DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0089
ACCOUNT OF THE COCK LANE GHOST.
71
children, the girl who had seen the supposed apparition
was interrogated what she thought it was like. She de-
clared it was Mrs. Kempe, who about two years before had
lodged in the house. On this information, the circumstances
attending Mrs. Kempe’s death were recollected, and were
pronounced by those who heard them, to be of a dark and
disagreeable nature. Suspicions were whispered about
tending to inculpate Mr. Kempe; fresh circumstances were
brought to light, and it was hinted that the deceased had
not died a natural death.
These reports were succeeded by the publication of a
narrative relative to Mr. Kempe’s connection with the
deceased. This paper was said to have been signed and
delivered, on Monday the 25th of February, 1760, to a
gentleman of Norfolk, of which county Mrs. Kempe, other-
wise Miss Frances L-s, was a native. It was to the
following effect.
“ To wit.
“ That one Mr. Kempe some time in the month of
August, 1759, employed a person to carry a letter to a
young woman of a reputable family in Norfolk, and
withal to bring her in a post-chaise to the said K.’s lodg-
ings somewhere in or near the Strand. The agent having-
performed his undertaking very dexterously, arrived with
the lady in London late in the evening, carried her to
the said K.’s lodgings agreeably to his instructions; but
when they came there, K. had left a direction for his
honourable agent to bring her directly down to Greenwich,
(which was performed by the help of a pair of oars) where
he found the said K. ready to receive his faithful girl, after
the fatigue of a journey of about one hundred miles per-
formed in one day.
“ They continued some short time at Greenwich,
where the said K.’s agent frequently visited his employer ;
there being a great friendship between them, which
friendship
71
children, the girl who had seen the supposed apparition
was interrogated what she thought it was like. She de-
clared it was Mrs. Kempe, who about two years before had
lodged in the house. On this information, the circumstances
attending Mrs. Kempe’s death were recollected, and were
pronounced by those who heard them, to be of a dark and
disagreeable nature. Suspicions were whispered about
tending to inculpate Mr. Kempe; fresh circumstances were
brought to light, and it was hinted that the deceased had
not died a natural death.
These reports were succeeded by the publication of a
narrative relative to Mr. Kempe’s connection with the
deceased. This paper was said to have been signed and
delivered, on Monday the 25th of February, 1760, to a
gentleman of Norfolk, of which county Mrs. Kempe, other-
wise Miss Frances L-s, was a native. It was to the
following effect.
“ To wit.
“ That one Mr. Kempe some time in the month of
August, 1759, employed a person to carry a letter to a
young woman of a reputable family in Norfolk, and
withal to bring her in a post-chaise to the said K.’s lodg-
ings somewhere in or near the Strand. The agent having-
performed his undertaking very dexterously, arrived with
the lady in London late in the evening, carried her to
the said K.’s lodgings agreeably to his instructions; but
when they came there, K. had left a direction for his
honourable agent to bring her directly down to Greenwich,
(which was performed by the help of a pair of oars) where
he found the said K. ready to receive his faithful girl, after
the fatigue of a journey of about one hundred miles per-
formed in one day.
“ They continued some short time at Greenwich,
where the said K.’s agent frequently visited his employer ;
there being a great friendship between them, which
friendship