Welsh UFO sightings from 1872. For sightings from other years please click HERE.
The Cambrian News of January 12th printed a ghost tale asking for any further information:
AN OSWESTRY GHOST.
Mrs Crowe, in her Night Side of Nature, says: "The following very singular circumstance was related to me by the daughters of the celebrated Mrs S - Mrs S. and her husband were travelling into Wales, and had occasion to stop on their way, some days, at Oswestry. There they established themselves in a lodging, to reach the door of which they had to go down a sort of close, or passage.
The only inhabitants of the house were the mistress, a very handsome woman, and two maids. Mr and Mrs S, however, very soon had occasion, to complain of the neglected state of the rooms, which were apparently never cleaned or dusted; though, strange to say, to judge by their own ears, the servants were doing nothing else all night, their sleep being constantly disturbed by the noise of rubbing, sweeping, and the moving of furniture.
When they complained to these servants of the noise in the night, and dirt of the rooms, they answered that the noise was not made by them, and that it was impossible for them to do their work, exhausted as they were with sitting up all night with their mistress, who could not bear to be alone when she was in bed. Mr and Mrs S afterwards discovered that she had her room lighted up-every night; and one day, as they were returning from a walk, and she happened to be going down the close before them, they heard her saying, as she turned her head from side to side, 'Are you there, again? What, the devil! Go away, I tell you. &c.'
On applying to the neighbours for an explanation of these mysteries, the good people only shook their heads, and gave mysterious answers. Mr and Mrs S afterwards learnt that she was belieyed to have murdered a girl who formerly lived in her service. "Who was 'the celebrated Mrs S ?" and what house was it 'up a shut' (as an Oswestrian would say) where all this was supposed to occur? Mrs Crowe's book not a very old one, and if there is any truth in story there must be people living who remember it.
A false rumour of man's death convinced a group they had seen a ghost, as the North Wales Chronicle of March 9th 1872 reported:
THE APPEARANCE OF A GHOST IN THE RIVER GLASLYN.
When the fact of a man being drowned in Traethbach, near Castell Deudraeth, was ascertained, a rumour spread through this part of the country that the drowned man was Mr Legge, the watcher on the river Glaslyn, and some other rivers. The poachers flocked to the bank of the river in great numbers, thinking of making hay there while the sun shone. Whilst they were busy fishing, and thought themselves perfectly safe, they were thrown into a greater consternation than if they had been seized by the powerful band of the law, by an apparation, which the reader will at once perceive was considered by them to be Legge's ghost.
They are by this time convinced that it was Legge in the flesh, and not Legge in spirit that paid them that unexpected and ghostly visit; for they shall have to appear before the magistrate on account of poaching.
PRESS
Spring 1872
Cefn
The Cambrian News of July 5th 1872 reported:
A correspondent of a contemporary writes:— "In one of the principal streets of the Cen, there is a newly built house, lately occupied by man and wife and some three or four children (the owner of which lives only a few yards distant from it). This is the resort of 'an unearthly visitor' who causes such a stir, and has already been the means of making two occupants quit rather abruptly, as well as a lodger after only one night's stay.
The first occupiers were an old man and his family, whose peace was so destroyed and rest disturbed by 'something or other,' that in the course of a few weeks they were obliged to quit. After this the house was vacant for some time, no one being in any haste to associate with the unknown spirit or spints, until some few weeks back, when a man braver than others resolved to take wife and family, and try his fortune with the unwelcome guest. Happy enough were the days spent, but when night came on and all was dark, there was something ghostly that made its appearance, first up and then downstairs, that rendered sleep impossible.
This state of things could not be tolerated, for the husband, being a working man, could not dispense with his necessary rest, and probably thinking that an additional strong man would frighten away this bold intruder, he agreed to take in a lodger; but, alas! one night proved quite long enough for his stay, and he disappeared the next morning. Well, what was to be done? Everything proved useless to drive away the apparition, so accordingly notice was given by the tenants of their intention to quit, which notice expired last Saturday week. All went on just as usual up to the previous night, when the wife summoning up all her courage, resolved to find out the business of this strange comer; so, on its arrival she, with an audible but fluttering voice, summoned it to speak, which proved so successful that it elicited the following reply, that 'the owner must leave the house she now lives in, and come to reside in the new one, for until then I shall continue my visits to the annoyance of every tenant.'
This has been communicated to the owner, who has partly agreed to carry it out, and it is to be hoped the perturbed spirit will now rest in peace and quietness. The affair has created quite a sensation, and it is astonishing to find that so many persons still believe in the superstitions of by-gone ages.
A GHOST AT THE CEFN.
Elsewhere in the paper, an opinion piece was rather scathing of the ghost:
A correspondent tells an extraordinary ghost story believed in, we are assured, by a large number of the, inhabitants of Cefn, though most of them, of course, would laugh at it. The details are more matter-of-fact than usual, and it is hard to conceive of the mental attitude in which a ghost is perceived answering questions like that which was put to the visitant at Cefn.
Summoned to speak, by a woman who deserves credit for her bravery, the Cefn ghost replied, we suppose in the orthodox sepulchral tones, but in most unghostlike language: "The owner must leave the house she lives in and come to reside in the new one, for until then I shall continue my visits, to the annoyance of every tenant." To people who fail to be convinced by that reply, argument would be addressed in vain. Indeed we are not sure that the loss of their ghosts would be desirable for them, since it is plain that they are not designed for intelligent human companionsLip, and if we may judge by spiritualistic records, visitors from the other world are peculiarly adapted for holding intercourse wilh silly people in this.
PRESS
October 1872
Abergavenny
A police constable arrested a man he suspected of pretending to be a ghost, as reported in the Monmouth Central Advertiser of November 2nd 1872:
CATCHING A GHOST.
Late on Saturday night, Police-constable George Jones was going his rounds when he perceived some white figure lurking in a doorway at Park-terrace. He knew not what to make of it. Was it a sleep-walker or a ghost? Summoning his courage, he approached. It was no illusion. There, wrapped in a sheet (which, by the way, was in a filthy condition), one corner of which was used as a hood and partly concealed the face, stood a man of real flesh and blood, and undoubtedly drunk.
"Who are you?" asked the officer, clapping his hand on the ghost's shoulder. "Edward Toomey of Abersychan," replied the figure. And where did he get the sheet? Whose was it? Didn't know; supposed it was his own; thought he had brought it from home to take back a bit of flour in.
The answers not being very satisfactory, Jones insisted on the ghost marching to the station-house with him, and then locked him up till Monday, when he took him before the magistrates, and had him fined 10s. for his drunken performance.
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