Wednesday 3 February 2010

More Goings On at 34 Albury Street

In September 1950 a Mrs Emily Wilcox rented No. 34 for 23s 9p per week and looked after 6 children in this 7 roomed house. She also encountered terrifying events for a number of years whilst at the property. My mother and Aunt Jeanie knew her well and were told on a number of occasions by her that the place was haunted. Mrs Wilcox use to hear quite distinctly footsteps going up and down the stairs when the place was empty, and once saw a shimmering white light on the first floor landing. Sash windows were constantly being flung open by themselves and more disturbing an apparition of a lady would appear quite unexpectedly. I quote, "she always wore a cloak and a wide brimmed hat" This apparition also appeared in other properties close by. The further you investigate and go back in time researching archives you discover many references to the fact that Lord Nelson stayed briefly at this property and would meet Lady Hamilton there. I believe this story was not invented to elevate the selling price of the property but I know was handed down word to mouth over the years to successive occupants. Could it be that the lady in the cloak and wide brimmed hat may of been this lady in the photograph....Emma Hart...later to become...Lady Hamilton?

Newspaper cutting "Ghost in a Cloak" September 1950

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

i seem to remember the name. this is interesting bro . good find.

Andy said...

Mum could not remember the name until I told her and then she did. She told me that she was always saying about the ghosts etc but no one believed her. Now with evidence from Mrs Wilcox, Mrs AManze, and mother all speaking about the same type of haunting over the past 60 years leads one to believe there something going on. I will try and interview the current occupiers tomorrow...If there willing..oooooh!

Matt said...

I remember as a kid at John Evelyn School being taken to see the house where Lady Hamilton lived in Albury Street as part of a project on Nelson. We weren't allowed inside and we wondered why the teachers thought a bunch of 10 year olds from Deptford would enjoy standing in a street admiring the architecture.

Andy said...

Made me laugh Matt...One wonders if any of the kids made it to be architechs..