Regency Folklore: Stanhope’s Spirit-ed Ship

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In celebration of the season of the witch (and ghosts, ghouls, and goblins), I thought I would dig up some folklore from the Regency era and share.  Here is one tale of ship powered by spirits.  I will let you be the judge as to whether it was apparition spirits or alcoholic!

Of a Ship brought from Lisoon to Portfmouth by infernal Spirits Every one conversant in English history well knows that one of the Chesterfield family was the founder of the Heil fire Club in the reign of George II and from that and other blafphemous proceedings obtained the appellațion of Hell fir d Stanhope In the early part of his life he was captain of a small foop of war Being at Lisbon and under failing orders for England the anchors being weighed the sailors in general found themselves fo remarkably heavy that sleep was inevitable But the sum of the relation is that the vessel sailing at the amazing rate of forty eight knots an hour arrived at Portsmouth before any of the crew was thoroughly awake Though from the oath they afterwards made before the Mayor of that town viz that they went to seep off the rock of Lisbon on the over nignt infernal agency was clearly proved In fact one of the men made a solemn asseveration that he either was or fancied he was awake some part of the night and faw the shrouds of the vessel filled with black men apparently very small but acting with an agility that ex ceeded any human beings

From the New Lights from the World of Darkness Or the Midnight Messenger; with Solemn Signals from the World of Spirits. Containing Wonderful Evidences of the Visits of Ghosts, Apparitions, &c (1800).

Captain Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield

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