Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-11-08
GHOSTS IN ENGLAND.
Mysterious Spirits and Potent Curses
In English Families.

IN AnSAiAn Families
British elder sons are coming Of age
every day, and the fact is being celebrat-
ed by their relatives without its matter
ing much to the rest of the world, but the
coming of age of the eldest son of Lord
Powerscourt the other day is really de-
serving of notice. Two hundred years
ago there was a Lord Powerscourt who
kept state at Powerscourt House, Ennis
kerry, Ireland, and he Mas proud man
and cruel. 1t was in the days of the
penal laws, and death was the portion Of
the obstinate papists. One day Lord
PowerscOurt was starting for the chase
when a man was brought to him charged
with being of the prohibited faith.
what shall we do with him, your lord
ship" asked the men who had captured
the papist.
"Oh, hang him to the nearest tree" an
swered his lordship and rode away with
his hounds, his hunting horns drowning
the screams for mercy which were poured
forth by the mans aged mother.
As his lordship directed so it was done,
and the papist swung from a limb Of the
nearest tree. Then the murdered mans
old mother fell on her knees before the
doors of Powerscourt House and lifted up
her voice in a terrible curse. She prayed
that no Lord Powerscourt should live to
see his heir or have any heir in the direct
line.
The curse 'tool." and from that day
until the young man who came of age the
other day was born no Lord Powerscourt
had a son or saw the relative who did
inherit his title or property. Further
more, it is alleged by the peasants that
the marks of the old woman's knees re-
manned in the turf where she knelt before
the great doors of the hall until the pres
ent heir was born, when they gradually
faded away and the grass grew green
there once more after two centuries.
So, with the birth Of Merving Wing
field, the young man in question, the curse
is supposed to have been removed from
the ancient house. Therefore, when he
came Of age and was in good health there
! was great rejoicing in the Powerscourt
! family, for however much one may deride
such a story the fact of the curse having
worked so long was enough to make even
the hardest headed rather uncomfortable
4 However, young Wingfield has not sue
/ ceeded his father as Lord Powerscourt
yet, and the fates may be just foolinl
with the noble family.
Another uncanny matter which is just
now the subject of some speculation /.
the ghost which the Duke of Cornwall
and York has just bought with his new
| home, Houghton Hall, in Norfolk. Per
sons are wondering il the ghost will both
er the royal couple when they take VI
their residence there on their return from
their colonial tour, OF will be loyal enough
to leave the premises. The specter whicl
is creating the disturbance is the ghost o
Lady Dorothy Walpole, who was tn
wife Of the Viscount Townshend. Sh
divides her time between Houghton Hall
where she was born, and Raynham, tn
home of her husband. The ghostly lad,
makes her appearance at any time whic
suits her convenience but never fails t
appear before a death occurs in tn
Townshend family. Many persons de
clare that they have seen the ghost. TIL
late Lady Anne Sherson used to relat
that she was once at Houghton on tn
occasion of a ball and was surprised t
see small lady in antique dress passin
through the thrOng of guests withOu
speaking to any one. Many of the othe
guests also saw her and inquired who sh
was, but the strange lady vanished befor
she could be questioned. The next morn
ing they heard Of the death Of Lor
George TOwnshend, and all then kne,
that it was the ghost of Lady Doroth
who had passed through the ballroom.
Englishmen like castles and countr
houses with ghosts to them-it Is a mar
of First chop" society to have famil
ghost-but they dc not want the Duk
and Duchess Of Cornwall and York to |
kept awake nights by the antics Of ii
dead and gone Lady Dorothy Walpolr
hence their anxiety as to the present a
7 tivity Of the Houghton ghost.-New Yo1
Press.