Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-19

New York. September 1e-What is
to become OF historic British ghosts,
now that so many English castles and
manor houses are being torn down or
sold at auction to plebian newcomers?
This question is deeply agitating the
British Society for Psychical Research.
which has long been engaged in the
scientific investigation of such old
and well-eetablished family ghosts
In the breaking up of famous old
English estates IL sees the end OF a
valuable source of material. The
ghosts, IL believes, win disappear
after the castles or manors have
changed hands and undergone elabo-
rate remodeling
Family ghosts" says one authority
on the subject. ARE by no means of
wandering disposition. Having es-
tablished a reputation by haunting
one particular house, they stay there
Some ghosts, as ancient family
legends inform us, have haunted one
house for centuries, never appearing
anywhere else.
And now that such haunted houses
are being auctioned, sold and torn
down, what will the poor ghosts do2
They may find new homes to haunt
modern skyscrapers, apartment hous-
es and freshly painted green and pink
studios-but there will not be any
secret Passages in which to clank
chains, nor ivy-clad turrets to pa
rade around, and no mysterious win
dows TO fit across in the moonlight.
Furthermore, with the going of the
houses will go the traditions which
served to keep the ghosts encouraged
and inspired.
Take the case of Windsor Castle. ''
continues this authority, which has
housed several prominent ghosts, in
Guiding Queen Bess herself. It was
an officer of the Grenadier Guards
who first saw the phantom of Queen
Elizabeth 20 or 80 years ago. He de-
ciared it suddenly appeared and glided
along in front of him, vanishing
through certain part of the wall in
a room at the end OF the corridor. In
vestigation showed that three cen
turies before there had been a door
since sealed, at that very spot.
That is the structure where the
ghosts of the quarrelsome but beauti-
fuj Duchess of Cleveland, the saucy-
tongued Duchess of Mazarin and the
unhappy Catherine Howard, slain by
Henry VIII, are said TO have been seen
The last named woman, it was re-
ported by alleged witnesses, rar
through the corridor, hair streaming
behind, as she did one day when she
escaped from her guards and rushed
in TO beg for her life from her roya
husband"
What would happen to thes,
ghosts If Windsor Castle is torn dowr
to make room Tor modern industria
expansion"
Passing of the Manor.
England's early history. ineludlns
many items ghastly enough TO foun,
a whole race of gff-sts, was practical
~ written around events which hap
pened in the castles and manor
which have been recently sold. Al
English periodical lists the following
historic estates which have change,
hands since the war: Pembroke, 9TH
cradle OF the Tudors" where the frs
Tudor was born; Fineshade Abbey; il
Northamptonshire. built partly O
stone taken from the hall where Mar,
Queen of Scots was executed; 81
Osyth's priory, in Essex. erected Il
the early part OF the twelfth century
Abbey House. Abingdon, and tn
Sutton Courtenay Manor, where tn
first rent kick" against profiteerin
landlords was voiced by tenants
Quenby House in Leicestershire
where Stilton cheese was first made
the Stoke Park estate, home of Joh
Penn, where the monument to tn
poet Gray was erected; Sncwre Hal
where Charles / found asylum for
few days, probably the place describ
. ed by Dumas in his D'Artagnan ro
. n ances; Oldham Castle where Davi
. Bruce was taken prisoner Ia 1876, an
. the old Castle of Skenfrith.