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Paranormal record / 1897

The Plumstead Ghost Riot: St James's Church, Plumstead, near Woolwich, 1897

c. 1897 · St James's Church and schools, Burrage Road, Plumstead, near Woolwich, London, United Kingdom
17Thinly documented Paranormal Being / humanoid 12 sources confirmed hoax

Plumstead, near Woolwich. Autumn 1897. A figure in white was seen flitting about the grounds of St James's Church and schools at night. Several children were so alarmed that they were laid up from the effects. Then the boys of the district decided to settle the matter themselves. About 100 lads gathered in the churchyard to waylay the ghost. Stones flew. Panes of glass broke. The police arrived and arrested two ringleaders. One night the visitor turned up again, perched in a tree in the grounds of a local magistrate, arrayed in white apparel. The ghost, it turned out, was an individual of solid flesh living in the neighbourhood.

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Context

Plumstead sat on the edge of Woolwich, in what is now the Royal Borough of Greenwich. St James's Church stood on Burrage Road. It was built in 1855 and became a parish church in 1878. The building still stands today, converted into flats.

Sources (12, most influential first)

  1. Ghost Riot and Fakery, 1897 · Strange History (Beachcombing's Bizarre History Blog)· 2018-02-20 · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog
  2. Ghosts of the Past: Historic News Reports of Victorian Hauntings · Findmypast · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog
  3. The Plumstead Ghost, 1897 · Educational Musicals· 2023-01 · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog
  4. Midnight Muse Newsletter · E. J. Moon · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog
  5. St James (former), Burrage Road, now St James Heights housing · London Church Buildings· 2019-03-27 · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog