Spirit Rapping at Butterton.

I believe this following account appeared in the Leek Post and Times and is as follows:- On July 12th, 1877, the village of Butterton in the Staffordshire Moorlands was aroused from its usual quietude, by the appearance of a spirit or some other unearthly token, who had chosen for its abode a humble thatched dwelling, whose lintel bears the date 1617, situated in that part of the village called Back Lane, and which, up to the previous February, was occupied by Mrs Gould, who had fought the battle of life for more than eighty years. The first alarm struck terror to the neighbours, who fled in fear to call in others braver than them, who in turn fled. Then it was considered advisable to call together the elders and lay deacons of the village, who unanimously concluded it was Old Hannah’s ghost, and that she had hidden money under the thatch and could not rest. They sent next day for the woman’s son to come and appease the spirit of his mother, but he only advised them to keep plenty of company and she would not harm them. The advice increased their fears tenfold. The following day – for the alarm was only heard during the day – it was proposed by some to call in the clergymen to lay the ghost and by others to call in the police. At last Mr Cantrell, whose house adjoins the one dated 1617, concluded to quit his parental roof and leave the ghost in peaceable possession. The affair created greater excitement as time rolled on. By eight o’ clock on Sunday, the house was filled with people, but still the rapping continued, and caused the upper room floor to shake and the bedroom furniture to rock. Eventually, to the great relief of the neighbours and Mr Cantrell, the evil genius was found to exist in the servant- maid, who had only been a member of the family a few days, who, by shaking an upright on which the floor rested, caused the floor to vibrate for a considerable time. At last she went home to her father and mother, and told them over and over again they might get her  what sort of place they liked, but she “would never work not no more.”