HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2005
[Taken from an unpublished History of Ballaugh, typescript courtesy of Mannin Collections
- would appear to be by E W Kissack but drawing heavily on notes by Rev W Kermode]
The belief in mysterious lights appearing about the time of a death in a neighbourhood is not by any means exploded - though it is difficult to get the people to speak of them excepting among their credulous neighbours. The lights are said by some to go from the house where the corpse lies direct to the Churchyard before the internment has taken place. In other cases they merely hover about the house. Mr Clarke of Ballavolley told the writer that he was looking about 3 o'clock one morning from his bed-room window, about a year ago, and saw a light in the field by Roberts' house - (the nearest to his own) - that he put on his clothes and went down stairs when he saw the light go towards the high road - that he went in the same direction, but by the time he got to the road it had disappeared, and he never saw it after. That he said to his wife "Robert's wife who is now lying ill, will be gone within a month". She died very shortly afterwards - He had probably seen an "ignis fatuus" as the ground below Roberts house is wet and marshy.
[People - Thomas Clarke born 1796 - article written c.1882, John Roberts + Elizabeth Roberts bur 10 Nov 1878; ]
The same informant says he has often seen this in his younger days (He is now 86) - that if you kicked up a sod of turf with the foot, a bright light immediately showed itself - that it would quickly disappear and then show itself again several yards away - that if you followed it, it would go further on, and you might chase it for hours and it would still skip away and elude you. Though people were wont to regard this in more ignorant times superstitiously it plainly enough proceeds from natural causes. We do not hear of these "Will 'o the' Wisps" nowadays for the good reason that the Curragh is so much better drained than formerly.
The same informant told me he had on several occasions distinctly heard the singing of the funeral Psalm as if by the Parish Clerk and others before a Burial. This used to be a very common superstition in the Island - I have often heard of it from old people.
Some young people from the Rectory, having called at a farmhouse in the parish, and being detained by the rain, were induced to have tea with the family, when it was observed that "company had been expected because the cock had been crowing on the door step".
It is commonly believed, by those sufficiently credulous in such matters! - that sparks or flames of fire seen - or imagined to be seen - passing a dwelling is a sure sign of death or disaster to some of the inmates.
A poor woman in a neighbouring parish having a child suffering from some strumous affection [sic affliction], took the little one to the Churchyard, and sprinkled it with the earth from a new-made grave. this however not proving a perfect cure, she next took the child to a house where an old man was "laid out" preparatory to his being put in the coffin and she drew the hand of the corpse over the features of the child two or three times - with what effect we are not told.
A woman in this parish (from whom one might have expected somewhat more of commonsense) a short time ago took a child of her sisters (who had a trifling blemish or "Birth Mark" somewhere on the face) - to three different houses where she heard of a corpse, and had the mark stroked with the dead hand expecting the operation to be effectual in removing the blemish!
[the following seem to be added by Kissack]
In the month of February 1894 I was suffering from a carbuncle when an old man Moughtin told me that if I said God bless the New Moon when I saw it for the first time the carbuncle & boil would disappear. He said he knew a man who had tried the remedy with success but added that he was a Local Preacher !!
A sad event happened in the parish some years ago as related to me by old Mrs Gill, viz that Tom Dick the brother of Kitty Dick who is still alive killed a son of Caesar Stephen aged 7, & that after he had done the foul deed went & told Quayle & Taubman of his act & he showed them how he did it. It seems that Tom had been to America & had a sunstroke & returned home & remembered that these men used to tease him in years past: he was confined as a criminal lunatic in the asylum at Douglas where he died some years ago.
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The
Editor HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2005 |
||