Recently I bought a copy of ‘Dreams and Ghosts’ by the pioneering folklorist Andrew Lang. In the book, published in 1897, Lang discusses the lore of ghosts; many of the stories he therefore discusses at some length, or mixes up with other examples. There are a few, though, which are not well-known and which stand alone. The following tale of a Taunton ghost, which he put under the heading ‘Put out the light!’ (on page 185), is one such and since it comes from a named source and possesses at least one odd feature, I shall quote it here.
‘The Rev D W G Gwynne, MD, was a physician in holy orders. In 1853 he lived at P—- House, near Taunton [Somerset], where both he and his wife “were made uncomfortable by auditory experiences to which they could find no clue”, or, in common English, they heard mysterious noises.
“During the night”, writes Dr Gwynne, “I became aware of a draped figure passing across the foot of the bed towards the fireplace. I had the impression that the arm was raised, pointing with the hand towards the mantel-piece on which a night-light was burning. Mrs Gwynne at the same moment, seized my arm, and the light was extinguished! [Lang's or Dr Gwynne's italics.] Notwithstanding, I distinctly saw the figure returning towards the door, and being under the impression that one of the servants had found her way into our room, I leaped out of bed to intercept the intruder, but found and saw nothing. I rushed to the door and endeavoured to follow the supposed intruder, and it was not until I found the door locked, as usual, that I was painfully impressed.
“I need hardly say that Mrs Gwynne was in a very nervous state. She asked me what I had seen, and I told her. She had seen the same figure,” “but,” writes Mrs Gwynne, “I distinctly saw the hand of the figure placed over the night-light, which was at once extinguished. [Lang or Mrs Gwynne's italics.] “Mrs Gwynne also heard the rustle of the ‘tall man-like figure’s’ garments. In addition to the night-light there was moonlight in the room.”
‘Other people had suffered many things in the same house, unkown to Dr and Mrs Gwynne, who gave up the place soon afterwards.
‘In plenty of stories we hear of ghosts who draw curtains or open doors, and these apparent material effects are usually called part of the seer’s delusion. But the night-light certainly went out under the figure’s hand, and was relit by Dr Gwynne. Either the ghost was an actual entity, not a mere hallucination of two people, or the extinction of the light was a curious coincidence.’
© Richard Holland 2011. Quoting from ‘Dreams and Ghosts’ by Andrew Lang, 1897.
I was born and brought up in taunton and lived here all my life i have always had intrest and believe in the existance of ghosts as i had many unexplained phanomina during my life. i would like to tell you about somthing that happened in the town about 5 years ago. it was an ordinary day i was waiting downstairs in a bank for my husband who was upstairs it was quite buzy people walking in and out , the next minute i was looking at a old woman dressed all in black just standing there staring ahead right in front of me. her skin was wrinkled and pale , her eyes at the bottom were drooped.and her hair was grey and tied up in a type of bun. and i thought this dosnt look right, if she was old why would she be standing so tall and dead straight she should be kind of shrunk or bent back, why would she be out alone, why is she wearing all black down to her ankles. and then she slowly moved forward hardly moving stopped at the door still starring ahead. and turned left out of sight which must have taken about 10 seconds.i immiediately got off my chair looked onto the pavement and she was gone she was moving to slow to have gone anywhare i looked through the crowds and walked a few yards up the pavement looking in the shops everywhare but no sign of her my husband came out asking me what i was doing after explaining he joined me looking but still no sign. i think it was the ghost of a victorian lady in black, i never forgot her and often think about her. who was she , and why was she there. why did she want me to see her.