Regency Folklore: Haunted Castle

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I love to share stories of ghosts and goings on this time of year! Here is another short ghost story from the Regency era:

The Haunted Caftle In a remote part of Wales a young country girl apo plied to the village statute for a place and was hired by a farmer about fifty miles from the village The first morn ing being in the decline of the year and being dark the could find nothing to strike a light with and did not know what to do but feeing a castle opposite the farmhouse with candles in the rooms went to ask for a light She knocked at the door which was opened by a lady who took her candle and lighted it but said not a word The girl thanked her and went home Another time a few mornings after being ordered to boil the fervants fome milk for breakfast the could find no faucepan but what was a deal too big and the lady at the castle being as she thought so good natured she had no doubt but she would be so kind as to lend her one fo over to the castle she goes again to apply for the loan of a faucepan She knocked at the door which was immediately opened by the same lady to whom the mentioned her errand The lady beckoned her to follow her which fhe did through feveral grand apartments elegantly furnished though most of them were in great decay At left they arrived at a pantry which was entirely full of plate of every de scription though very much tarnished for want of use The lady pointed to one which the girl took not supposing it was filver and went home boiled the milk and the servants went about their busines Profenity the miltrefs came down and feeing a saucepan of that description asked the girl where it came from 16 I borrowed it from the castle faid the girl From the castle Yes madam si Why the castle is uninhabited and no live ing creature has ventured to approach it for fome years back and is fuppofed to be haunted as there has been very strange noises heard and lights feen to gleam along the gallery continually you must be mistaken 0 no I ha nt and if you pleafe I will go over again With that the girl krer mafter miftrefs and two men fervants went to the door The girl knocked which was by the lame lady who beckoned the girl in and the door was immediately shut leaving those outside in the usmost confternation The girl undeunted followed the lady through feveral apartments till they came to one very richly furnithed where was fitting an elderly lady and who es foon as the girl came in role and
a pointed to a private closet for the girl to open which she immediately did and discovered a large roll of parchment which they made ligns for her to take up As loon as she had got it in her hand they pointed to the street door as for her to depart which she did preceded by the first lady who opened the door let the girl out and shut it again The girl ran home to her companions who had attended her to the castle but had been too much terrified to stop and related what had past They opened the roll of parchment and found that this very girl was the lawful heir to the estate whose family had been deprived by those who had no title and quarrelling among themselves had thrown the whole into Chancery where it would have rea mained had not the title deeds been discovered in the above strange manner The deeds were put into the hands of an attorney who sued it out of Chancery and restored it to the right owner who now resides in the castle a pattern of virtue and goodness and a blessing to the poor The above story I had from a person who lived fervant with the lady after she got poffeffion of the estate of whole veracity I have not the least doubt

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. … and Notices of Death … The Whole Forming a Constellation of Horror!!! (1800)

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