Lantern - No 38

Magazine Overview

LANTERN is a quarterly magazine published by the Borderline Science Investigation Group, dedicated to exploring East Anglian mysteries and curiosities. This issue, dated Summer 1982, features news, notes, articles, and reviews, with a focus on local hauntings and legends.

Introduction

The editorial notes that the magazine is running late but assures readers that future issues will generally appear quarterly, roughly coinciding with the seasons. It mentions previous articles on 'Ghosts of the Broads' and highlights the current issue's focus on the 'phantom wherry MAYFLY'. The editor also extends thanks to contributors and notes the sad demise of the 'ESSEX LANDSCAPE MYSTERIES' magazine, wishing its editor, Jim Kimmis, well.

East Anglian Haunts N°3: NORWICH

This section presents a ghost story discovered in a 1736 magazine, titled "A Strange Occurrence." The tale, set in Norwich, describes an encounter with a spectral figure near Norwich Cathedral, identified as the ghost of Rev. Thomas Tunstal, a priest executed in 1616. The story details the narrator's unsettling experience of seeing the apparition, which matched a portrait in his inn room, and his subsequent investigation with a local priest.

Notes and Queries

This section provides brief notes on various local forteana and curiosities:

• No.90: GHOSTS: Several ghost sightings in Wissett, Suffolk, including a Black Shuck, a phantom horse and cart, a Grey Lady, and a ghost with wings.
• No.91: FORTEANA: A report of a 'rain of frogs' witnessed in Swaffham, Norfolk, in 1882.
• No.92: TRADITION: A belief that the five-tiered tower of Burgh St Peter Church, Norfolk, used to close up like a telescope at the end of the yachting season.
• No.93: GHOST: A mention of 'Spring-heeled Jack' said to haunt the road between Attleborough and Shropham, Norfolk, leaping high into the air.
• No.94: Forteana: An unusual death recorded in the Ketteringham, Norfolk, parish registers from 1609, where Henry Clayborne was killed by a cow.
• No.95: WITCHERY: An investigation in 1521 by Norwich officials into William Smith and associates accused of extortion using a glass and alleged 'spirits'.

THE 'MAYFLY' MYTH

By M. W. Burgess

This extensive article critically examines the legend of the phantom wherry 'Mayfly,' as presented in Charles Sampson's 1931 book "Ghosts of the Broads." Burgess concludes that Sampson's account is largely fictitious and a hoax.

The Sampson Story Outline

The story begins with the wherry 'Mayfly,' owned by Mr. Dormey, being charged with delivering £400,000 to Yarmouth in 1851. Dormey's daughter, Millicent, accompanies the skipper, 'Blood' Stevenson, and crewman George, with cabin-boy Bert Entwistle. Stevenson schemes to steal the gold and abduct Millicent. The voyage, described as taking place in June, involves sailing down the Waveney, into the North Sea, and then the Atlantic. During the voyage, Stevenson murders Jack, throws George overboard, and attempts to force Millicent into marriage. Millicent stabs Stevenson and dies herself. Bert escapes in a dinghy and later witnesses the ghostly 'Mayfly' reappearing, glowing and emitting a foul stench.

Burgess's Analysis and Debunking

Burgess systematically deconstructs Sampson's narrative:

• Inconsistencies: The story mentions a "dark September evening" for the start of the voyage, contradicting the June setting for the main events. The time-scale and distances involved in the voyage are deemed physically impossible for a wherry, which was a river craft not suited for sea travel.
• Fictitious Characters and Events: Burgess found no record of individuals named Dormey or Entwistle in local directories or census returns for 1851. The only Stevenson found was a farm labourer. The alleged cargo of £400,000 is highlighted as an astronomical sum, equivalent to over £44 million today.
• Incorrect Details: The story names the hospital in Devon as the 'Devon and Cornwall General Hospital' at Plymouth, but research suggests the correct name was 'South Devon and East Cornwall.' Burgess also notes that the two societies mentioned as investigating the phenomenon, the 'International Society of Metaphysics' and the 'British Psychical Phenomena Association,' never existed.
• The 'Mayfly' Itself: Intensive searches revealed no record of a wherry named 'Mayfly.'

Historical Versions and Retellings

Burgess traces the legend's history:

• A.E. Regis (1950): Retold the same story.
• James Wentworth Day (1951): Presented a subtly different version, claiming it was told by Mr. Bill Solomon. Key differences include the year (1840), the destination (Oulton to Norwich), a less specific cargo, a smaller crew, and the murder occurring off the English Channel.
• Bill Solomon (1972): Stated he took the story from a book and varied it slightly, but his version matched Sampson's.
• Roy Clark (1961): Wrote a variant of the legend in his book 'Black-Sailed Traders,' without specific dates or names, referring to a "Phantom Wherry" that sailed "once upon a time."

Clark's book also lists a wherry named 'Mayflower,' with a burden of 30 tons, last owned by W.D. and A.E. Walker, who operated in Bungay between 1840 and 1860. Clark reputedly called this the "phantom wherry," but the authority for this is unknown. Burgess speculates that Clark might have latched onto this name as a substitute for Sampson's 'Mayfly,' or that Sampson's tale had corrupted the name.

Conclusion on the 'Mayfly' Myth

Burgess concludes that the 'Mayfly' legend, as presented by Sampson, is pure fiction. He suggests it might be a corrupted version of a more general tale of a wherry with a death on board, or that Sampson invented the entire narrative. He notes that later authors have often relied solely on Sampson's account.

New Magazine Review

• EARTH GIANT: A new magazine from the publishers of PICWINNARD, aiming to appeal to geomancers, archaeologists, and folklorists. The review notes its serious tone and mentions articles on Church Grotesques, Wessex Troytowns, and St. Wite of Dorset.

New Books

• EARTH RITES by Janet and Colin Bord: Examines how ancient peoples channelled earth's energies and stresses the need for harmony with nature. The book focuses on British customs, artefacts, and fertility rites.
• THE BIGFOOT CASEBOOK by Janet and Colin Bord: An in-depth study of North American Bigfoot sightings.
• HITLER'S SECRET SCIENCES by Nigel Pennick: Explores alternative science theories that were elevated to official status in Nazi Germany, using forgotten documents.

Exchange Magazines

This section lists various journals and magazines related to anomalous phenomena, earth mysteries, folklore, and occult studies, providing subscription details and contact information. Notable publications include OSEAP JOURNAL, PRYTANIA, QUICKSILVER MESSENGER, THE TEMPLAR, SANGREAL, MOONSTONE, COMMON GROUND, THE LEY HUNTER, BROAD SPECTRUM, and FORTEAN TIMES.

From the News of the World (July 4, 1982)

A brief report about a haunted house on Barrow Hill, Acton, Suffolk, where tenants have experienced ghostly footsteps and doors opening on their own. The report includes accounts from two former tenants, Jacqueline Clapham and Barbara Cook.

Pottery Jug Find

A Bellarmine jug, estimated to be 200 years old, was found by the Lowestoft trawler Ripley Queen 200 miles out in the North Sea. The jug was remarkably clean, with no marine growths.

'STONEPIX' NO.3: HARTEST, SUFFOLK

This entry describes 'The Hartest Stone,' a large limestone boulder in Hartest, Suffolk. Various local tales attribute its placement to celebrations in the early 18th century, involving large numbers of men and horses. The article notes that the stone may have once been a rocking stone.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on local East Anglian mysteries, folklore, and paranormal phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical investigation, as demonstrated by M.W. Burgess's thorough debunking of the 'Mayfly' myth. The publication also serves as a platform for reviewing other related journals and books, and for sharing brief news items and historical curiosities from the region and beyond. The inclusion of the 'Notes and Queries' section suggests an interest in a wide range of unexplained events and local lore.