that strange Madam Gould sitting on a plough, this time of night, looking at the moon."
All who heard him stared, and a blank expression passed over their countenances.
"Madam," said they, "was buried seven days ago in Lew Church."
I heard this story from Mr. Symonds of Holdstrong, and it was confirmed by those at Galford.
Now the moon set about 2.44 a.m. on April 29th, and it was at its highest about half-past seven p.m. on April 28th, 1795, which was Tuesday after the 3rd Sunday after Easter.[1]
Mr. Symonds of Holdstrong was wont to affirm that the old Madam walked nightly between Galford and Warson over Galford Down, passing through Holdstrong farm, by the old Church path and beside a Dew pond on the down. Symonds said that he had never actually seen her, but that over and over again he had heard the rustle of her garments as she passed him. She had been seen by some of the men at Galford standing beside the Dew pond for a moment and then sweep on her way. Doubtless the fog that gathers over the water and replenishes the pool.
An old woman who entered the orchard, seeing the trees laden with apples, shook some down and filled her pockets, keeping one in hand to eat. She turned to the gate into the road, but suddenly there flashed before her in the way the figure of Old Madam in white, pointing to the apple. The poor woman, in an agony of terror, cast it away and fled across the orchard to another exit, a gap, where a slate slab formed a bridge across the stream; but the moment she reached it, the figure of the White Lady appeared standing before the bridge, looking at her sternly and pointing to her pocket. It was not till the old goody—but she was a girl then—had emptied it of the stolen apples, that the spectre vanished. This woman I knew: her name was Patience Kite, and she often told me the story, and assured me of its truth.
A carpenter who was employed to effect the alteration of Lew Church in 1832 worked late; he was alone, and before leaving one evening, out of curiosity, opened the vault or grave in the church, in which had been laid William Drake Gould and his lady.
- ↑ On April 28th the moon was seven days old and set at 1.35 a.m. next day approximately.
