The Epworth Poltergeist: 3 – The Second Week
This second week of the Epworth haunting story sees an increase in activity, with further physical movement of objects. Additionally, paracoustic sounds such as the swishing of a nightgown as it moves near people, metallic and smashing sounds with no source are heard. Mrs Wesley becomes aware of this and treats this as a rat infestation, ordering a horn to be brought to the house to scare them away.
Smashing Sounds, Latch Lifters and A Ghostly Presence
| Date | Week Commencing 8th December, 1716 |
| Sun Data | Rise: 08:16 – 08:19 Set: 15:43 – 15:47 |
| Moon Data | Rise: 10:52 Set: 21:48 Phase: Waxing (17% – 85%) |
| Phenomena | Audible: Metallic (“sounding metal” / “chains”) – outside Paper Chamber door “Bottles” smashing – under Best Stairs “Coal” smashing into splinters – Front Kitchen “Man in loose nightgown” – down Garret Stairs Knocking under feet – Paper Chamber Knocking on fire screen in Kitchen Physical: Windows and doors rattling in Master Chamber Latches rattling in Paper Chamber and Back Kitchen Warming pan rattling in Paper Chamber Back door in back kitchen pushed against Emily Whole house shaking. Study latch lifted |
| Locations | Paper Chamber (Best Room), Best Chairs, Front and Back Kitchens, Master Chamber, Garret Stairs |
| Witnesses | Emily, Hetty, Molly, Suky, Mr Wesley |
| Letter References | LV, LXI, E2J, Mo2J, HER |
| Text Entries “I did not much believe, till one night, about a week after the first groans were heard, which was the beginning, just after the clock had struck ten, I went down stairs to lock the doors, which I always do. Scarce had I got up the best stairs, when I heard a noise, like a person throwing down a vast coal in the middle of the fore kitchen, and all the splinters seemed to fly about from it. I was not much frightened, but went to my sister Suky, and we together went all over the low rooms, but there was nothing out of order.” – Emily, LXI “Our dog was fast asleep, and our only cat in the other end of the house. No sooner was I got up stairs, and undressing for bed, but I heard a noise among many bottles that stand under the best stairs, just like the throwing of a great stone among them, which had broke them all to pieces. This made me hasten to bed; but my sister Hetty, who sits always to wait on my father going to bed, was still sitting on the lowest step on the garret stairs, the door being shut at her back, when soon after there came down the stair behind her, something like a man, in a loose night-gown trailing after him, which made her fly rather than run to me in the nursery.” – Emily, LXI “my sister Hetty, a year younger than my sister Molly, was waiting as usual, between nine and ten to take away my father’s candle, when she heard one coming down the garret stairs, walking slowly by her; then going down the best stairs, then up the back stairs, and up the garret stairs. And at every step, it seemed the house shook from top to bottom. Just then my father knocked. She went in, took his candle, and got to bed as fast as possible.” – John Wesley, HER “About a fortnight after the time when, as I was told, the noises were heard, I went from my mother’s room, who was just gone to bed, to the best chamber , to fetch my sister Suky’s candle. When I was there, the windows and doors began to jar, and ring exceedingly, and presently after I heard a sound in the kitchen, as if a vast stone coal had been thrown down, and smashed into pieces. I went down thither with my candle, and found nothing more than usual; but as I was going by the screen, something began knocking on the other side, just even with my head. When I looked on the inside, the knocking was on the outside of it; but as soon as I could get round, it was at the inside again. I followed to and fro several times, till at last, finding it to no purpose, and turning about to go away before I was out of the room, the latch of the back kitchen door was lifted up many times. I opened the door and looked out, but could see nobody. I tried to shut the door, but it was thrust against me, and I could feel the latch, which I held in my hand, moving upwards at the same time. I looked out again, but finding it was labour lost, clapped the door to, and locked it. Immediately the latch was moved strongly up and down, but I left it, and went up the worst [narrow] stairs, from whence I heard, as if a great stone had been thrown among the bottles, which lay under the best stairs.” – Emily, E2J “In the morning she [Hetty] told this to my eldest sister [Emilia], who told her, “You know, I believe none of these things. Pray let me take away the candle to-night, and I will find out the trick.” She accordingly took away the candle, than she heard a noise below. She hastened down stairs, to the hall, where the noise was. But it was then in the kitchen. She ran into the kitchen where it was drumming on the inside of the screen. When she went round it was drumming on the outside, and so always on the opposite side to her. Then she heard a knocking at the back-kitchen door. She ran to it, unlocked it softly, and when the knocking was repeated, suddenly opened it: but nothing was to be seen. As soon as she had shut it, the knocking began again: she opened it again, but could see nothing: when she went to shut the door, it was violently thrust against her: she let it fly open; but nothing appeared. She went again to shut it, and it was again thrust against her: but she set her knee and her shoulder to the door: forced it to, and turned the key. Then the knocking began again: but she let it go on, and went up to bed. However from that time she was thoroughly convinced, that there was no imposter in the affair.” – John Wesley, HER “About a fortnight after, when my sister Suky and I were going to bed, she told me how she was frightened in the dining room, the day before, by a noise, first at the folding door, and then over head. I was reading at the table, and had scarce told her I believed nothing of it, when several knocks were given just under my feet. We both made haste into bed, and just as we laid down, the warming pan by the bedside jarred and run, as did the latch of the door, which was lifted swiftly up and down, presently a great chain seemed to fall on the outside of the door (we were in the best chamber), the door, latch, hinges, the warming pan, and windows jarred, and the house shook from top to bottom.” – Molly, Mo2J “Soon after [Suky’s first encounter], we heard a noise as if a great piece of sounding metal was thrown down on the outside of our chamber.” – Suky, LV “A few days after, between five and six in the evening, I was by myself in the dining room. The door seemed to open, though it was still shut, and somebody walked in a night-gown trailing upon the ground (nothing appearing), and seemed to go leisurely around me. I started up, and ran up stairs to my mother’s chamber, and told the story to her and my sister Emily. A few nights after, my father ordered me to light him to his study. Just as he had unlocked it, the latch was lifted up for him.” – Molly, Mo2J | |
| Comments The “about a fortnight after” need to be understood within the context of being memory recollections after a 10 year gap, when Jack was collecting the information in 1726. The latter recollections match up in details other than the times mentioned. Preference to dates is given to the earlier letters, written at the time. At this point, Mrs Wesley is made aware of the activity, but believes it is rats, frightened away by a horn from the neighbours, John and Kitty Maw, across the street. She then sends for a horn to rid them from the house. Note Mrs Wesley’s acceptance of the reality of the supernatural, even if she didn’t think it was the cause at this time. | |
Ghostly Visitation, Suspected Rats and a Horn is Ordered
| Date | Approximately Tuesday 11th December, 1716 |
| Sun Data | Rise: 08:11 Set: 15:45 |
| Moon Data | Set: 00:07 Rise: 12:01 Phase: Waxing Crescent (45%) |
| Phenomena | Audible: “Man in loose nightgown” – in Dining Room Physical: Study latch lifted |
| Locations | Main Dining-Room |
| Witnesses | Emily, Hetty, Molly, Suky, Mr Wesley |
| Letter References | FJ, HER, LV, LXI, M2J, Mo2J |
| Text Entries “A few days after, between five and six in the evening, I was by myself in the dining room. The door seemed to open, though it was still shut, and somebody walked in a night-gown trailing upon the ground (nothing appearing), and seemed to go leisurely around me. I started up, and ran up stairs to my mother’s chamber, and told the story to her and my sister Emily. A few nights after, my father ordered me to light him to his study. Just as he had unlocked it, the latch was lifted up for him.” – Molly, Mo2J “The next evening between five and six o’clock my sister Molly, then about twenty years of age, sitting in the [main] dining-room, reading, heard as if it were the door that led into the hall open, and a person walking in, that seemed to have on a silk nightgown, rustling and trailing along. It seemed to walk round her, then to the door, then round again; but she could see nothing, She thought, “It signifies nothing to run away, for whatever it is, it can run faster than me.” So she rose, put her book under her arm, and walked slowly away.” – John Wesley, HER “About ten days after Nanny Marshall had heard unusual groans at the dining-room door, Emily came and told me that the servants and children had been several times frighted with strange groans and knockings about the house. I answered, that the rats John Maw had frightened from his house, by blowing a horn there, were come into ours, and ordered that one should be sent for. Molly was much displeased at it, and said, if it was any thing supernatural, it certainly would be very angry, and more troublesome.” – Mrs Wesley, M2J “Though I am not one of those that will believe nothing supernatural, but am rather inclined to think there would be frequent intercourse between good spirits and us, did not our deep lapse into sensuality prevent it; yet I was a great while e’er I could credit any thing of what the children and servants reported, concerning the noises they heard in several parts of our house. Nay, after I had heard them myself, I was willing to persuade myself and them, that it was only rats or weasels that disturbed us; and having been formerly troubled with rats, which were frightened away by sounding a horn, I caused a horn to be procured and made them blow it all over the house.” – Mother, LIV “All this time we never told father of it … As for my mother, she firmly believed it to be rats, and sent for a horn to blow them away.” – Emily, LXI “My wife would have persuaded them it was rats within doors, and some unlucky people knocking without” – Mr Wesley – FJ | |
| Comments The HER account uses time compression to tell the story, and whilst it doesn’t fit time-wise, it captures the details nevertheless and includes a possible insight into Molly’s thinking, being cool and calmly walking away. However, this seems to be bravado inserted into the story he’s recounting as Molly’s earlier account says she ran up the stairs. At this point, Mrs Wesley is made aware of the activity, but believes it is rats, frightened away by a horn from the neighbours, John and Kitty Maw, across the street. She then sends for a horn to rid them from the house. Note Mrs Wesley’s acceptance of the supernatural being a reality, even if she didn’t think it the case in this instance. The latch lifting for Samuel would have been surprising, but later entries show he doesn’t hear anything until later. He’s aware of something going on, but goes with the animal hypothesis. What does he mean by “unlucky people”? The poor asking for alms? | |
The letters of the Epworth haunting show a good deal of practical sense by Mrs Wesley. She keeps a cool head, not scaring her children, and attempts to “find the normal in the paranormal” by seeking a scientific explanation – is it rats? This same level-headedness is observed in Letter 3 from John to his mother, where he says: “Could not cats, or rats, or dogs, be the sprights? Was the whole family asleep, when my father and you went down stairs?”
Remember, the family have two pets in the house – a cat and a dog (Letter XI). If there were a rat problem, would not at least the cat have sensed this, or was it up in the garrets where the corn was stored (Robin Brown’s Account to Jack) itself jumping around and making noises trying to catch them?
Could it be that a family pet has wandered into the dining room when Emily heard the swishing night gown, or is coming down the garret stairs when Hetty heard it behind her? Robin Brown has already said he took the family dog into his room in the garrets (Robin Brown’s Account to Jack). With the heightened tensions in the family, maybe anything normal is interpreted in a paranormal fashion, and this is where clear thinking, exhibited by Mrs Wesley and John are needed in investigations.
The apparent sound of bottle smashing is particularly interesting. If there had been earth tremors, say from drainage of the land that was taking place at that time [2], one could argue that vibrations from land settlement were responsible for a lot of the odd noises. However, in this instance, it is relayed that no damage was done, nor nothing out of order. This happens later on in the accounts. For more information about how sounds can be generated through natural processes,but appear to be paranormal, see Vinokur [3].
It must be recognised that each phenomenon in and of itself can very often be explained away by natural, scientific processes. However, one can get lost in the detail and it is by taking a “big picture” approach that we may see the pieces of the puzzle may not actually fit together for a coherent explanation.
Next Time we shall explore the accounts of the Wesley family as they journey through Week 3, where we see how the attempt to rid the home of a perceived rat infestation backfires spectacularly.
Bibliography
Southey, R. (1820), The Life of Wesley; and the Rise and Progress of Methodism, Volume 1, London: Longman, Rees, Orme and Brown.
Stonehouse, W. B. (1839), The History and Topography of the Isle of Axholme: Being that Part of Lincolnshire which is West of Trent, London: Longman, Rees, Orme & Co.
Vinokur, R. (2016) ‘Things that Go Bump in the Night: The Physics of “False” Poltergeists’, Sound and Vibration Magazine, April, pp. 2-6.
Footnotes
[1] Moon Phase information for Epworth on the dates shown has been taken from Moonpage.com; Moonrise / set taken from TimeAndDate.com (moon); Sunrise / set taken from TimeAndDate.com (sun).
[2] The drainage of the Isle of Axholme, in which Epworth is located, can be read about here and in Stonehouse, 71-117
[3] Vinokur, 2-6
