Lantern - No 08

Magazine Overview

This issue of Lantern magazine, identified as Volume 9 and dated Winter 1974-75, is published by the BORDERLINE SCIENCE INVESTIGATION GROUP, a non-profit organization focused on investigating unexplained phenomena in East Anglia. The magazine's price has increased to 12p, and it is now printed on 14-folscap paper for a more compact format. The editors express a need for reader support.

Introduction

The introduction highlights that this edition offers a 'pot-pourri' of the unusual in East Anglia. The main article delves into an unusual haunting in Great Yarmouth, reported in the Yarmouth Independant newspaper in 1894, leaving the distinction between fact and fiction to the reader's discretion. The issue also continues a previous article on Mysterious Stones and explores the elusive 'faery-folk' of East Anglia. All usual features are included.

The editors mention two other publications: THE NEWS, a bi-monthly magazine described as a 'miscellany of Fortean curiosities,' and THE LEY HUNTER, a bi-monthly journal focusing on ley lines and associated subjects, published by Paul Screeton. They invite other publishers to exchange magazines.

Subscription details for Lantern are provided: 65p per year, with single copies at 16p each, available from I. Bunn at 3 Dunwich Way, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk.

The Haunting of Glasshouse Row

This article details a two-part story from the Yarmouth Independant newspaper (January 6 and 13, 1894) about a mysterious haunting in an old house at 37 'Glasshouse Row' in Great Yarmouth. The 'rows' were narrow streets characteristic of the old town, many of which were destroyed by bombing. The house in question, named after a former glass factory, had a reputation for being haunted for many years prior to 1797, leading to its abandonment. Various theories about the haunting existed, including the spirits of a murderer, the victim, or both.

The house was in a derelict state until purchased by David Browne, who had it repaired and moved in with his family: his wife, a 12-year-old daughter, and his elderly mother. Initially, all was well, but after about two months, the family began experiencing disturbances, including doors slamming violently shut. Despite efforts to eliminate draughts, the occurrences intensified. Heavy footsteps were heard ascending stairs, followed by thuds, and sometimes light, hesitant footsteps accompanied by a rustling noise, described as a long silk dress. An invisible presence would enter rooms, causing an atmosphere of gloom and creepiness.

These disturbances increasingly frightened the female members of the family. David Browne, though outwardly stoic, was worried. He consulted a former owner without success and then sought out Nancy Green, an elderly woman known locally as a 'witch' with powers over evil spirits. Nancy Green, after an initial cryptic statement, foretold a death in Browne's family. Upon returning home, Browne learned his mother had collapsed and died.

After Mrs. Browne's death, the house became quiet for five months. However, the disturbances then resumed with a piercing scream and a muffled thud. Browne and his wife witnessed the apparition of a tall, gaunt old man in a nightshirt and night-cap, who gazed at them before disappearing. A search found no trace of the figure.

Following this, the phenomena started again with fearful screams and loud crashes. During one such occasion, Browne discovered furniture piled in a corner and the bed moved to the center of the room, with a spectral old lady dressed in black silk cards. She vanished after a low chuckle.

Soon after, Browne's daughter went upstairs and heard a lamb's bleat. She found a small, pure-white lamb, which retreated from her. She followed it to the head of the stairs, where it stopped. When she reached out to stroke it, the animal snarled, and she was lifted and flung down the stairs. Though unconscious for hours, she was not seriously hurt and recounted the event. A search for the lamb yielded nothing.

This final incident prompted the Browne family to leave the house. Nancy Greene then requested to live there and, after some hesitation, was granted permission. Within a month, she was found dead in the building, her features contorted with fear.

The original article suggested that the building was successfully exorcised, as no further supernatural happenings were reported for 25 years prior to 1894. The article concludes by noting that little remains of Glasshouse Row today, but the original entrance and the first 50 feet of the Row are still present.

Local Curiosities

This section discusses various folk beliefs, particularly those related to Christmas and Norfolk traditions. It mentions that December 25th was originally a pagan festival date for honoring the sun's rebirth, later superimposed by Christians. A folk belief held that the actual birth date of Christ could be determined by listening to bees in their hive; when they hummed yuletide carols instead of their usual hum, it signified Christ's birth. Bees were also believed to be born from Christ's tears shed on the cross.

Other beliefs include the unluckiness of bringing a Yew tree into the house during Christmas, which was thought to portend a death in the family before year's end. All Christmas evergreens had to be removed before Candlemass Eve (February 1st) to avoid misfortune. It was considered unlucky to enter a cattle shed at midnight on Christmas Eve, as the beasts were believed to be on their knees facing east, and disturbing them meant death within a year. Safer alternatives for Christmas Eve included staying home with traditional ale or mead, or spiced elderberry wine in Suffolk.

A 'WANTED' section invites readers to share their own personal strange experiences with the Borderline Science Investigation Group.

Haunted East Anglia: Book Review

This section reviews Joan Forman's book, 'Haunted East Anglia,' noting its inclusion of counties not typically associated with the region. The reviewer praises Forman's crisp, matter-of-fact writing style. The review highlights several stories from the book, including:

• White, luminous figures dancing in a field at Saxmundham.
• Accounts from Blythburgh of a man leading a black horse with a young woman in 18th-century dress, seen by a lorry-driver.
• The story of Black Toby, a negro soldier executed in 1754, whose spirit walks the common in Blythburgh.
• The ghost of a red-haired maid servant at Sutherland House in Southwold.
• A bizarre spectre of a fisherman with a tilley lamp and a large fish in Southwold.
• The spectre of a young soldier at Hickling Broad, Norfolk, believed to have drowned while skating to meet his girlfriend.
• An apparition of a woman punting herself across Hickling Broad.
• The reappearance of the ghostly coach and horses seen by a Mr. Walker.
• Disturbances at the Oxfam Shop in Norwich, investigated by the Borderline Science Investigation Group, with a similar story from their shop in Koyston, Hertfordshire.
• The appearance of three soldiers in armour at Binbrook, Lincolnshire, paralleled by a story of three men in old uniforms seen at Marston Moor.

The reviewer also points out some inaccuracies in Forman's book, such as confusing Polstead (Suffolk) with Essex, misinterpreting the burial of suicides versus normal deaths at crossroads, and suggesting round helmets were only used in the Civil War (they were used since Roman times). The reviewer also disagrees that ghost stories are more prevalent in the country than in cities.

Forman's attempt to explain the phenomena is noted as unusual and interesting, though the explanations are presented as possibilities.

More Mysterious Stones

This article is a continuation of a previous piece on mysterious stones in East Anglia. The author reports finding more stones and revisits previous findings. The two boulders in Beccles churchyard, previously mentioned as embedded in a wall, could not be found. A three-foot-high stone on the Lowestoft/Beccles road is identified as a milestone, possibly also an old way-mark.

In Swaffham, Norfolk, a large, round, brownish stone was observed on the pavement. Stones near Lowestoft parish church are located where Church Road and Wesley Street meet. A small stone, painted black, was found in Clapham Road, Lowestoft, and three more were found in Beccles.

The author cautions that some stones might have been placed to protect building corners from carriage wheels, while others could be shifted mark-stones. A classic 'mysterious boulder' is described on a tumulus called 'The Hill of Health' near Bury St. Edmunds. An egg-shaped boulder near Gisleham, Suffolk, is described, possibly being a hunk of carboniferous limestone. The 'Cowell Stone' near Swaffham is identified as a 'Puddingstone,' part of a 'conglomerate track' stretching from Heacham to Thatcham.

The author invites readers to share information about any further mysterious stones found in East Anglia.

Comment

Richard Haxell comments on the 'Blaxhall Stone,' said to be growing, linking it to an old Suffolk belief that stones grew in the ground and became lifeless when Christ died. He also recalls an old woman from South Suffolk who kept a 'mother stone' that she believed reproduced smaller stones.

Of Faery Folk

This section, drawing from Enid Porter's 'The Folklore of East Anglia,' discusses faery beliefs in the region. In West Norfolk, Irish refugees brought folk beliefs where minor calamities were blamed on 'the good people.' Shepherds scattered the first milk of ewes as a gesture to faeries to prevent still-births. Wives left doors open during baking to allow faeries to enter and watch the dough, expecting food in return.

Stowmarket was believed to be populated by faerie folk who caused sparks to appear underfoot. Stories include faeries undressing a baby, a changeling left in place of a stolen baby, and a ploughman rewarded with a magical cake for mending a faery's bread peel.

Horses found exhausted in stables were thought to have been ridden by faeries or witches overnight; a 'hag-stone' was hung above animals to prevent this. An instance of a calf being affected is mentioned from Woodbridge in 1832.

A midwife from Stowmarket was asked by a faery to visit his pregnant wife. After being given an ointment that affected one eye, she returned to the mortal world. Later, she saw the faery man stealing meat and, when asked which eye he could see him with, he blew on the other, rendering her unable to see the 'good people' again.

Suffolk people referred to faeries as 'Pharisees' or 'Frairies,' possibly derived from the Irish 'Fer sidhe' ('man of the hill'), suggesting East Anglian faery lore might be imported.

Wild o' the Wisp

This section explains the belief in 'Jack o' lantern' or 'Will o' the Wisp' lights that would lead travelers astray in marshlands. While these are natural phenomena (marsh gases), ancestors believed them to be dangerous faeries. Known by various names like 'Ignis Fatuus,' 'Pinket,' 'Joan o' the Wad,' and 'Spunkie,' the sprite's lantern offered visions of home and comfort. Jack o' Lantern could also disguise himself as a beautiful girl or treasure. Some believed Jack o' Lantern was 'Puck' or 'Robin Goodfellow.' Unlike modern beliefs where 'Jack o' Lantern' and 'Joan the Wad' are seen as good luck bringers, ancient ancestors considered them dangerous and not to be trifled with.

News Round-up

This section contains several short reports:

• Oxfam Shop Investigation: The Psychical Research Section of BSIG conducted its fourth all-night vigil at the Oxfam Regional HQ in Norwich, marking the culmination of an 18-month investigation into alleged psychical activity. A full report is promised.
• Another Mysterious Voice: During a random tape recording at the Oxfam site, an unexplained male voice was recorded. The cause is unknown, possibly a police radio message. The section is seeking someone to analyze the tape.
• Something There: Analysis of findings from the Oxfam investigation is ongoing, but it seems likely there was genuine psychical manifestation, though now weaker. A full report will be published.
• Ghost of Woman Seen Recently in Lowestoft: Two witnesses independently reported seeing a female apparition in an old house in Lowestoft High Street undergoing restoration. One witness, a workman, saw the figure ascending the stairs, while the owner later saw a similar apparition, described as transparent and grey, descending the stairs. The dog also reacted fearfully.
• Differences: The workman described the apparition as solid, while the owner described it as transparent and grey. The owner also reported hearing footsteps and an electric fire switching on in a second-floor bedroom, with a strange atmosphere.
• BSIG Investigation: BSIG organized an all-night vigil at the Lowestoft house. While nothing significant occurred, a chilly atmosphere was noted in a second-floor bedroom. Research is ongoing, and this is considered one of BSIG's most genuine hauntings investigated to date.

UFO Report

This report details a sighting on May 30th by the 3rd hand on watch aboard a trawler in the North Sea, six days out from Lowestoft. Around midnight, a bright, flashing, star-like object rose over the south-east horizon. It climbed rapidly, stopped, and performed erratic, complicated maneuvers. The 2nd engineer and two deck-hands were called to witness the object. David Mortimer, a 25-year-old deckhand, observed the object through binoculars, noting its exceptionally bright light and lack of discernible shape other than the light. The object was observed for about five minutes before disappearing over the north-eastern horizon. The crew, experienced with the night sky, had never seen anything like it. Mortimer was adamant it was not an artificial satellite due to its erratic movements.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores themes of the unexplained, including hauntings, folklore, mysterious stones, and UFO sightings, with a particular focus on East Anglia. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation and reporting of phenomena, encouraging reader participation and sharing of experiences. There's a clear interest in local history and traditions as they intersect with the paranormal. The publication also serves as a platform for promoting related publications and the activities of the Borderline Science Investigation Group.