| It was
built around 1906 to house a non-conformist religious group. When
the group wound up the building was bought by a firm of cloth finishers
and employed women burling and mending lengths of cloth.
The ladies employed there say that it has never been a comfortable
place to work in for there seemed to be a feeling that was hard to
describe. Mostly it was a feeling of being watched and upon turning
around finding nobody there, or a feeling of being brushed past and
again nobody near.
The heater was turned off at night, only for it to be found turned
on again at full power in the morning; the same happened with the
cooker. To happen once may be open to explanation, but when it happens
several times??
One day a lady went into the storage area to get some work when she
saw a man standing there watching her. She asked him why he was there
and, not getting any reply, turned to call for assistance. When she
turned back he had disappeared. But, as she had been stood in the
doorway and that was the only visible means of entry and exit, how
did he pass by? A search of the area found no-one so the lady was
asked to describe him. He was said to wear 'old-fashioned clothes'
and hat but she could not say how old he appeared.
Once, someone else admitted seeing this person; others said that they
had too, but in different places. Fearing ridicule they had never
mentioned the sightings. Various styles of dress were described, but
most agree on 'old-fashioned' , so who is or was he?
Top of the list were early members of the religious group, followed
by one of the coal miners, for there was a coal mine within yards
of the building in the mid-1880s. Going back even further, one of
the Barton family had been an owner of the land. Perhaps there was
some Civil War action on the site, though I am unaware of any battles
in the area.
One thing stands out in all these acounts: nobody mentions the traditional
cold feelings that usually accompany these sightings. I wonder if
any of the Gospel Hall members have had any experience of this nature?
Perhaps the previous religious use of the building could account for
some of the ghostly activity.
B.S |
