The Horror of 69 Charlotte Street June 16, 2014

Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern

One of our occasional series of ghost stories from the English press. This one appeared in 1940 – as if a World War wasn’t enough to keep you busy – and relates to Devonport (Plymouth) in the south-west. Note that the south-west is over-represented in English newsreports of Fortean affairs.

Relieved peace once more reigns at 69 Charlotte Street, Morice Town, Devonport. After an exciting week-end, Mr and Mrs Jack Bissett are now settling down to comparative quiet. Flying flat irons, oil lamps, and hair brushes have been pestering these two people during the last few days, and number of uncanny happenings have taken place. To state just a few instances, an oil lamp which was hanging on nail at the bottom the staircase for no apparent reason suddenly dropped to the ground, and danced up the stairs. The most remarkable thing about this was that the lamp did not smash.

The most remarkable thing was, surely, that it danced up the stairs but anyway…

On another occasion a picture of Napoleon’s farewell to Josephine fell from its place of honour [!] over the mantelpiece, smashing the glass. The picture itself was not damaged. When a Western Morning News reporter once more visited the Bissetts yesterday to inquire whether any more ‘weird occurrences’ had been going on. tired, upset and nervous woman opened the door. To the question if all was quiet Mrs. Bissett replied: ‘Nothing has happened since Saturday.’ At first these uncanny things were attributed to a reaction from an electric current, but according to the City Engineer’s department this was not the case.

What would a reaction to an electric current even mean?

Neighbours and a policeman were among those who tried to solve the mystery, but all failed so Mrs. Bissett. relating her experiences said: ‘On Saturday morning I was up my room washing, and had occasion go downstairs. I left the water the inbasin, but on my return the basin was in a thousand pieces with the water swamping the floor. The jug was also shattered.’ Mr. Bissett, his wife declared, has been made quite ill by these incidents. For ten years they have lived in this house, and nothing this sort has ever happened before.

Classically poltergeist phenomenon are tied to adolescents and perhaps particularly adolescent girls. Is it possible that Mrs Bissett was an immature developer? She can’t have been younger than her late twenties if the pair had lived together for ten years. She does sound a rather anxious type, however.

A heavy wardrobe which stands against the wall of Mrs. Bissett’s bedroom on three occasions fell across the bed. On the third fall it was badly smashed. This was witnessed by several people. To ‘break the spell’ a minister of religion was called in and, acting upon Mrs. Bissett’s request, conducted a service in the house, appealing to the evil spirit to depart Whether this somewhat unusual service had the desired effect upon any ‘unwanted visitor’ whether departed of its own accord, still remains a mystery. Mrs Bissett feels ‘sixteen since everything is quiet again’. Her husband agreed. Hardly had Mrs. Bissett finished speaking when there was piercing scream. Our reporter started from her chair and beat a hasty retreat, only to discover it was a parrot

Other English ghost stories: drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com

26 June 2014: Chris from Haunted Ohio Books writes in: A couple of points: This story follows the patterns of classical poltergeist manifestations, although clergy involvement/’exorcisms” usually aggravate the flying crockery and this was much shorter than the usual polt visit. Polts are normally associated with adolescents, but they are also found at other times of hormonal instability. Perhaps the nervous lady was going through perimenopause or menopause? There seems to be a symbolic aspect to some polt attacks–what exactly is being attacked or destroyed? In this case, the marital bed seems to be a target, as well as a picture showing a man walking out on his wife. An unhappy home life, perhaps? The dirty water in the washing basin smashed and splashed all over the bedroom is also suggestive. After a couple of decades of looking at poltergeist cases, it also seems to me that polts erupt when someone feels trapped by problems they have no way of solving. The jocular tone to the news story offers no clues as to the couple’s relationship, so it’s unlikely we’ll ever know what triggered the outbreak. Unless it was just an ill-tempered husband hurling things about and the wife using the paranormal as a cover for the family discord. Jack the Whipper. Mustn’t let the neighbors know…. Bob writes in, meanwhile: I’m unsure if you found the article from the Western Daily News on 22 July 1940, the day before the cutting you cited. Here’s the text:Western Morning News – 22 July 1940 p. 5 IRON TAKES WINGS Oil Lamp Flies Up Staircase PLYMOUTH STORY Pail Puzzles City Police Constable FLYING flat-irons, oil lamps, and hair brushes have pestered residents of 69, Charlotte-street, Devonport, in the past few days. A police constable, the City Engineer’s department, and a minister of religion are among those who have been endeavouring to trace the reason for apparent unnatural happenings in the house. Yesterday Mrs. J. Bissett told “The Western Morning News ” of the series of peculiar events which have been frightening her and her husband. “At first I thought I must be imagining things.” she said. ” I fancied my nerves might be upset, but my husband and a woman who was staying in the house at the time saw’ exactly the same things.”WARDROBE FELL Heavy Piece Of Furniture Crashed Repeatedly On Friday morning, she said, her husband was going upstairs to draw the black-out curtains. The curtain covering a high window in the passage had to be drawn back by a long pole which stood in the corner of the landing. Just as he was about to pick it it flew past him and rattled down the stairs. He thought children might have been playing pranks, but there was none near. Mrs Bissett picked up the pole and put it back in its place. Immediately it shot downstairs again. A third time they picked it up. and third time the same thing happened. ” We thought this rather queer,” Mrs. Bissett continued, but that was nothing compared with subsequent happenings. ” On the third landing of the house I had put a tin trunk with some hats it had covered this trunk with a thick piece of wood. Suddenly this piece of wood rattled down the stairs. There was no one near it, and we could find no apparent reason for this to happen.” After she had picked up the wood she went into her bedroom. Here she found her wardrobe had fallen right across her bed. With difficulty she managed to stand the heavy piece of furniture upright again.RATTLED DOWN STEPS. “By this time was feeling nervous,” she admitted, “so I told my next-door neighbour, who said I was probably a ‘ little tired and imagining things, I asked her to come in and see for herself.” Rather doubtingly, Mrs. Lang, the neighbour, went into the house, and, while she was in the first floor passage an oil lamp which hangs on the wall ‘ under a pair antler horns suddenly detached itself and flew up the stairs. ‘ This startled the neighbour so much that she ran for the police. When the police constable arrived Mrs. Bissett told him what had been happening. As he was listening a pail water, placed a corner of the landing in case of fire, moved six feet, spilt all the water down the stairs, end then rattled down a flight twelve steps. The officer could not account for this as there was no ore near the pail, and no visible reason why this should occur. This was made the subject of a report by the officer. JUG WAS SMASHED. On Saturday morning the city engineer’s department went to inspect the house find the cause of these happenings. They could discover no practical reason. “Yet on Saturday worse things happened.” said Mrs. ‘Bissett. “While was talking to Mrs. Collins, who was leaving that morning, jug which was standing the mantelpiece fell down and smashed. Presently a hair brush flew off the dressing table and danced against the wall side of the room. “A minute later a flat-iron seemed jump off the stove. That also flew across the room, hit the post the bed end fell against the wall.” Meanwhile her wardrobe had fallen again It did this three times. The third time it was smashed against her bed, and the whole the panel has been shattered. While she was talking Mrs. Collins, who was staying in the house she noticed a large framed picture which hanging over the fireplace. Fearing lest this should fall and the glass smash, she took it down and stood the floor against piece of furniture. Five minutes later the glass into fragments, but the picture still remained upright and was not damaged. MINISTER CALLED IN.“ I went downstairs to wash some dishes.” Mrs. Bissett told our reporter. “The lid of a soup tureen flew off, and was smashed smithereens against the opposite wall. Later another dish fell off the dresser and was shattered, and a few minutes after a glass vase glanced off the mantelpiece, appeared bounce the floor, and then was broken.” As neither the City Engineer’s Department nor the police could find any feasible explanation these phenomena, Mrs. Bissett decided call in a minister. He came, and after questioning her held a service the house, and prayed that any spirit or evil which might have influences in the household might be removed afar.” Mrs. Bissett said thankfully,” we have had no more of these awful scares. But as you can see for yourself, for you have spoken to other witnesses, they really did happen.” Thanks Bob and Chris!