Who was the Stockwell ghost? That’s the question that haunted a small London village back in 1772, when a series of bizarre events turned a quiet widow’s home upside down.
Known as the Stockwell Poltergeist, this infamous case involved flying dishes, creepy noises, and furniture that seemed to move on its own—spooky stuff that had everyone pointing fingers at a restless spirit. It all went down in Stockwell, London, on January 6, 1772, and for a hot minute, folks were convinced something supernatural was afoot.
Table of Contents
Historical Background
Stockwell in the 1700s
Picture Stockwell in 1772: a sleepy little village in Lambeth, Surrey, just south of London’s hustle and bustle. Back then, it was all about open fields, cozy gardens, and a fancy spot called Stockwell Manor. Nothing like the concrete jungle of modern London, Stockwell was a chill escape from the city’s chaos.
The drama unfolded at Mrs. Golding’s house, right near the Tower public house, a local watering hole that was the talk of the town. This peaceful vibe made what happened next feel like a total shock—like a horror movie popping off in a quiet suburb.
The Main Players
At the heart of the story is Mrs. Golding, an older widow who kept to herself and was well-liked around Stockwell. She hired Ann Robinson, a young maid barely out of her teens, to help with chores. Ann was just another servant girl, the kind whose backstory nobody bothered to write down back then.
Other folks got caught up in the mess too: Mr. Gresham, a neighbor who opened his home to Mrs. Golding; Mrs. Pain, a relative who got an eyeful of the chaos; and Richard Fowler, another neighbor who couldn’t handle the weirdness. A carpenter named Mr. Rowlidge even swung by to check things out. Together, they were the crew that lived through this wild ride.
The Vibe of the Times
The 1700s were a time when ghosts and goblins were basically part of the daily news. People in England were quick to blame anything odd—creaky floors, weird shadows—on spirits or witches.
Poltergeists, those noisy ghosts that supposedly chuck stuff around, were especially hot gossip. So when the Stockwell Poltergeist hit, it fit right into the era’s spooky obsession, setting the stage for Ann Robinson to pull off her big stunt.
What Went Down on January 6, 1772: A Play-by-Play
10:00 a.m.: Things Get Weird
It all kicked off on January 6, 1772, around 10:00 a.m. at Mrs. Golding’s place. Out of nowhere, her house turned into a scene from a haunted house flick.
Dishes—think cups, saucers, and chunky stone plates—started sliding off shelves and smashing on the floor. Food got tossed around like confetti, and loud bangs echoed everywhere. A clock hit the deck and broke into pieces, while a lantern on the staircase got yeeted down like it was nobody’s business.
Mrs. Golding, totally freaked out, called in Mr. Rowlidge, the carpenter, who thought maybe the house was just shaky from some new construction upstairs. Scared the place might cave in, she hightailed it to Mr. Gresham’s house next door.
12:00 p.m.: The Spooky Follows
By noon, the creepy chaos tagged along to Mr. Gresham’s. An egg shot off a shelf, flew across the kitchen, and bonked a cat on the head before busting open. Stuff like pestles, candlesticks, glasses, and even a teapot started crashing down or flying around. That teapot? It nailed Ann Robinson’s foot, but she just shrugged it off, acting like it was no big deal.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Pain and her aunt were losing it, sure a ghost was running the show. Ann, cool as a cucumber, said stuff like this happened all the time—pretty suspicious, right?
3:00 p.m.: Things Heat Up
By mid-afternoon, the weirdness cranked up a notch. Mrs. Pain dragged Richard Fowler over to help, but the flying objects and creepy vibes didn’t quit. Everyone was on edge, except Ann, who just stood there like she was watching a boring movie.
6:00 p.m.: Back at Ground Zero
When Mrs. Golding went back home that evening, things got even crazier. In the cellar, a nine-gallon beer keg was flipped upside down, spilling everywhere. A bucket of water started bubbling like it was on a stove, but no fire was around.
Upstairs, a box of candles fell off a shelf, and a mahogany table in the parlor flipped over for no reason. The whole time, one thing was clear: this only happened when Ann Robinson was in the room.
1:00 a.m.: Fowler Bails
By 1:00 a.m., Richard Fowler had had enough. Spooked out of his mind, he bolted from Mr. Gresham’s, leaving Mrs. Golding and the others to deal with the aftermath. The madness finally chilled out as the night ended, but not before turning everyone’s world upside down.
Digging Into the Mystery
Starting to Suspect Something
As the day dragged on, folks noticed a pattern: the spooky stuff only happened when Ann was around. If she left the room, everything stopped.
Mrs. Golding and her neighbors started side-eyeing the maid, wondering why she was so calm while everyone else was freaking out. That cool-headed act? It was starting to look more shady than chill.
Cracking the Case: Ann’s Big Reveal
Who Was the Stockwell Ghost? Spoiler alert: it was Ann Robinson all along. After people got wise to her, Ann fessed up. She’d been pulling strings—literally—using horsehairs and wires to make stuff move like it was haunted.
She’d also sneakily toss things when nobody was looking, staging the whole poltergeist show. A guy named William Hone wrote about her confession years later in 1825 in his book The Every Day Book. Ann didn’t spill all the tea on how she rigged every trick—like that bubbling water—but she admitted it was all fake.
Why’d she do it? Maybe she was bored, wanted attention, or just felt like stirring up trouble in her dead-end maid gig. Whatever her deal, she had Stockwell fooled.
The Fallout and Legacy
What It Cost Mrs. Golding
The Stockwell Poltergeist trashed Mrs. Golding’s place. Broken dishes, a spilled beer keg, and busted furniture probably hit her wallet hard, especially since she was living on a widow’s budget.
All that stress couldn’t have been great for her health either—imagine being an older lady dealing with a day of pure chaos. No records say exactly how bad it got, but it’s safe to say she wasn’t thrilled.
The News Spreads Fast
Word of the Stockwell Poltergeist got out quick. On January 11, 1772, just five days later, Mrs. Golding, Mr. Gresham, and Richard Fowler put out a pamphlet called An Authentic, Candid, and Circumstantial Narrative of the Astonishing Transactions at Stockwell. It spilled all the juicy details and had people buzzing, turning the story into a hot topic across London.
How It Shaped Ghost Stories
The Stockwell Poltergeist is a big deal in ghost-hunting history. It showed how someone could fake a haunting and make everyone buy it, pushing folks to think twice before yelling “ghost!”
Cases like this helped ghost hunters get smarter about checking for tricks or psychological stuff behind so-called hauntings.
Where Ann Ended Up
After coming clean, Ann Robinson probably got the boot from Mrs. Golding’s house. What happened next? Nobody knows. Back then, maids like her didn’t get their life stories written down, so she just fades out of the picture—a mystery in her own right.
Comparisons to Other Poltergeist Cases
The Stockwell Poltergeist wasn’t a one-of-a-kind deal—other spooky stories from the same era had people scratching their heads too. Let’s break down how it stacks up against three big ones from the 1600s and 1700s: the Cock Lane Ghost (1762), the Epworth Poltergeist (1716), and the Tedworth Drummer (1662–1663).
1) Cock Lane Ghost (1762): Just a decade before Stockwell, this London haunting had the city buzzing. It centered on a girl named Elizabeth Parsons, who supposedly got messages from a ghost through mysterious knocks in her family’s home on Cock Lane. Crowds showed up, and big names like Samuel Johnson checked it out. Like Stockwell, it turned out to be a scam—Elizabeth’s dad was behind it, trying to scam money and settle grudges. Both cases fooled tons of people with simple tricks (knocks vs. flying objects) and got exposed when someone noticed the “ghost” only showed up with a specific person around. The big difference? Cock Lane was a family hustle, while Ann Robinson flew solo in Stockwell.
2) Epworth Poltergeist (1716): This one hit the Wesley family’s home in Lincolnshire, England, where John Wesley (future Methodist founder) grew up. For weeks, the house was plagued by weird knocks, footsteps, and objects moving around—like a goblet that jumped off a shelf. The family called the spirit “Old Jeffrey,” and some thought it was a prank by a servant or one of the kids. Sound familiar? Like Stockwell, the Epworth case had a young person (maybe a servant) under suspicion, and the disturbances were physical—think moving stuff, not just creepy vibes. But unlike Ann’s clear confession, nobody ever pinned down who (or what) caused Old Jeffrey’s antics, leaving it a bit more mysterious.
3) Tedworth Drummer (1662–1663): Way back in Wiltshire, England, a guy named John Mompesson blamed a drummer for stirring up trouble after a dispute. Soon, his house was a mess—drums beating at night, objects flying, and even kids getting levitated (or so they said). People thought it was a curse or a spirit tied to the drummer. Stockwell’s similarities are clear: both had physical chaos (flying stuff, loud noises) and a single person tied to the trouble (Ann vs. the drummer). The Tedworth case leaned heavier on demonic vibes, though, and never got fully debunked like Stockwell’s clean-cut hoax. Plus, Tedworth dragged on for months, not one wild day.
These cases show a pattern: back in the day, poltergeists were the go-to explanation for anything that went bump in the night. Stockwell stands out for Ann’s solo act and quick confession, but all four stories reveal how easy it was to spook folks—and how often someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Stockwell Poltergeist at a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | January 6, 1772 |
| Location | Mrs. Golding’s house, Stockwell, Lambeth, Surrey, near Tower public house |
| Key Figures | Mrs. Golding (homeowner), Ann Robinson (maid), Mr. Gresham, Mrs. Pain, Richard Fowler |
| Main Events | Flying dishes, overturned furniture, bubbling water, spilling beer keg |
| Cause | Hoax by Ann Robinson using wires, horsehairs, and sneaky throws |
| Resolution | Ann confessed; hoax exposed |
| Media Coverage | Pamphlet published January 11, 1772 |
| Legacy | Influenced skepticism in paranormal studies |
Wrapping It Up
The Stockwell Poltergeist of 1772 is a wild tale of trickery that had everyone fooled—until it wasn’t. Ann Robinson turned Mrs. Golding’s quiet home into a haunted house blockbuster, all with a few wires and a knack for chaos.
From flying eggs to flipping tables, she kept Stockwell on edge for a day before the truth came out. It’s a story that reminds us to keep our eyes peeled for the real culprit, even when things go bump in the night.
Whether you’re into ghost stories or just love a good scam, the Stockwell Poltergeist delivers a classic lesson: sometimes, the spookiest thing is a clever prank.