DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0087
ACCOUNT OF THE COCK LANE GHOST.
69
the removal of Mr. and Mrs. Kempe, the noises ceased
at the house of Mr. Parsons.
Unfortunately for Mr. Kempe, both the landlords at
whose houses he had lodged were necessitous; both
borrowed money of him, and he was obliged to sue both
for the payment, and to this circumstance may doubtless
be ascribed the plot which was afterwards contrived
against him. Be this as it may, it appears that while
he lodged at the house of Parsons, the young lady
became pregnant; and that in the sixth month of her
pregnancy, Dr. Cooper of Northumberland Street was
retained to attend her in her labour. That gentleman
continued to visit her till she was taken ill of what he
thought an eruptive fever, as he did not know that she
had never had the small pox. As the lodgings were ex-
tremely inconvenient, Mr. Kempe prepared rooms for
her reception at a house he had taken in Bartlett Street,
Clerkenwell, to which she was removed with all possible
care, in a coach, attended by Dr. Cooper ; and a nurse
was provided to wait upon her. Here it was discovered
that the disease with which she was attacked was the
small-pox; and for the first four days both the physician
and the apothecary, Mr. Jones of Grafton Street, who
attended her, thought the symptoms rather favourable;
but when maturation should have been performed, the
pulse flagged, the fever sunk, and the whole eruption
put on a very warty and pallid appearance. In short,
her death was pronounced almost certain three or four
days before it happened, during which time a clergy-
man was called in, and every means were employed, as
well to afford spiritual consolation, as for the preserva-
tion of her person. These facts were afterwards attested
by Dr. Cooper and Mr. Jones, and confirmed by the
clergyman who attended her.—The patient expired on
the
69
the removal of Mr. and Mrs. Kempe, the noises ceased
at the house of Mr. Parsons.
Unfortunately for Mr. Kempe, both the landlords at
whose houses he had lodged were necessitous; both
borrowed money of him, and he was obliged to sue both
for the payment, and to this circumstance may doubtless
be ascribed the plot which was afterwards contrived
against him. Be this as it may, it appears that while
he lodged at the house of Parsons, the young lady
became pregnant; and that in the sixth month of her
pregnancy, Dr. Cooper of Northumberland Street was
retained to attend her in her labour. That gentleman
continued to visit her till she was taken ill of what he
thought an eruptive fever, as he did not know that she
had never had the small pox. As the lodgings were ex-
tremely inconvenient, Mr. Kempe prepared rooms for
her reception at a house he had taken in Bartlett Street,
Clerkenwell, to which she was removed with all possible
care, in a coach, attended by Dr. Cooper ; and a nurse
was provided to wait upon her. Here it was discovered
that the disease with which she was attacked was the
small-pox; and for the first four days both the physician
and the apothecary, Mr. Jones of Grafton Street, who
attended her, thought the symptoms rather favourable;
but when maturation should have been performed, the
pulse flagged, the fever sunk, and the whole eruption
put on a very warty and pallid appearance. In short,
her death was pronounced almost certain three or four
days before it happened, during which time a clergy-
man was called in, and every means were employed, as
well to afford spiritual consolation, as for the preserva-
tion of her person. These facts were afterwards attested
by Dr. Cooper and Mr. Jones, and confirmed by the
clergyman who attended her.—The patient expired on
the