Welsh UFO sightings from 1885. For sightings from other years please click HERE.
PRESS
Llandegal
People in Llandegal were attacked by a 'ghost' who knocked their hats off - it turned out to be a vengeful owl... The North Wales Express of May 8th 1885 reported:
LLANDEGAL GHOST STORY. For several nights past the good people of Llandegal - Lord Penrhyn's model village — Bangor, have been greatly frightened by the supposed appearance of an apparition in that neighbourhood. People traversing a lane leading to a work-yard belonging to Lord Penrhyn after dark have been attacked by au unseen antagonist. The other night two young gentlemen were proceeding up the lane, when, all of a sudden, the hat of one was knocked off. He had no sooner picked it up and replaced it on his head than off it went a second time. Upon reporting the occurrence to his companion he found that he had suffered a similar treatment, with the addition of a bleeding cheek.
They then proceeded to the Bangor-road, and seeing a policeman reported the strange assault committed upon them much to their astonishment the officer said he also had been similarly maltreated, and that his helmet had been so knocked about that it was no longer "fit to wear." Things came to so serious a pass that a force of policemen and others was arranged to waylay this nocturnal knocker off of hats. This band assembled in the lane the other night, and after a vigilant watch found that the "ghost" was no other than an owl which had built its nest in one of the trees overhanging the road. It is surmised that the bird had had its young ones stolen, and that it attacked all nightly pedestrians in the hope of inflicting punishment upon the robber.
The story was also published in the Llangollen Advertiser and Western Mail of May 15th, and Rhyl Advertiser of May 16th.
PRESS
August 1885
Glyntaf
The flickering light of a 'corpse candle' was seen by hundreds of people at Glyntaf Cemetary after 'Morien' of the Western Mail reported on it. But the mystery was soon solved when they explained in the 22nd August 1885 edition of the Weekly Mail, the 'candle' was simply the reflection of a gas light in the polished marble of a tomb.
THE "CORPSE CANDLE" AT TREFOREST. THE MYSTERY SOLVED [BY MORIEN]
Since the publication in the Western Mail of a paragraph calling attention to a mysterious light sean at night in Glyntaf Cemetery throngs of people have ascended the hill side and gazed at the distant mystery with horror. Fair eyes have been opened almost as "wide as saucers," while the owners of those eyes have been heard to utter low moans as if under a mesmeric spell, while, leaning on the shoulders of trembling swains, they have watched the movements of the "Corpse Candle" flickering between waving branches of evergreens, in the midst of which the marble tombs are situated. Not a soul seemed willing to approach nearer than 400 yards to the horrible object.
Tis true, a local gentleman - a Mr. Tobin - publicly announced his intention to interview the ghost, and to ask it a few pithy questions as to what it meant by its frightful antics beneath the stars. But Mr. Tobin did not carry out his intention, and the ghost was left to hold its nightly vigil among the tombs unmolested, and to frighten the whole neighbourhood. At first the wise-acres of the town near the Forest were inclined to make merry about the "Corpse Candle," which, according to a venerable tradition, is always carried by a disembodied spirit, muttering a Cyhiraeth as it glides noiselessly along in the darkness. But the moment the wise men saw the mysterious light themselves they became dumb with amazement. Those who came to scoff remained to pray.
A few nights ago a couple of the blue-coated guardians of the public peace accompanied to the spot a number of the fair daughters of Eve, who, actuated, like their great ancestress, by curiosity, desired to see the "Corpse Candle" for themselves. The fair ones seemed to fancy a ghost would not dare to attack two gentlemen at once like the policemen, and so, at midnight, they ascended the hill of the sun together. When they reached the ghostly ground of 'vantage they beheld the light in the plain below, and one of the ladies, with an unearthly wail, promptly fell into the arms of a convenient bachelor. A Gwyddelian, who was as ready as his race usually are in a moment of danger, and who uttered a tender expression in the language of Erin, sprinkled water on the fair one's face. This restored her to consciousness.
To make a long story short, however, last Saturday, just at the witching hour of midnight, a party, of which the writer was one, ascended the hill once more. They beheld the mysterious light burning as usual. It was decided that one of the party should retrace his steps down the hill, and put out the gas light burning just below the lawn of the writers residence. We now watched intently the light in the cemetery. It disappeared with startling suddenness. We then ascertained that the light had been put out. It was presently re-lit, aud the light in the cemetery. 400 yards away, re-appeared in the darkness at the same time. Thus was the whole matter explained, it being nothing but the reflection of the distant gas light on the polished marble work on the summit of one of the tombs in the cemetery. Morien had actually suggested this explanation in the August 12th edition of the Western Mail, then dismissed it because they couldn't work out which light would have been reflected...
CORPSE CANDLES. A STRANGE ADVRNTURE AT GLYNTAF CEMETERY. [BT MORIEN]
I am by no means superstitious, but I must udmit I am unable to quite shake off certain early impressions relating to Ystradyfodwg ghosts and corpse candles received when listening to Mari Dafydd Rhys and Mari Richard relating their past experiences with the world of shadows. I remember, too, "Sian Ynysycrug" telling me that sixty years before, when she was domestic servant at Aberorchy, Ystradyfodwg, such a large gathering of corpse candles took place occasionally during dark nights, on the neighbouring small bridge, that they afforded sufficient light to enable the harness to be seen in the neighbouring stables. I must admit, also, a strong desire to peep into futurity, with a view to glean some information about the hereafter. On Saturday night last, about one hour before the witching hour of midnight, when, we are told, "churchyards yawn" and ghosts glide abroad and remain about until the perfume of the morning air is wafted abroad, a young farmer named Mr. William Lewis, Bryntylehaul, and Brynfab, the well-known lyric poet, called upon me, and Lewis, with a face as white as any shroud, asked me tremulously, "If I should like to see a corpse candle" ("canwyll gorph").
Now, if the poet had asked me the question I would have instantly concluded that the spirit of the Divine Awen was upon him unusually strong that night, and that, therefore, he was hardly responsible for his utterances. But here was Lewis, a butcher, und, therefore, unlikely to be led away by the charms of the Cambrian muse, of whose operations it is said: - Than Cambrian verse, below the sun; No web of song it finer spun. The very thought that a corpse candle was near my habitation sent a thrill through my nerves. "Where, where, is it to be seen?" I stammered forth. My informant then told me that he had seen it nightly during the last few weeks.
The poet was sceptical on the point, and I expressed an honest doubt. But Lewis was very much in earnest, and protested it was to be seen that night. In a short time afterwards we were climbing in the darkness the side of a hill so as to have a full view of the broad cemetery in the plain below. After we had climbed a distance of about 200 yards Lewis pointed in the directien of the cemetery, and whispered "There it is!" I felt my flesh creep, and a thrill made me tremble slightly, directing my gaze in the direction indicated by Lewis, I beheld among the tombs and thick foliage at the upper part of the cemetery and near the wood what seemed to be a small, brilliant light, emitting radiance all around.
Occasionally the light seemed to flicker, but this effect was, I believe, caused by the movement of the branches of foliage. "Brynfab" was silent with amazement, and the words "Angels and ministers of grace defend us" came instinctively to my lips. Suddenly I beheld a bright light within a couple of yards from where I stood, and my first impulse was to take to my heels. But that turned out to be nothing but the light of a glow-worm. The mysterious light in the distance continued to show itself as distinctly as ever, and when we separated half an hour later it was still there "making night hideous and us fools of nature." Neither of us could muster up courage enough to go down into the cemetery and inspect the corpse candle, and we separated after agreeing to go there "some other night" to see what it was.
On Sunday morning I went to the cemetery lodge, and mentioned to Mr. Morgan Rees, the custodian of the place, what we had seen. "Well," he said, "one moonlight night I saw a mysterious light on me of the tombs, but I went to see what it was — with some trepidation it is true — when I came to the conclusion that what I had seen was the eflection of the moon in the polished marble of one of the tombs." I can only add it was dark on Saturday night. It is quite possible that he light of a distant gaslight in one of the streets reflected on one of the marble tombs, but the nearest gaslight was four or five hundred yards away.
PRESS
September 1885
Merthyr
The ghost of a woman appeared to her sister-in-law, who was caring for the baby she left behind. This story was reported by the South Wales Echo of September 1st and the Cardiff Times of September 5th 1885:
A MERTHYR GHOST STORY. A remarkable ghost story is now going the rounds at Merthyr. Not long since the wife of a local resident died, and her child was handed over to the care of the deceased woman's sister-in-law. Matters went on favourably until one night, when, it is said, the sister-in-law beheld, or fancied she saw, the form of the dead woman standing at the end of the bedstead as if in the act of appealing for the child. The husband of the sister-in-law was not then present, but on a subsequent night, after he had been informed by his astonished wife of what had occurred, he waited with his wife for a certain hour. Then they heard the door of the bedroom upstairs opened and shut three times. They made no pretence of searching for the ghost, but ran out of the house. The child, which it is supposed has been the object cf this nocturnal visit, has now been handed over to the mother of the deceased young woman.
PRESS
October 1885
Friog
The Cambrian News of October 16th reported on ghost rumours in Friog:
FRIOG. GHOSTS. Our English friends who came here in the summer months have now all left us, but it seems that the people of Friog are determined to have visitors, though they must like Glendower call them from the vasty deep." There are rumours current that some people have seen something mysterious along the railway near Bwlchgwyn, which of course was immediately taken to be a ghost, and so far no one has been successful in laying it.
PRESS
October 1885
Ynyshir
A household experiences poltergeist like activity, then the ghost of an old man leads a woman to an unnamed 'implement' hidding behind a loose stone in a wall, instructing her to throw it into the river. The Western Mail of October 31st 1885 reported:
EXTRAORDINARY GHOST STORY FROM YNYSHIR. By MORIEN. Having heard that some extraordinary statements had been made by a Mrs. Ann Jenkins, of Ynyshir, as to her having seen a ghost, accompanied by Police-Constable Menhennick, proceeded on Monday to interview her. We found Mrs. Jenkins at home with her four children. She conversed with me in the Welsh language, and told me, with a deep sigh, that what I had heard was true enough; that a few nights ago she had seen a ghost in the room in which we were then assembled. She had frequently during the last two years heard strange knockings in various parts of the house, but never until she saw the ghost had she dreamed that the knockings came from a supernatural source.
One night, about six months ago, she had gone out for a few minutes, leaving the children alone. Suddenly people living in the adjacent houses heard loud screaming in her house. She ran home, accompanied by the neighbours, when they found her boy, about eight years of age, in a state of terror and trembling all over. He stammered forth that a strange man had come into the room from the back kitchen, and had beaten the table with his hands and made faces at him. A short time afterwards Mrs. Jones, wife of Mr. R. Jones, collier, and Mrs. Jenkins were sitting quietly by the fire-place when there came suddenly a terrific noise in the followed by both seeing the tea kettle flying from one hob to the other. Both women ran upstairs, where they remained trembling at a frightful rate. But yet another appearance was made by the ghostly visitor.
"I was sitting here," said Mrs. Jenkins - on the left side of the fireplace — "with the round table near me. I was busily engaged sewing. My husband was out, and the four children were in bed. Something gently brushed the right side of my face. I thought the cat was on the chair near me, and that it was her fur which I had felt. I went on sewing, when I was brushed on the face a second time in the same way. I then made use of an angry expression and looked up, when, to my unutterable astonishment, I beheld an aged man with a nightcap on his head, and wearing a waist-coat with sleeves. He was very pale, and was gazing intently at me. He had so terrified me that I called him a devil. He, however, made no reply. This increased my alarm, and I jumped up intending to run out, but he dodged me and prevented my doing so.
He then spoke to me in Welsh, his voice being loud and sharp, I tried to scream but was so paralysed with fear that I could not do so. I was as helpless as a child, and I accompanied him to the back room, he all the time moving by my side. I undid the bolt of the back-door, and we went out. I then became conscious of a strange light about us. My companion pointed to a stone in the loose wall facing the back of the house. I pulled out the stone, and behind where it stood was a small implement such as carpenters use. The ghost then said, 'Don't say to anyone what it is,' and I have not told even my husband. The ghost then led me into the street through the front-door. When we reached Use pavement in front of the house I endeavoured to cry out, but failed to do so. I caught hold of an empty bucket and flung it over the wall so as to draw the attention of my next door neighbour.
We reached the road, and I attempted when on the other side to remain behind, when I was suddenly lifted off my feet and carried bodily for some distance. I alighted on the railway bridge leading to Troedyrhiw Siding. All this time I carried the implement in my hand. The ghost here ordered me to throw the thing into the Rhondda Fach River. This I did. I was then led back by the ghost and left on the road opposite my own house. It was about nine o'clock, with a little moonlight." After Mrs. Jenkins had finished her tale I sent for Emily Evans, the next-door neighbour, who came and told me that she noticed bucket thrown, and had heard the most distressing cries.
She and her mother concluded Mrs. Jenkins was beating her boy for "mitching," and that it was the boy who was crying. She saw Mrs. Jenkins going across the road at a rapid rate in the direction of the river, and thought she was chasing the boy. Presently she heard cries of "Emmy! Emmy' Emmy!" She ran out and saw Mrs. Jenkins coming from the direction of the river, but saw no one with her. The next moment Mrs. Jenkins fell into her arms In a fit, and she dragged her into her mother's house, where she remained for a long time in convulsions. When she recovered consciousness site related what she had seen. Since the occurrence it has been remembered that an aged carpenter died in Mrs. Jenkins's house about ten years ago. In answer to my question, the woman said that she never saw anything of the kind before.
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