, that it would not be safe te convict. The case would, therefore, be dismissed.

Most of the cases I've found for 1880 revolve around the alleged Marian apparitions at Llanthony Monastery. To understand why these were immediately viewed as suspect you need a bit of context: Llanthony Monastery was run as a quasi-Benedictine Order under Father Ignatius, a well known religious eccentric who had been barred from preaching in London and forced from his curacy. His earlier attempt to eastablish a Monastery at Elm Hill in Norwich had ended in disaster, with Ignatius - Joseph Leycester Lyne (b. 1837) - owing money all over the place and the members of the Order in various levels of disgrace. Brother Stanislaus absconded with a 15 year old boy named Francis George Nobbs who "was reported to have affirmed that not only had the Superior [Ignatius] been aware of their degeneracy, but that he had condoned and encouraged it, by performing on their behalf, and in his own church, a ceremony which in itself was blasphemy and sacrilege of the most revolting kind."

The choir master, Brother Augustine, disappeared after his love letter to another 15-year-old boy, Samuel Hase, was found by the boy's mother and printed in the local newspaper. ("Sometimes on Sundays you have sat in your cassock and cotta looking so like an angel I could have worshipped you. ... Morning, noon, and night, nothing haunts me but your sweet darling face; in my very dreams I see it; in a word, I am infatuated and wretched and wish sometimes I had never seen you. I feel I could clasp you in my arms and never unfold them whilst I looked into the depths of those sweet eyes.") By the time Ignatius established Llanthony Monastery in a barn at Capel-y-Ffin in 1869 he, and his unsanctioned religious order, were infamous. In May 1880 the South Wales News reported that Ignatius was trying to raise £60,000 to recreate the grand Llanthony Abbey church. It could be seen as rather opportune that the basis for an annual pilgrimage event should soon present itself...

PRESS
Thursday August 30th
Capel-y-Ffin

In the morning at c. 9:30am 20-year-old Brother Dunstan was kneeling at a prayer desk in the church saw a 'ghostly sacrament'. ('when he saw the monstrance containing the Host appear on the altar in front of the tabernacle door.') He concluded it must be some kind of optical illusion. Later that morning Janet Owens, a c. 50-year-old lay sister and schoolmistress from Hay, had the same experience but thought the Sacrament must have been deliberately left out for some reason. When her watch finished at 11:00 she asked Brother Dunstan why the Sacrament was out, causing him to realise it had been no illusion.

Later that evening, at recreation time following Vespers, four young acolytes were playing on the adjoining 'Abbot's meadow' when at just gone eight they claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary walk towards them and disappear into a hedge. The four boys were Daniel Maguire (15 and half, son of a neighbouring famer), John Evelyn Stewart (12 and half, of Sheffield), Thomas Foord (11, of Brighton), and Joseph Chalkley (9, of London).

The boys wrote letters confirming what they had seen:

Johnny Stewart, one of the boys, attended the 1881 annual commemoration and Ignatius preached:

"As in the olden time, when God wanted a prophet, and chose one in little Samuel, he had now chosen one in this place in Johnny Stewart, the boy who sat before him, who was a witness of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin, and who, therefore, posseted the evidence that the agnostics desired. And, so, when God wanted to speak to the atheists of Franoe, he chose a witness in a little girl about 11 years of age. Why this was so we could not determine, but God knew his own business best. There was nothing particular about that boy that he knew of for which he should be chosen by God as a witness except that he was a monastery boy, always turning his heart towards God, but in a healthy frame of mind and body. The visions could be no fancy of his, for it was seen by eight witnesses—by himself (Father Ignatius) among them."

Saturday September 4th
Capel-y-Ffin

Members of the community congregated near the hedge where a vision of the Virgin Mary had been seen on August 30th and sang Ave Maria. The Virgin again appeared, this time accompanied by "a man unclothed save for a cloth around the loins." The couple then vanished.

Later a potion was prepared from the leaves of a rhubarb plant growing at this point of the hedge which was said to be able to heal various ills.

Wednesday September 8th
Capel-y-Ffin

Brother George said "I have seen the figure distinctly twice at the opening of the hedge." Sister Janet Owens said "I have seen the figure, too, distinctly over the green gates." Brother George's shouting alerted Brother Dunstan who was trimming the lamps for Compline. Dunstan told newspaper reporters (South Wales Daily News, 31/08/1882)

"I then looked and saw it in an exact line with where I had seen it on the previous Saturday night. We knelt in about the same place as before. It was very dark. The hedge was completely dark. Every now and then whilst we were singing a bright star would twinkle in the hedge, and then fall to the ground. We continued singing aves. I saw shadowy figures passing to and fro in the hedge. The light was very pale, not bright at all. This kept in for a long time. The grass was lit up in front of me. I had a headache. Something touched my head, and the headache was gone. As on Sunday night, the grass was dry where we knelt, but wet everywhere else. I saw the hedge lit up on the following Saturday night but I could not go out."

Brother George added: "Being very anxious to see the vision, I went into the meadow with Brother Dunstan and the boys. We sang an ave. I saw a light; it was very bright. It seemed to fill the bush. There were several lights; some burst in the middle of the hedge, some above it. I saw two figures, male and female. The female figure was draped in white; the male had waht appeared to be a cloth round the loins. The male figure held out its hands; the female figure had its hands crossed on the breast. I could not see the features of either. The male reminded me of the picture of our Lord in His baptism; the female of paintings of the Blessed Virgin. The male figure advanced towards the female figure, and as they met they vanished."

September 15th
Capel-y-Ffin

Four different people saw "the whole heavens and mountains break forth in bulging circles of light, circles pushing out from circles - the light poured upon our faces and the buildings where we stood, and in the central circle stood a most Majestic Heavenly Form, robed in flowing drapery. The Form was gigantic, but seemed to be reduced to human size as it approached. The Figure stood sideways, facing the Holy Bush. The Vision was most distinct and the details were very clear; but it was gone 'in the twinkling of an eye'. ... A few minutes after this Mr. E from Oxford and one of the boys, saw the shadowy form of the Blessed Virgin in light, by the enclosure gate with uplifted hands. This is the last of the visions vouchsafed by God's mercy to us."

PRESS
September 1880
Carnarvon

The North Wales Chronicle of September 25th 1880 reported:

CARNARVON. A 'GHOST.' —A 'ghost' has taken up its abode at this town. The story of this visitation first got abroad in this wise. A police officer received information to the effect that a certain tradesman and his wife were being 'troubled' at night by 'unearthly souuds' and 'strange lights.' It was said that one night during the Eisteddfod week a gentleman slept in the house and his experience was 'that he would not take the world for staying there again.'

The offers of the police to remain in the house at night and endeavour to capture the 'ghost,' thief, or burglar, were however rejected; as were also those of the lamplighter and extinguisher, who, in addition to his work of extinguishing the town lamps at all hours of the night, was ready to enter the 'haunted premises' and extinguish the 'strange lights' of the wandering spirit. Therefore, matters were allowed to remain as before - as far as the 'ghost' was concerned - the excitement gradually increasing until it has nearly reached a climax.

The establishment having been closed at night, crowds of people, young and old, assembled to wateh the premises. Lights, which certainly are not 'strange,' have been seen moving to and fro in the upper part of the house, and these illuminations are said to be the work of the 'ghost.' The excitement awakens the imagination, until many persons fancy they have seen the 'apparition' moving in the upper windows and assuming various forms. On Wednesday evening there were actually two hundred people located in the thoroughfare now celebrated for its ghost story, and the 'move on' of the police-constables appeared to be unheeded.

This story was disputed by the home owner, who put a notice into the October 1st 1880 edition of the North Wales Express:

THE "GHOST" IN TURF SQUARE. —Mr J. P. Jones, grocer, Bangor-street, requests us to contradict the statements published in other newspapers as to the supposed "ghost" at his house. Mr Jones is not responsible for the gossips which have been afloat regarding the "moving of hams," &c., by the ghost, as published in a local paper. The only thing which the family have complained of is a noise - a rapping noise - between one and three o'clock every morning, preventing them from sleeping.

The same statement was printed in the October 8th edition of the Llangollen Advertiser.

PRESS
October 1880
Halkyn

A 'ghost' was repearedly setting fires at a farm in Halkyn, according to the October 8th 1880 edition of the Flintshire Observer:

HALKYN. STRANGE DOINGS OF A GHOST. —Some of the people of Halkyn are much exercised at present respecting the doings of a reputed "ghost," who is said to have shown such a strong liking for fire, especially that of an incendiary character, that it has made either five or six attempts to fire the stackyard of one of the farmers in the parish. Strangely enough the ghost does not stalk forth at dead of night, the hour when ghosts are reputed to hold high revelry, but at "early morn and dewy eve," and fortunately its mischievous pranks have been each time discovered in time to prevent serious loss. Possibly in the course of a short time a charm may be found that will lay the spirit and prevent its too liberal indulgence in frolics over other people's goods.

PRESS
October 1880
Llanelly

The Cardiff Times (October 30th) and the Monmouthshire Merlin (November 5th), among others, carried a report on a pretend ghost in Llanelly:

A LLANELLY GHOST STORY. A Llanelly correspondent writes:— In Llanelly there are rumours of the appearance of a ghost at the cemetery. Sometimes a female figure was said to been seen floating in the air. On several occasions the ghost is said to have descended to the Llaueliy Park Some people were frightened; but one day last week the supposed ghost ventured rather too near a public house, known as the Star, near the Work-house. The cry was soon raised that the ghost was coming. A man at once made for the object, which was clothed in white, gave it chase, and, throwing his arms around it, carried it under a gas lamp, when the ghost" proved to be a young woman, who would seem to have been fond of a practica.1 joke at the expense of some ignorant neighbours.

PRESS
November 1880
Gower

Rumours circulated in the press that a ghost was haunting Swansea. This was soon debunked by a correspondent who claimed to be involved in the hoax, although it wasn't to the satisfaction of everybody following the case...

The South Wales Daily News of November 6th published a letter on the matter:

THE MUMBLES GHOST. TO THE EDITOR. SIR, May I ask, through your columns, why it is that the police permit some foolish and cowardly fellow to go about the roads here in the guise of a "ghost," so called? Already several youug people have been greatly frightened by his appearance after nightfall, and one poor child, I am credibly infonned, has suffered from fits in consequence. If the police are worth anything they could trace the whereabouts of this fool in one day. If they do not trouble to do so, some independent person will probably take the law into his own hand. and see whether the application of a stout stick will be of any avail in "laying this ghost," and thereby prevent what might be disastrous consequences to young and credulous people. —I am, &c, A RESIDENT. Mumbles, Nov. 3.

The Cambrian of November 19th reported:

THB GHOST. —The excitement created by the alleged nightly appearance of "the Ghost" in the various lonely and darksome places in the vicinity of the town has not subsided during the past week and crowds of persons still gather in the neighbourhood of the Graig and the upper part of the town to watch for the appearance of the apparition. The asseverations are many and emphatic that this mysterious "spirit" takes his (or her) walks abroad dressed in white, with various words emblazoned in phosphorous around the waist and on the arms, but wearing a cloak, with which he dexterously conceals his "distinguishing marks" upon the approach of the "bobby" or any suspected person.

Such are the rumours which have been curreut for many weeks past; and although the police have not yet caught a single sight of this mysterious visitant, there can, we presume, be little doubt but that some mischievous, foolish fellow has dressed himself in some fantastic costume and taken his walks abroad after dark, to the terror of women and young children. If such is the case we sincerely hope he will some night be caught in one of his escapades and the punishment we should like to see awarded him would be to hand him over to the tender mercies of some half-dozen of the mothers of the children whom he has frightened, — we will guarantee he would be unable to pursue his amusements for some few weeks at all events.

But we have good news for the timid people and the children of Swansea anent this unwelcomed visitant. He has actually taken his departure (pro tem it may only be) from the town, and arrived in Gower, for on Wednesday night he was actually seen in Port Eynon. About nine o'clock in the evening one of the substantial farmers of that village was quietly sitting in his house when bis servant boy unceremoniously rusbed in, trembling like an aspen leaf white with fear, and almost unable to speak. In a minute or two he gasped he had seen the ghost, "all in white and fire over him."

The farmer went out and found all the village in an uproar, and following the crowd, which was in eager pursuit, he saw "the spirit" run across the fields towards Overton. Some of those who were in pursuit were determined to give his majesty the ghost a warm reception could they get alongside him, for four or five shots were fired after him. He, however, escaped in the most mysterious manner over the cliffs, and was not again seen that night although many watched for his re-appearence for several hours.

The Gowerians would doubtless cool the courage of this foolish fellow could they succeed in catching him, for a good ducking in the nearest horse pond and a sound thrashing were loudly talked of. We can only hope that "the ghost" will shortly assume some tangible form, and that the police will succeed in puttiag a stop to foolish pranks which may probably produce serious consequences.

The Cambrian of November 26th reported:

"THE GHOST" IN GOWER. —A correspondent who signs himself "An Overtonian," says:— "On Saturday evening last, "the Ghost" made his second appearance at the little village of Overton. It appeared that Mr. J. Bevan, farmer, noticed some object in white apparel near his promises he immediately informed his family of what he had seen, and on hearing this his son, with two other young men, went in pursuit of the unwelcome visitor. After a while they saw him in an adjacent field. One of the party, who appeared to be a little braver than his companions, made a rush towards the hideous object.

The "ghost" led the way for a short distance, but subsequently stopped, to the great consternation of his pursuer. The latter, although terrified, had courage enough to lay hold of the monster a struggle ensued, but to the horror of the young man he found himself quite unequal to the combat. He shouted for help, but his companions instead of going to his assistance made off to the village for help and left their friend to the tender mercies of "the ghost." Having got additional help the two young men and others returned to the scene of battle but by this time "the ghost" had relinquished his hold of the young man and made off not to be seen again that night, leaving his antagonist little injured beyond a shock to his nervous system."

Another correspondent says:- On Saturday night "the ghost" was seen in the neighbourhood of Crow-Tor a lonely spot situated some distance to the west of Overton, on the road to Paviland Cave and the Worms Head, near a couple of desolate and long deserted cottages. On hearing this report three young men from the village proceeded thither, each resolved and determined to rid their country of the much dreaded monster. Arriving at the spot nothing was seen for some minutes; at last one of them saw it in an adjoin- ing field, whereupon all three rushed to the fence, where could be seen distinctly a huge monster clad in white moving across the field. One of the young men, apparently more brave than the others, pursued the object, calling on his comrades to follow.

"The ghost" led for some time, but at last faced his pursuer, who dauntlessly laid hold of him and a struggle ensued, in which the gallant young Gowerian found himself over-matched. He called aloud to his companions for help, but in vain, for one it seems was rooted to the spot almost speechless with fright, the other ran for his life to the village to get more assistance so after nearly losing a right-arm sleeve, and getting an injured left leg, and several other scars, our hero shook himself free of the, monster's clutches, and hastened towards the village where he met a large party coming to his rescue; but nothing more has been seen or heard of the ghost, except a notice which was stuck up in a public place the next morning as follows :—" Any person anyway molesting me, will be in great peril, (Signed), GHOST."

On December 1st the Cambrian published some correspondence explaining the situation:

THE GOWER "GHOST." TO THE EDITOR OF THE CAMBRIAN." SIR, —For some weeks past the public have been treated in the columns of your valuable paper to a description of "a huge monster," and which your correspondent, who signs himself "An Overtonian," calls "The Ghost." I think it right, in the interest of your too credulous readers and of the Gowerians in general, to furnish him with the facts of the case. The dreaded "monster" is quite an ordinary individual, whose hugeness and monstrosity need not alarm or frighten anyone.

The facts are simply these:- A young sailor, who has recently returned from sea, had been ordering a waterproof coat from the village tailor, and on putting on the coat it was remarked that he would make a very good "Ghost." The fame of "Spring-heel'd Jack" having reached the Goweriaus, the young sailor determined to try his fortune in this direction, and so, with his white long tailed coat and some other articles of dress, he was furnished with all that was necessary to complete his ghostly appearance. In this dress he walked home, and having succeeded in frightening some timid creatures in or near the village, the plan was originated and matured for competing with "Spring-heel'd Jack." In order to execute his plan he secured the assistance of a well-known character in the village. This then is the person who, with two others, "resolved to rid their country of the much-dreaded Ghost," and who is described by your correspondent as "rooted to the spot almost speechless with fright" from the apearance of a Ghost whom he had helped to cook. I am, Sir, yours, &c., A SWANSEA BOY WHO IS BEHIND Dec. 1, 1880. THE SCENE.

The original writer was not convinced, however, as this letter in the December 10th edition of the Cambrian shows:

THE GOWER "GHOST." TO THE EDITOR OF "THE CAMBRIAN." SIR, -The so-called facts related by your correspondent "The Swansea Boy who is behind the Scene," are not sufficient in my judgment to convince me and others that the ghost trick was entirely the caprice of a young sailor. Your correspondent is probably not aware that the ghost made two appearances in Gower. The waterproof or long-tail coat alluded to, could not have formed the covering of the ghost at his first appearance, because it can be substantially proved that on that day the material for making it was purchased.

Whether the young sailor was the acting spirit in the first appearance we leave your correspondent to conjecture it can, however, be positively asserted he was not the character who formed the second, because he was in my company when the cry for help reached the village. I would recommend your correspondent to become fully conversant with the facts of the case before attempting to enlighten the public. Although "behind the scene" he is evidently not aware of what transpired before it. All right-minded people know that it is a trick played by some one, not an experiment to obtain a fortune; but simply a joke for amusement. The Gowerians generally are not so weak minded as to believe in ghosts and goblins, whether they are represented to exist in Swansea or Gower. I am, Sir, yours respectfully, Balcony Cottage, Overton, W. GIBBS. Dec. 6th, 1880. [The correspondence on this subject must now close.]

CONVERSATION

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Welsh UFO Sightings 1875

Welsh UFO sightings from 1875. For sightings from other years please click HERE.

PRESS
January 1875
Rhosddu Colliery

The Llangollen Advertiser of January 8th 1875 reported on an alleged ghost that was haunting Rhosddu Colliery:

WREXHAM. A GHOST AT RHOSDDU COLLIERY. —Rumour says that much alarm has been caused among the timid workmen at Wrexham Colliery by the appearance of a ghost on the bank. One of the men, scared by the apparition, took to his "scrapers," as the Irish say, and did not pull up until out of breath. The ghost, whilst composed of some vapoury element unknown to scientists, has the power of speech, and it is said to have talked a long time with one of the denizens of the neighbourhood. What the conversation was about — whether he a tale unfolded that harrowed up the soul of the listener, reduced his blood to frigidity, and made his two eyes start like stars from their spheres - we have not heard; but we have been told that the wraith suddenly vanished into an invisible form without the slightest notice. The poor ghost has been hunted several times, out it has always got to cover before its pursuers were able to overtake it. Unhappy ghost! doomed for a certain period only to walk the purlieus of Rhosddu, his mission may soon be accomplished. Vex not his spirit! in all probability he will not be able long to resist the salubrity of this populous suburb.

PRESS
January 1875
Carmarthen

The Welshman of January 15th 1875 reported on a ghost that turned out be a police officer clad in his nightdress:

A GHOSTLY STORY.—On Monday evening, some hundreds of persons were amused for several hours by what they were pleased to call a ghost, as exhibited in a house in Nott-square. This was a sham ghost, and little did those who watched its movements think that a few short hours a real ghost would positively make its appearance in the streets of Carmarthen. Precisely as the St. Peter's Church clock struck the hour of twelve (so exact are ghosts in the matter of time), a figure clad in white was seen to run through Queen-street, in the direction of King-street, at a rapid pace, holding in its hand a huge carving knife. P.C. Harries was standing at the eastern corner of Queen-street, when the figure instantly walked toward him. Unlike the policeman who was lately sent to capture a burglar, Harries stood his ground like a man. Taking Harries by the arm, the figure implored him to come with all possible speed to a house in Spilman-street, where a horrid murder was being perpetrated that moment. Harries in turn took hold of the figure by the arm, and to his surprise he grasped nothing but the ordinary flesh and blood.

Scanning the object before him a little more closely, Harries discovered that his ghostly acquaintance was a member of the Carmarthenshire constabulary, whose only apparel was the solitary garment in which he nightly sleeps. They at once proceeded to the house in Spilman-stieet, and after some discussion as to who should be the first to go upstairs, a happy thought occurred to Harries, who suggested that inasmuch as his companion had the carving-knife in his hand he had better take the lead. On going to the room from whence the cries of "murder" came, it was discovered that a nightmare had been very properly punishing an inmate who had taken an undue quantity of supper before retiring to rest.

Short piece on an undated ghost laying attempt from the February 5th edition of the Cambrian:

GHOSTS IN CHURCHES. —Llandisilio, Mont.— "This church was terribly troubled by a Spirit in times gone by." So I was once informed by a person who took me over the church, and being curious to hear the story my guide related the following: To such extremes had things come that it was resolved to send for a well-known and expert person to lay the Spirit. But the Spirit nearly overcame the expert, and the fight continued hard and fast for a long time. The Ghost-layer came out often for fresh air and beer. And then was plainly seen from his bared arms and the perspiration running down his face that there was a terrible conflict going on within the church. At last success crowned the effort, and the Spirit, not unlike a large fly, was put in a bottle and thrown into a deep pool in the river Verniew, where it remains to this day and the church was troubled no more." As a proof of the truth of the story my informant showed me the beams which were cracked at the time the Spirit troubled the church.

PRESS
Wednesday 17th February 1875
Pwllheli

Griffith Thomas Picton-Jones, a solicitor and five time Mayor of Pwllheli, wrote in Field magazine of strange lights he had recently observed:

"Some few days ago we witnessed here what we have never seen before - certain lights, eight in number, extending over, I should say, a distance of eight miles; all seemed to keep their own ground, although moving in horizontal, perpendicular, and zig-zag directions. Sometimes they were of a light blue colour, then like the bright light of a carriage lamp, then almost like an electric light, and going out altogether, in a few minutes (they) would appear again dimly, and come up as before. One of my keepers, who is nearly 70 years of age, has not, nor has any one else in this vicinity, seen the same before. Can any one of your numerous readers inform me whether they are will-o'-the-wisps, or hat? We have seen three at a time afterwards on four of five occasions."

Llangollen Advertiser, March 5th 1875.

Picton-Jones wrote a letter to the Cambrian News detailing his second sighting on Sunday 27th February 1875.

Yoke House, Pwllheli, 2nd March, 1875. —
The curious lights appeared again on Sunday night. We saw twelve at the same time; two were very bright, the one of a red, the other of a blue colour. They were inland, the same as before, but from what we could observe they did not confine themselves to marshy ground, although at first they seemed to rise from the ground where we knew there were swamps.

It was a very dark and foggy night, and my brother, my son Percy, my keeper and I went out about a mile to see if we could get near them. When we had gone about half a mile we observed four or five behind us. We went to the farm adjoining, and called their attention to them. Mrs. Picton-Jones and two servants watched them for an hour and a half, and had, from their description, a better view than we had, as we were occasionally in hollows.

On our way home from Bryntani farm we saw a bright light at Yoke House, which we all thought was a lamp put out to direct us home, the night being so dark and our course across country. The other servants by this time, having come home from church and chapel, were watching the curious antics of the lights.

I should mention that we had a lamp with us, but it was darkened, except when we came to banks or ditches. Those at Yoke House saw the same light, and thought it was our lamp, but were all mistaken, as, when we got within about 200 yards of our pond, the light turned into a deep blue colour and disappeared. In front of the other pool there are some sheds, and one light that had appeared before we started seemed to go in and out, round the corner, on to the cart horse stable, round its gable end, then on to the barn, exactly the same as if it were a human being, with the exception of rising to such a height that even 'Tall Agrippa' could not come up to it.

Their movements and the distance which they spread were the same as described before. Our house is about three-quarters of a mile from the Cardigan Bay, and the promontory is about seven miles as the crow flies. Last night they did not appear, but we saw several flashes of lightning.
— I am, sir, your obedient servant, G. T. Picton-Jones.

The Cambrian News of 12th March published a short follow up:

THE STRANGE LIGHTS. - The strange phenomena described by Mr Picton Jones, Yoke House, Pwllheli, in our last, are still seen. One night this week, Mr Picton Jones saw them as he was returning from an Eisteddfod committee, when they assumed the appearance of a sheaf of corn.

All the coverage encouraged a flurry of letters from readers who had also seen strange lights, though usually years previously.

This account also featured in Notes and Queries 5/3/306 and Charles Fort's Book of the Damned.

PRESS
February 1875

Nerquis

Stones were thrown at a woman and police officers in Nerquis by a supposed ghost. The Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser of of February 27th 1975 reported:

THE NERQUIS GHOST — The good people of Nerquis are much exercised just now by the presence amongst them of one of the inhabitants of the spiritual world. It is currently reported that he is a very considerate creature, for he only troubles one person, and that a member of the fair sex. How and when she, poor thing, offended the inhabitants of the other world, it is not said; although those who have been washing their dirty clothes in public, darkly hint that it is all on account of some opposition she made to their saintly views with regard to the building or non-building of a place of worship.

However, there is no doubt of his ghostly presence though he interferes with her only, and although he has been very harmless in his operations hitherto, there is no knowing what he might do if he is provoked. The way he amuses himself, we are told, is by throwing stones about, when his enemy - the woman in question - passes a certain spot, but he has not struck her, nor anyone else, though she is accompanied on all occasions past the dreaded spot. In fact, he throws the stones so gently that they come naturally into the hands of her companions.

Nevertheless, he is held in great fear, and the good people stand in much awe of him so much so, as on Wednesday evening, the 17th inst., the services of a member of the "blue" force were called into requisition to apprehend him, and, if possible, to take him before the nearest magistrate, that is, if so ethereal a creation could be persuaded to be gently caught and kept in durance vile. The gallant officer set about this duty with a stout heart, and accompanied by several stalwart men - for fear of accidents - boldly approached the awful spot. His hair did not stand on ends - for reasons, those who know him can appreciate - but whether the same praise can be afforded to his companions is more than we can say.

But as they neared the spot, the stones could be seen gently approaching, but from which direction nobody seemed to know, and what is more wonderful they did not seem to strike anyone that the inquiry should be made. Approach they did however, and wonderful to relate, acknowledging the august presence of the representative of bumbledom, they lodged themselves one and all in his hands. He was not in the least hurt, nor was anybody else, and though it was a nice moonlight night nobody could be seen. This dire event was the cause of much consternation. The boy in blue felt a tremor creeping over his whole body, and a decided inclination to tremble, especially about his heels.

It was full time to beat a hasty retreat, which was accordingly done, and so masterly was it conducted that not a single casualty occurred. The brave army and the braver general arrived at Nerquis in perfect safety, much to the joy of their families. But the troubles of the night were not over. We ought to have stated, that notwithstanding the hasty retreat, the combatants were able to bring from the field trophies of the battle, if not of victory. These were the stones which lodged themselves so considerately in the policeman's' hands. Whether they put themselves there voluntarily in fear of the ghost, or whether his ghostship placed them there because he could not trust himself to retain them in his own hands we are not informed.

But no sooner did the faithful officer lay them carefuily on the floor of his own house, then there was an imniense commotion throughout the household. His better-half was up in arms— I- What! did he intend to beep the implements of Satan in her house? Not if she knew it, and, out they had to go, every one of them, and on the next morning the bewildered husband had to report the real presence of a visitor from another world to his official superiors, some of whom are as credulous on the subject as himself. We have treated the subject just with that amount of seriousness that it deserves. Notwithstanding our Sunday and day schools, the superstition, of darker days still linger among us. Had the woman, finding that the stones did not hurt her, said nothing about them, some mischievous person would have missed a great deal of fun, for he would soon have got tired of unnoticed exertions. Now he is in high glee, no doubt, and some years hence will have renewed pleasure in relating the frolics of his younger days.

PRESS
May 1875
Bagillt

Various newspapers reported on a series of alleged ghost sightings in Bagillt - it had been seen by day and night, and had allegedly broken a heavy wooden door. Interestingly, the daytime sightings were supposedly in the form of a gorilla.

The Flintshire Observer of May 21st 1875 reported:

A GHOST. - The frequenters of of the Bagillt road have been scared during the past week or so by a "ghost" who has appeared in a very nude state to some of the passers by. The apparition has terrified females who have gone that way, and we hear that the madcap who indulges in these senseless freaks will receive good pay when he gets into the hands of some men who are anxious to meet him. Perhaps a good pummeling and a dip in Velin-y-Nant pool is what he wants; if so, he had better carry on his "ghostly" fun for a night or two more, and he need not fear of receiving the reward he deserves.

On June 4th the Flintshire Observer reported:

THE "GHOST." - The "scare" as the Yankees term it, continues with respect to the "ghost" on the Bagillt road, and the report appears to create no little alarm in the minds of timorous ones. The apparition is by common report said to have appeared in as many forms as Mephistopheles himself, but strange to say it has a liking for revealing itself in state of nudity. Bands of courageous youths have sallied forth to hunt up the visitor, armed with very formidable weapons, but they returned without meeting with the object of their search, and we fancy every other search would prove useless as the report is obviously without foundation, and the colourings it has received are evidently the fruit of fancy. The report originated in the frolics of some children, and the affair having got wind innocent fun has been ludicrously magnified into the appearance of a "ghost".

The North Wales Register of June 5th 1785 reported:

THE GHOST. - Considerable excitement prevails throughout this neighbourhood for about a fortnight owing to the appearance of a supposed ghost on the road leading to Bagillt. Some years ago a report was spread that the nightingale was to be heard in the same locality, and hundreds paraded the road at every hour of the night to admire the thrills of the musical visitor, which proved to be none other than imitations made by some frolicsome youths who, at the expense of fooling their neighbours, enjoyed themselves. However, another midnight attraction is reported now, who appears in every form and shape.

The nocturnal visitor possesses a destructive nature, for he is supposed to have destroyed a strong wooden door on the road, and reduced it to firewood. He is also of an industrious disposition, for he has, according to report, without the aid of steam or water-power, driven the machinery of a manufactory close by with the greatest ease for a whole night. To him is attributed many unparalleled actions, such a conveying a quack traveller with lightning speed through fields and hedges without any personal injury. The haunts of this wonderful creation of some fertile imagination have been visited nightly by scores of persons who were on the alert, prepared with dangerous weapons for an effectual attack upon this uncalled for visitor.

To him time is no consideration, for he is visible during the day as well as at night, but his appearance to children and the female sex are more numerous than to the stronger sex. During the day he appears as a gorilla, and haunts the woods in every direction, where visible traces are to be found of his whereabouts, and it is circulated in localities not two miles from the scene of his freaks that a strong body of her Majesty's defenders has been stationed there with weapons of war to destroy the ghastly intruder.

Such amongst others are the reports we are sorry to state that are credited by a large class of people, who are ever ready to believe unfounded suppositions of this nature, and ever ready to add upon their own responsibility any deficiency that may exist in the groundless rumours.

The Cambrian News (11th June) reported: A ghost is reported from Holywell. His freaks are various - he smashes doors, conveys people with miraculous speed from one point to another, drives machinery at night time, and assumes the form of a gorilla. It should be noted, too, that he prefers the company of women and children to that of men.

PRESS
October 1875
Rhosddu Colliery, Wrexham

The North Wales Journal (08/10/1875) reported on alleged ghostly happenings at Rhosddu.

A GHOST AT RHOSDDU COLLIERY. - Rumour says that much alarm has been caused by the appearance of a ghost on the bank. One of the men, scared by the apparition, took to his "scrapers," as the Irish say, and did not pull up until out of breath. The ghost, whilst composed of some vapoury element unknown to scientists, has the power of speech, and it is said to have talked a long time with one of the denizens of the neighbourhood. What the conversation was about - whether he a tale unfolded that harrowed up the soul of the listener, reduced his blood to frigidity, and made his two eyes start like stars from their spheres - we have not heard; but we have been told that the wraith suddenly vanished into an invisible form without the slightest notice. The poor ghost has been hunted several times, but it has always got to cover before its pursuers were able to overtake it. Unhappy ghost! Doomed for a certain period only to walk the purlieus of Rhosddu, his mission may soon be accomplished. Vex not his spirit! in all probability he will not be able long to resist the salubrity of this populous suburb.

PRESS
November 1875
Tregaron

The Cambrian News (12/11/1875) reported - none too seriously - on an alleged ghost that wore a three cornered hat, barked like a dog, and jumped on peoples' backs.

A GHOST NEAR TREGARON. This is an enlightened age. Of course, Superstition was carried away with the last remnant of oppression many years ago. This is a free country in which there flourishes a Free Press, notwithstanding the attempt made a few weeks ago to gag it at Aberystwyth. No servant girls now-a-days believe in fortune tellers. Oh, no, everybody is educated and intelligent and tolerant. Even parsons and ministers are beginning to be a little more liberal-minded than they were in old times. Things are decidedly mending, and rather less than half the people will now pay a 3d School Board rate in preference to a 3s 6d poor rate. There can be no doubt about our progress; why you may ask five or six of the first people you meet in the street to sign their names and not more than three of them will do it in this way - X.

We are making tremendous strides, take my word for it, and in a short time gentlemen will give over saying Hoffice, Hact, Happearance and Hestimate, and other gentlemen will not say "It is a very fine day, whatever." Everybody, thank fortune, has long ceased to carry their food to their mouths with sharp knives, and I actually met a man last week who did not think it would be a good joke to cheat a man who relied on his honesty.

But to come to this ghost. About half a mile from Tregaron there is a ghost. It wears a three cornered hat, barks like a dog, can jump on the backs of four people at once and is becoming so great a nuisance that strong measures will have be taken with it. Some nights it does not make its appearance, but at other times it comes with a vengeance, and, so to speak, plays the bear with the occupants of the house, because, as was before said, it can and does jump on four people's backs at once. Nobody believes in the ghost, but there is a lot of curiosity as to what the disturbance is about, and perhaps just a few do believe a lee-tle tiny but in ghosts generally.

There is now a rare opportunity of catching this ghost, and perhaps a few doctors could be got to come down from London, and we might see how long it could live without anything to eat. It isn't everybody that can see a ghost, but most people can see a house, and I'll be bound there will be lots of visitors, in the day time, to look at the house where the ghost is said to play its pranks. The last ghost I heard of was at Machynlleth, and a policeman caught it, and the Magistrates fined it 1s, and costs! If the Tregaron Magistrates are wise, they will give this ghost three months at Cardigan when they catch it.

A letter was published in the November 19th edition of the Cambrian News:

THE MACHYNLLETH GHOST. SIR, I see a reference in your columns to the Machynlleth ghost and an insinuation that the fine of 1s. was too little in the case. When you consider the matter I think you will agree with me that it was ample. The facts are as follows: - A young servant girl happened to make a noise which was immediately put down to a ghost by the foolish and superstitious people of the house. Encouraged by their folly she continued the noises and diversified them by throwing stones through the windows; all of which was set down to the ghost.

Hundreds of persons from Machynlleth and its neighbourhood flocked to the house to see the ghost. Incredible to relate, after chapel one Sunday evening the elders and leading persons of the connexion assembled at the house and had a prayer meeting "to lay the ghost;" in the middle of the prayers the impenitent ghost threw a volley of stones, some of which struck the man who was leading in the prayers, and altogether behaved as only a very improper ghost would have done, and more wonderful still, the stones all came from the inside of the building, so that the wicked ghost was evidently in the midst of them. As prayers were of no use they as a last resource appealed to the police, who soon laid the spirit. Now I contend that the parties who ought to have been punished were, not the foolish young girl, but those men who, setting themselves up as teachers and preachers, were so utterly foolish and benighted that they encouraged the perpetration of what was, after all, but the joke of a young person irresistibly drawn on by the astounding folly of persons who ought to have known much better. — I am,&c., ANTI HUMBUG.

The Cambrian News of November 26th followed up:

THE GHOST. Faenog is said to be the scene of operations for the ghost, whose doings were described last week. It is thought the popular outcry about ghosts is intended to have some purpose. Only the ignorant are imposed upon, but unfortunately in country places the ignorant are somewhat numerous.

Another follow up from the Cambrian News of December 10th:

THE TREGARON GHOST. I am sorry to hear that this ghost has disappeared altogether, and the magistrates will, therefore, not have an opportunity of sending it to Cardigan. What a joke it would be to give the ghost's name and age. Perhaps my friends did not know ghosts had names. We need not, however, say anything about names at present.

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