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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