Pages

Showing posts with label Ghost Story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghost Story. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 January 2018

A Haunting in Strathalbyn: Glowing Ghosts



A Haunting in Strathalbyn: Glowing Ghosts


In the winter of 1874 and 1875, ghost hunting fever overtook the residents of Strathalbyn, a small hamlet (at the time) 57 km’s southeast of Adelaide, not far from Lake Alexandria.

It all began when Mr W. T. Tregilgas, a local decided to take a short cut through the local cemetery on his early morning walk. Mr Tregilgas witnessed the outline of a woman on the top of an old tombstone. He claimed where the image appeared was dry to the touch, but where it did not appear was wet with early morning dew.

 This sighting led to a national story about the case, and an influx of tourists trying to see the ghost for themselves.

It also led to numerous sightings in the town for many years afterwards.


In the same cemetery, at the same tombstone, a ghostly white figure, luminescent in the fading moon glow was seen laying on its side in the cemetery. The ghost was sighted by a small group of townsfolk, all of whom were far too frightened to enter the cemetery and investigate. The following day, members of the group told all and sundry about their ghostly encounter, while most just scoffed at the suggestion, others became curious.


 The following night a group went to the cemetery, but the spectre did not appear. They kept their nightly vigil, always arriving just before midnight. Only a few nights later, the ghost had reappeared on the same tombstone, again, relaxing, laying on its side, glowing in the pale moonlight.


Non-believers became instant believers, but again, no-one was brave enough to venture into the cemetery and investigate the ghost. If they had, they would’ve discovered a well-known local joker, who had been investing heavily at Francis Millers local chemist shop in phosphorous and its anhydrous solvents!

For more information about this beautiful part of South Australia:
http://strathalbynsa.com.au/

Researched and written by Allen Tiller.
© 2018 Allen Tiller
Bibliography
1912 'JOTTINGS.', Southern Argus (Port Elliot, SA : 1866 - 1954), 7 November, p. 3. , viewed 29 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96975184

Tuesday, 2 January 2018

A Haunting in Strathalbyn: Ghost in the Cemetery



A Haunting in Strathalbyn: Ghost in the Cemetery



A Statement from Mr W.T. Tregilgas about the sighting of a spirit in the stone slab of a grave in a Strathalbyn cemetery was first published in 1871, in the Southern Argus (newspaper) as “The Ghost Story; Or What Gave Rise to It”.
 The alleged haunting caused a stir in the town, and became a national sensation as it was picked up and republished across Australia. This led to hundreds of people descending on the town trying to witness the ghost for themselves, and created a local urban legend that is still talked about even today!

The statement is as follows:

"Whilst taking a walk very early one morning, through some motive which I cannot account for, I was induced to walk through the burying ground, and coming to a grave surrounded by a wall, and covered with a slab of slate, I noticed on the slate something strange.
It was scarcely light enough to see distinctly at first, but after waiting for some few minutes I could see it plainly, and it appeared to be a side view of a female.
I could distinctly trace the head and body and the skirts, apparently full size. Not being satisfied with the sight I rubbed my hand on the form, and found that a portion of the slate was perfectly dry, whilst the parts outside the form were very wet with the dew which had fallen, and still not being satisfied I walked away, and came back in about fifteen or twenty minutes after, and still the form was there; so, I determined upon visiting it again next morning, which I did, and continued doing so for a week or more.
During this time only saw the form once after the first morning; but not being a believer in supernatural appearances I tried to define the cause, but failed. In the course of conversation, I told Mr. Morton what I had seen, and he visited the place, and saw the form, although not so plain as it was when I saw it.
 The form was to be seen, and it has been seen since by others. Now, I believe there is some natural cause which produces this strange appearance, and perhaps some person upon reading this will be able to satisfy the minds of those who have seen it, for although many things have been advanced by people as to the probable cause, but none seem satisfactory to my mind, and those who have been eye-witnesses of the sight."
These are the facts of the case, and they differ widely from the report circulated.
By inserting the above explanation, you will greatly oblige me as well as others.

I am, sir, & c-,

W. T. TREGILGAS,

Strathalbyn.

July 3rd, 1871.


Researched and written by Allen Tiller.

© 2018 Allen Tiller



Bibliography

1871 'THE GHOST STORY; OR WHAT GAVE RISE TO IT.', Southern Argus (Port Elliot, SA : 1866 - 1954), 14 July, p. 3. , viewed 30 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96872595

1871 'ANOTHER GHOST STORY.', Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), 24 July, p. 3. , viewed 30 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60874405

1871 'TRUE GHOST STORIES.', The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), 28 July, p. 4. , viewed 30 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8872154

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

Into The Unknown


Into The Unknown

First published in Heart-Soul & Spirit Magazine, Issue 2 July/August 2014, pgs 37,38
 

 As a paranormal investigator, it is your job to walk into the realms of the unknown at every investigation, sometimes walking into places where Angels themselves would fear to tread. You never know what is behind that next door, what is lurking in the shadows around every corner, or what may decide to follow you back to the safety of your very own home.
 Some may scoff at such a thought, “why would a spirit wish to follow me home”?
Good or bad, have you not just asked the very spirit to communicate with you?
 Would a spirit not be just as inquisitive about you as you, are it?
 Also, you've entered its territory to communicate, why can the spirit not enter your home to do the very same?

 There is also the negative connotation to such a thing, a negative entity that wishes to cause you distress and harm, and “feed” on that negativity for its owns reasons.
 I can tell you from experience in this field, that this is not a laughing matter. That spirits and other entities can, and will follow you home, at their will, and leave at their pleasure.

   Not too many years ago I had visited a known haunted location in the town of Gawler, South Australia. I finished my investigation, headed home, and went to bed about 3am. Within an hour of falling asleep I was awoken abruptly by the foot of my bed lifting off the ground and slamming into the cement floor hard enough to take a large chip out the concrete. I of course, waking up so abruptly, was in a state of panic not knowing what was happening. I switched on a light and the heavy atmosphere and lingering feeling of danger vanished in an instant.
I eventually laid back down and fell asleep.

 The next night, I was in bed before midnight, and again, within an hour the bed was shaking abruptly. Being a little bit cluey to these type of communications, I had prepared a torch under my pillow. I swung the bright torch light up to see the shadow of a woman disappear in a flash.  No-one else was in the room, No-one else in the house.
Just me.
Alone.
Left to ponder two nights of goings on.


 After work the next day, and a long time to think upon the nightly goings on, I came to the conclusion that this spirit may want to communicate only, and may not be harmful, despite my feelings on the first night.

 The spirits actions on night three changed that opinion very quickly.

 On the third night of the bed shaking, the slamming of the bed was much more abrupt, the atmosphere was much more sinister, and when something unseen, cold and harsh grabbed at my leg, that was enough for me to decide to try and move this spirit on.

 At the time, I wasn't a religious person, and my objective was to only document spirits. As I am not a psychic, I did not believe I hold the power to move a spirit on to wherever it is spirits move on too.
 Instead, I sought out different techniques to solve my problems, and went as far back as I could researching into medieval practices. It seems in more “superstitious” times that there was a remedy for everything, but particularly for spirits and other entities.

I read about Vampires being distracted with piles of sand or rice.
That the Vampire is compelled to count, and therefore too distracted to feed upon its victim, funnily enough, this was also an attribute to stop ghostly activity.
 I read about doors painted red, mirrors placed on the back of entry doors with the reflective side pointing out (theory being the ghost would see its own reflection and scare itself). Another interesting remedy was a shiny metal bowl with water inside placed in the room within which the spirit resides, the spirit looks into the reflective water, and is trapped within it. The water, in the morning, can be poured over a tree grounding the spirit. There was one other technique, that I thought would be the simplest for me to try, as all it required was a pair of shoes.

 At the end of any bed that is being moved by a spirit, place a pair of shoes at the foot of the bed before going to sleep for the night. Place one shoe pointing toe first to the bed, and the other heel end to the bed, next to each other on the floor.
Apparently, spirits will become so confused by this, that eventually, after a few nights they will leave out of frustration.
I tried this for myself, and it seemed to work for me. Skeptics will say it is the power belief, and perhaps they are right, but whatever the reason, the bed never shook that hard again for the rest of the time I lived in that particular house.

 Now days, I am much more informed and experienced in the way I approach the spirit realm. I show them the utmost respect and courtesy, and expect the same to be shown to me in return. I often say a couple of prayers before and after an investigation, including St Michael's Prayer for protection, and within those prayers I ask for any spirit to un-attach from me and to not follow me home.

 My wife Karen also has a ritual she has developed for our team, that involves cleansing ourselves with holy water, blessed objects and crystals.
 I have heard many people laugh at such notions, and some say they would prefer the “whole” experience and have no protection at all, but as I always say;“It is always better to be safe than to be sorry”, and that stands true when working with any aspect of the paranormal or spiritual realms.

 Be respectful.
 Be prepared.
 Be protected.
 Be safe.