#ghoststory

[hauntnowpod]

None of the other social medias get this sneak peek. Only you, Tumblr.

[artbomb1979]

ZOMBIE CHICKEN BOKPOCALYPSE!!! #zombie #chicken #drawing #pencilart #pencildrawing #art #artwork #artist #artistsoninstagram #cartoon #cartoonart #cartoonartist #cartoons #comicart #arts #ghoststories #ghoststory #creeps #halloween #spooks #spooky #ghoul #ghouls #sketch #sketchbook #apocalypse #zombieapocalypse #zombiebirdhouse #bokpocalypse https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck7ZdXqtUFb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cpasta384]

Terrifying Jeff The Killer Story | Scary Creepypasta Horror Story

[ryltha]

Midnight / Sketch Some victorian ghost story vibes for today! Comfort illustration inspired by photo of Grimvr on instagramm.

[micelangelooo]

«It's been many a winter since the lady of the castle impaled herself on the grim rocks. Although, they say it was her jealous cousin who pushed her from the battlements. Later on said cousin married her husband, the lord of the castle. Forever since, the lady have been seeking revenge upon them both, and all living relatives.»

another older drawing of mine, from early 2021. 

[husheduphistory]

Hammersmith: A Haunting, A Hoax, and a Tragic Hunt

The calendar page had barely turned over to the new year and twenty-nine-year-old Francis Smith was experiencing one of the worst times of his life. He sat before the court positively morose for what he had done. On that awful night of January 3rd 1804 he immediately surrendered to the constable, deeply regretting how it all unfolded. Now all he could do was plead for mercy and understanding. After all, at that moment he truly believed he was acting on behalf of the entire borough when he shot the gun.

Over the course of twelve months the West London district of Hammersmith fell into a state of apprehension and deep fear. It all began when a man committed suicide by slashing his own throat and, in a move that went against all rule and beliefs, he was buried in the consecrated ground of the churchyard ensuring that his soul would never find peace. It was after this controversial burial that people began to report seeing a figure, draped in a white shroud, appearing throughout Hammersmith. Surely this had to be the tormented spirit of the man who committed suicide and was then committed to sacred ground. What other explanation could there be? If the incidents remained as ghostly sightings it may have never progressed beyond a simple haunted tale, but the encounters got violent, and then people allegedly began to die. A brewer’s servant named Thomas Broom later told how he was walking through the churchyard with a friend one night when he was suddenly grabbed violently by the throat. It was only when his friend turned to see what happened that he claimed the specter “gave me a twist round, and I saw nothing; I gave a bit of a push out with my fist, and felt something soft, like a great coat.” Another pair of stories alleged that an elderly woman and a pregnant woman both encountered the malevolent spirit on separate occasions near the churchyard and they were both so terrified that when they returned home they could not leave their beds, dying there a few days later. 

An image of the Hammersmith Ghost attacking a woman. Image via  The Newgate Calendar, Part III (1826), http://www.exclassics.com/newgate/ngconts.htm.

The people of Hammersmith were scared but some were also skeptical, believing this was not a ghost, but a cruel and devious human being. Ghost or human, either way their reign of terror had to be stopped. At this point Hammersmith did not have a formal police force so in order to protect the people some of its own citizens began patrolling the streets after dark. One of these men guarding the night was Francis Smith, armed with a shotgun, and another was night watchman William Girdler. On the night of January 3rd at approximately 10:30pm Girdler ran into Smith and told him that later that night he would meet up with him and they would look for the ghost together. Girdler knew what he was looking for after all, only a few days earlier on December 29thhe  saw the ghost and chased him down but the figure disappeared into the darkness.

Engraving of the Hammersmith Ghost appearing in  Kirby's Wonderful and Scientific Museum circa 1804. Image via Wikipedia.

Another man walking the streets that night was thirty-two year old bricklayer Thomas Millwood. He was visiting with his sister, mother, and father and as the clock moved closer to 11pm he stood up, said goodnight to his parents, and prepared to head back home for the evening. His sister Anne watched him walk away from the door. She wished he had listened to her and worn something over his work clothes of linen pants, a waistcoat, and an apron. They were recently washed and glowed bright white in the darkness. He had already been mistaken for the notorious Hammersmith Ghost at least twice before but he met any accusation with a scoff.

Within minutes she heard the voice, “Damn you. Who are you and what do you want? I’ll shoot you if you don’t speak.” Then she heard the gunshot.

Anne ran out into the dark and before long she made the horrifying discovery of her brother laying in the road, dead in a pool of blood, with his face mauled by a bullet. She was not alone with her brother, already with his body was nearby wine merchant John Locke, William Girdler, and Francis Smith. What happened spilled out of their mouths and fell into place quickly. Locke heard the gunshot and soon afterwards Smith rushed up to him, severely distressed, and told him he had just shot a man and asked him to go back to the scene with him. After they got back to Millwood’s body they were quickly joined by Girdler and Anne Millwood. When the constable arrived at the scene Smith accepted full responsibility for what happened. He was taken to Newgate Prison to await trial and the body of Thomas Millwood was taken to Black Lion Inn where it was examined by a surgeon who determined that the bullet went through his jaw and hit his spinal cord killing him instantly.

Smith’s trial began one week later and it might have seemed like a fairly straightforward case. He did admit to shooting Millwood, but it was not that simple. Despite taking responsibility for Millwood’s death, Smith entered a plea of Not Guilty based on his account that he felt he was not hunting an actual ghost, but a person acting as a ghost and terrorizing Hammersmith. When he saw the white figure he knew he was facing a man and he called out to him twice, telling him to name himself. When he did not stop or speak Smith said he became fearful for his life because the figure kept approaching him. He shot, but did not aim to kill, it was just an all around unfortunate accident. There were no witnesses to the crime so heavy reliance was placed on the few who arrived at the scene. Locke stated that when Smith met him and asked him to accompany him back to Millwood he was genuinely distraught and horrified at what happened. Several others testified about Smith’s honesty, integrity, and all-around good character. The only voice that spoke of any faults came from Anne Millwood who told the court that Smith shot so quickly after calling out for her brother’s name that there was no way he could have responded in time.

Illustration of the encounter between Smith and Millwood. Image via crimemagazine.com.

Smith had people vouching for him, but the judge Lord Chief Baron Macdonald was hearing none of it. He addressed his jury and plainly explained that there was no gray area here, that it was either murder or it was not. Smith went out into the night carrying a gun which spoke to his intent to harm someone. Millwood was simply walking home when he met his end. In the judge’s eyes this was not self-defense and Millwood was doing nothing to warrant Smith shooting his gun. According to him, it did not matter who Smith intended to hunt down. It also did not matter if Millwood was deliberately dressed as a ghost to scare the residents of Hammersmith, that offence did not deserve being shot. According to the judge no matter how the situation was spun, it occurred because of malice and this was why Smith must be found guilty of murder.  

Surprisingly, the jury did not go along with the judge’s advice and when they returned it was with a verdict of guilty, but guilty of manslaughter. This was not accepted by Lord Chief Baron Macdonald and his fellow judges once again reminded the jury that they could not find Smith guilty of manslaughter, because it was not a possible outcome when the choices were either guilty of murder or acquitted of murder. Once again the jury consulted with each other and finding no other option, they returned with their verdict: Francis Smith was guilty of murder.

With the verdict came the sentence. Smith was sentenced to death by hanging followed by dissection the following Monday. Inconsolable, Smith had to be held up and carried from the court.

However, as hard-lined as Lord Chief Baron Macdonald was he was well aware of the public opinion that Smith did not deserve to be sentenced as a cold blooded killer. He added “The case gentlemen shall be referred to His Majesty immediately” to his judgement. This gave Smith one more chance, when a case was brought before the King he had the ultimate power to override and change the sentence. For Smith, those few words from Lord Chief Baron Macdonald saved his life. Before the sun rose the next morning his sentence was reduced to one year imprisonment with hard labor.

The Black Lion Inn, where Thomas Millwood’s body was taken and where Smith allegedly spent time before the shooting. Image via Wikipedia.

The Hammersmith Ghost, the terrifying being who attacked innocent citizens and was allegedly responsible for suffering, turmoil, and even death, was never heard from again. This is because two days after the death of Thomas Millwood the ghost came forward. A local shoemaker named John Graham admitted that he was the Hammersmith Ghost and that he had been dressing up as the specter to scare his apprentices as an act of revenge because they had been scaring his children with ghost stories. Graham surrendered to the authorities, but because there was no clear legal guidance on this situation he was set free on bail and all traces of him disappeared from record.

Francis Smith was given a full pardon on July 14th 1804.

While the haunting hoax promptly ended, the Hammersmith Ghost trial had far reaching implications when it exposed that there was very little defined in law when it came to people who acted out in a scenario where they believed action was required and carried out under good intentions or when the person acting out misread the situation. Did mistaken belief warrant a criminal charge? Smith was responsible for the death of Millwood, but he believed he was acting against someone who was bringing terror to the people of Hammersmith. The scenario would be brought up in a number of legal cases until it was finally settled in 1983 with the case of Regina v Williams during which the Court of Appeal finally clarified that:

“In a case of self-defence, where self-defence or the prevention of crime is concerned, if the jury came to the conclusion that the defendant believed, or may have believed, that he was being attacked or that a crime was being committed, and that force was necessary to protect himself or to prevent the crime, then the prosecution have not proved their case. If however the defendant’s alleged belief was mistaken and if the mistake was an unreasonable one, that may be a peaceful reason for coming to the conclusion that the belief was not honestly held and should be rejected. Even if the jury come to the conclusion that the mistake was an unreasonable one, if the defendant may genuinely have been labouring under it, he is entitled to rely upon it.”

In 1804 the people of Hammersmith were living in fear of a supernatural entity. This ghost story is still told, but not in front of campfires or on gloomy nights when the veil feels thin. The Hammersmith Ghost died in the same moment as Tom Millwood and today it is carried on not as a spine-chilling story about West London, but as a cautionary tale and a legal precedent that hung over the courts and haunted law practitioners for almost two centuries before it was finally laid to rest.

*******************************************************************************************

Sources:

The Case of the Murdered Ghost 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3364467.stm

The Hammersmith Ghost and the Strange Death of Thomas Millwood by Martin Baggoley http://www.crimemagazine.com/hammersmith-ghost-and-strange-death-thomas-millwood

The Case of a Ghost Haunted England for Over Two Hundred Years by Kelly Buchanan https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/10/the-case-of-a-ghost-haunted-england-for-over-two-hundred-years/

The Time Someone Shot A Ghost Dead In Hammersmith by Jane Alexander https://londonist.com/london/features/hammersmith-ghost-story-murder

[tom--22--felton]

Posted @withrepost • @aidanrocketman97 Met this lovely chap again! 🧙🏼‍♀️📚🖊 #beyondthewand #tomfeltonbook #waterstones #booktour #booksigning #tomfelton #tomfeltonfans #ghoststory #222ghoststory #criteriontheatre #criterion #london #westend #theatre #harrypotter #dracomalfoy #slytherin #potter #Manchester #tomfelton https://www.instagram.com/p/CjtJigCKX3y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thefantasyquestboard]

Some options for possible motives. The ghost was once a jilted lover who was scorned during the holiday season and now seeks revenge on those who are happy and in love. The ghost was once a miser who hoarded all of their wealth and possessions and now seeks to ruin the joy and generosity of the holiday season. The ghost was once a Scrooge-like figure who hated Christmas and all things related to it, and now seeks to spread their negativity and bitterness to others. The ghost was once a Grinch-like figure who wanted to steal Christmas and now seeks to disrupt the holiday festivities to fulfill their selfish desires. The ghost was once a victim of a crime that occurred during the holiday season and now seeks justice against those who wronged them. Ultimately, the motives of the vengeful ghost would be determined by the Dungeon Master and the events of the game. . . #haunting #vengefulghost #christmasparade #chaos #fear #townsfolk #adventurers #uncover #motives #terror #holidayseason #ghoststory #horror #paradehorror #christmaschaos #hauntedparade #scarychristmas #ghosthunting #paradeofterror #hauntings #vengefulspirits #christmasghost #adventuretime #paradeadventures #hauntedholidays #terrifyingparade #spookychristmas #ghostsintown #christmasmystery #adventureseekers (at Cincinnati) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl-W8EzsqDh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[caitlinmccarthyart]

La Llorona 🌙 Here’s the weeping woman for todays’s All Hallows’ Art Challenge prompt “ghostly encounters” ✨ I can’t wait to see all your hauntingly beautiful artwork today! Be sure to use #allhallowsartchallenge ✨ My new originals and prints will be available in my shop this Friday! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to be notified of shop updates and receive a special discount coupon ✨ #caitlinmccarthyart #ghostlyencounters #ghost #ghoststories #ghoststory #lallorona #haunted #gothic #gothicart #gothicaesthetic #gothicdecor #darkdecor #darkart #darkartist https://www.instagram.com/p/CjYJtWgLMkY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hauntnowpod]

We're more than halfway to our first milestone, at $268. Who will be the first to get the ball rolling again today?

[svilleg6]

Campfire Horror Stories 2 - Rusty Rick (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1436550349-campfire-horror-stories-2-rusty-rick?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=Svilleg6 Experience spine-tingling adventures that take you beyond reality and into the depths of the unknown and the terrifying.

[artbomb1979]

MONDAYS #inktober #inktober2022 #inkdrawing #inkbrush #ink #art #artwork #artist #artistsoninstagram #inkdrawing #cartoon #cartoonart #cartoonartist #cartoons #comicart #arts #fiend #monsters #ghoststories #ghoststory #creeps #halloween #fiends #spooky #cyclops #dayofthecreeps #ghoul #ghouls #sketch #sketchbook #gasp https://www.instagram.com/p/CkOamSDO6TU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[novenrir]

February 2022 - Book #2

Thin Air by Michelle Paver:- 

Ok, so I actually started reading this book back on the 4th November 2020. I remember I took my mum to a hair dressing appointment and rather than sit in the salon and wait I went for a wonder. I decided that I fancied a coffee and a read, but didn’t have anything with me. Coming across The Works shop, and knowing how you can often find a respectable book and a reasonable price I had a browse around. With what felt like a rummage around, I was about to give up hope of finding a book and would turn to grab a magazine, gazing down at the very bottom shelf at the back of the shop stood Thin Air with its deep blue cover enticing me in. 

Now, I have read Michelle Paver before. I absolutely loved Dark Matter; A Ghost Story. Michelle is able to build atmosphere and suspense in such a way that you don’t need to see a ghost or ghoul, you know its there. It looms large in the background and you’re driven to place yourself in the shoes of the character, to feel the void which comes with being left alone in a desolate environment which we know is frightening enough in itself. But then you’re made to feel that lurking in that void is a faceless foe, a presence of unnerving fear, disbandment and desolation. She has a way of putting a unique twist of the ghost story franchise. It took me a while to find an author I could connect with when it comes to a classic ghost story. 

Thin Air kept my admiration strong for this author. It is chilling in both the sense that you’d get when strap to the side of a mountain thousands of feet in the air and that which you’d feel if you were left alone with a malevolent spirit. Combine the two and you’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride. What I like most though about Michelle’s ghost stories is that you get an explanation. We discover why these spirits haven’t moved on, why they continue to suffer their own torment and subject those un-expecting travellers to the despair as well.  

This was a strong five star review from me. I am just hopeful that one can expect more chilling tales from this author. She appears once again on my to read list in the form of Wakenhyrst which I am keen to move on to. 

Overall, a very pleasing experience. Once I managed to get back into reading it I was gripped and couldn’t put it down. These are definitely worth of the experience of reading at night, where they will play on your mind and make you wonder if the creak you heard in the hallway was just the aging of the house, or something more.

[octoberboy1031]

A #gothicromance so #haunting and beautiful that it feels…forbidden!! So happy to own the latest edition of this stunning masterpiece!! 🐝🪝🪞#candyman #theforbidden #clivebarker #bemyvictim #sweetstothesweet #ghoststory #urbanlegend #shoutfactory #screamfactory #scarymovie #horror #horrorgeek #creepy #spooky #may #latespring #earlysummer #night #terrorverse #dandelionwine (at North Providence, Rhode Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd9cRDdufxU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nftmarket2050]

#20, DOGS COLOR NFT, Dog, dogs, dog lover, police dog, guard dog, ghost dog, ghost police dog

#ghostdog#ghostdoggo#ghostd

[epicfantasywriter]

The first in a new series, Small Georgia Town Tales, a ll romances with elements of mystery, paranormal, adventure.