Emma Davies and 'The Shropshire manifestations'

Every haunting is an exercise in trust. One must take a leap of faith, suspend all reason and completely succumb to the senses, allowing yourself to just be in that moment and trust what you are seeing or hearing. Even when reading about ghosts there is an element of this, that tantalising flash when one considers that such an event might have happened.  I have always thought of myself as a ‘somewhat believer’, a ‘sit on the fence’ sort. I have even had experiences myself that would be characterised as paranormal, but I am also plagued by uncertainty. I don’t think we should detract from the impact of a paranormal experience on a believer, but I have never been able to truly resolve myself to say I believe in ghosts. I believe there is something… though I am aware of how vague that sounds. It’s a question I have long pondered. Thankfully, in my work as a folklorist, the question of the existence of spirits doesn’t really come into it. It doesn’t matter if there is a physical entity because the folkloric ghost is a potent symbol, imbued with meaning and worthy of deeper analysis.

I am however an ardent believer in the importance of ghosts as a symbol. They are a window through the uncertainty, an insight into a particular time or place, otherwise forgotten by traditional historical narratives. There is something that inspires these stories to endure, a force that reminds us that they are important. Certainly, the haunting is infinitely more complex than we are led to believe. The ghost is a palimpsest, an indelible reminder of a significant event, be that on a provincial or national level. The ghost is something we must unpick, peeling away the layers to understand its cultural or historical significance. Perhaps this is why they are so fascinating.

However, the purpose of this article is not to look at traditional hauntings or even the legacy of the folkloric ghost. Instead, we are going to turn to a particular unique episode in Shropshire’s history. The story of Emma Davies and the ‘Ghost Hoax’ that grabbed national attention. You may have heard The Shropshire Witches Podcast episode where we discuss this case, which I have expanded upon in this article. Now, I want to preface this article by saying that although the purported paranormal events that Emma experienced were ‘revealed’ by the 19^th century tabloids to be falsified, I believe that the story is far more nuanced than originally represented. Ultimately there is a young girl at the centre of the case, that fell victim to a media frenzy.

 Did Emma Davies experience genuine paranormal phenomena? I cannot say. Perhaps she truly believed what she said, or perhaps she completely made it up. The true answer has been taken away by the ebb and flow of time. I don’t believe it really matters now.  Her story is highly symbolic, and it allows us to understand both the treatment and place of young women during the 19^th century as well as explore the explosion of interest in the paranormal during this period. As well of this, it is a great example of how a historical event can develop as a legend of its own, for Emma Davies has entered folkloric discourse as an example of the miraculous and potent power of the paranormal. Indeed, I have seen several references to her story in numerous coffee table books about the paranormal being passed off as genuine verifiable ghost phenomena. I think this is why it is important to look at spirits through the lens of the period they belonged to and dig a little deeper when faced with a historical account. Through doing so we can bear witness to their original meaning.

I think a good place to begin would be to summarise the Victorian relationship with the ghost, before we turn to the Emma Davies story in greater depth. This is by no means an exhaustive account of the 19^th century fascination with the spirit world (Which is worthy of its own article). However, I will outline some of the main threads. It’s important to note that many of Shropshire’s ghost stories date from this period, which shows that the curiosity and interest was being felt in the county as well as throughout the country.

 Victorian society was truly haunted by the existence of ghosts. Such a belief in the spirit world was shaped by a complex blend of religious belief, genuine scientific curiosity and shifts in culture regarding our relationship with death and mourning. Some believed that the ghost was a spirit or soul that lingered after death, others thought them capable of delivering portents or omens. Throughout the country we see a complex blend of ghost lore developing during this period, building upon preexisting belief. The ghost gained new life in the pages of Victorian literature often became a metaphor for wider society. Cultural relationships with the ghost mirrored societal changes, anxieties surrounding death against the backdrop of the rapid changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution. For many, the ghost was a sign of continuity in a world in flux.

The 19^th century also saw the rise in spiritualism, which popularised belief in the spirit world. Through the work of mediums such as the Fox sisters in 1848 spiritualism would grow to be a belief system and practice of its own, even if it proponents were themselves often at the centre of hoax scandals. The proliferation of seances and mediumship, particularly in the middle and upper classes attracted prominent figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  It also allowed the mourner a very tangible opportunity to peer beyond the veil and speak to their deceased loved ones. There was very genuine emotions and desire for remembrance behind the growth of spiritualism, it was a highly personal experience for the believer, which sadly left them at the risk of exploitation.  I would argue that it was this desire to hold dominion over death and that drove much of the ghost craze during this period.

Furthermore, the newspapers also played an important role in shaping the fascination with the paranormal during the Victorian period. Indeed, many of my own sources for accounts have come from Victorian tabloids, including much of the information for Emma. The driving force behind the sharing of ghost sightings and strange events was equal parts sensationalism and genuine curiosity. It is important to note that many journalists may have shared such content because they were genuinely interested in Fortean phenomena and believed it worthy of printing. However, the ghost was also a reliable source of content and by capitalising on the cultural significance of the ghost they could keep their newspaper’s flying off of the shelves. This was especially the case with papers that shared local accounts, and stories linked to a grisly death or tragedy. It was against the backdrop of all of these societal influences that the story of Emma Davies takes place.

Much of what we know about Emma Davies comes from newspaper accounts written during the two weeks or more in 1883 when she was catapulted into national attention. She was said to have been born in 1870, and though different accounts give various ages for her, it is most widely reported that she was 13 during the fantastical events. She was described as being ‘a plain looking girl… childlike in appearance’. I still find it cruel that they decided to comment on her appearance at all, as though it held any relevance to the proceedings.

Sadly, we know little about Emma’s life prior to 1883 (though it is something I am actively researching). It was 1883 when her life would completely change and she would also find herself in the epicentre of purported paranormal phenomena. This phenomenon took place in both Loppington, where she had been working as a servant and Weston Lullingfields where she had grown up.

Our story begins in Loppington, a beautiful village that sits just 3 miles west of Wem. One of the first reported references I have found to Emma’s story comes from Saturday 10^th of November 1883, where the phenomena was reported as having happened two days prior. The ‘Remarkable story from Shropshire’ was included in many publications however, I am referencing the ‘Newcastle Guardian’. We are told in this article that ‘a series of most remarkable manifestations of which it seems impossible to give any rational explanation ‘were reported at a farmhouse called ‘The Woods’. Emma had been working here as a servant for a Mr John Hampson and his family. Strangely, the article doesn’t reference Emma directly, instead focusing on the plethora of marvels taking place and referring to her only as ‘The Servant’ or ‘The girl’.

 The first piece of paranormal activity reported is a saucepan filled with boiling water being thrown off of the hob. Not long after this, the kitchen table was flipped over, and all of the China cups were thrown around the room by an invisible entity. Mrs Hampson, who was home at the time quickly fled the scene and went to a neighbour, Mr Lea for help. Mr Lea states in the article that he saw ‘a light in one of the windows, as if the house was on fire’ only to find the house in darkness when he went to check. Upon coming down the stairs he saw some items of clothing had found themselves in the fire and were about to catch light. He quickly put them out, only to hear a sound like ‘a pistol and the furniture and other moveable contents of the kitchen began to move about as if bewitched’. The globe of a paraffin lamp was also lifted off its stand and shattered as it flew across the room. A copy of ‘The Pilgrims Progress’ also was said to fly across the room. We are then told amidst the tumult, Emma was attending to the Hampson’s baby in the kitchen, who lay in a cot. Quite suddenly both Emma, referred to here as ‘The Servant’ and the baby caught fire. Some accounts state this was caused by coals jumping out of the fire and hitting Emma’s shawls but nevertheless the flames had to be extinguished by an adult. Paranormal or not, this must have been a terrifying experience for all of those involved, which resulted in Mrs Hampson taking her children and staying with a relative that evening.

Bizarrely, reports of paranormal phenomena are not confined to The Wood’s that evening as we are told in the article that Mr and Mrs Lea also experienced plates jumping from the table whilst eating supper, furniture moving and plant pots that were adjacent to the Hampson’s farm moving in a strange manner. Bricks were also thrown across the dairy by an invisible hand and more coal seemed to jump out of the fire, which could have had disastrous results. Reading the newspaper accounts through a modern lens I am struck by how similar the reported phenomena is to famous poltergeist accounts, especially with having an adolescent girl at the centre of the unfolding events. Though rooted in German folklore and having a long history. The first reference to a poltergeist-like creature is found in the 1^st century CE. There are a number of relatively well-known cases during the latter half of the 19^th century, which at the very least could have influenced the desire to report on such events or could have inspired the hoax itself.

The next account comes from a few days after the initial events, and it states that there had been further paranormal activity. Emma had gone to another neighbour’s house, (referred to as Mrs Jones) to help her with the household chores. Whilst they were washing clothes, the washing bucket ‘jumped about the house throwing water in all directions. Shortly after this, the family bible and other books were thrown across the room, landing all over the floor. The family bible only narrowly escaping the fire. As Emma tried to pick up the books, we are told that a boot flew over her head, striking the mantlepiece. The phenomena abruptly stopped, leaving both Emma and Mrs Jones confused and alarmed.

 After a short while they began laying out the wet clothing onto the hedgerow in order for it to dry. The clothes that Emma places were said to ‘Jump into the road’. This was enough for Mrs Jones to send Emma home and tell her not to come back. When she returned back to The Woods, we are told that a lump of coal leapt from the fire and the flowerpots began to move. As the phenomena increased, it became clear to those involved that Emma was at the centre of it. Thus, Emma was discharged from her duties at the farm as Mrs Hampson felt ‘uncomfortable’ around her. If we suspend disbelief for a moment regarding the paranormal events, to lose employment in such a manner must have been very upsetting for the young girl. For many young people in employment during the Victorian times, their wages supplemented their family’s income, so it would have had a detrimental impact on their lives. I have seen several accounts of young people fearing their parents rebuttal after loss of employment, so Emma must have been experiencing a very real distress.  After being dismissed from her duties, she was sent away to get her father, but she fainted on her journey there. When she was found lying in the road she was taken back to the farm and a doctor was called.

We are told that Dr Corke made a close examination of Emma, and he was unable to determine why she had fainted, or why the phenomena was occurring. She is described as fluctuating between a ‘very excitable and nervous state’. After this, Emma returned to Weston Lulllingfields, where her family still lived. We are told that after Emma’s departure the Hampson's left their farm due to their fear regarding the paranormal activity. The house was described as being in a sorry state, with the ‘front windows of the dwelling all broken, and heaps of broken utensils, glass and pitchers lying about the yard’ This goes part of the way to describing the intensity of the events that were unfolding and the damage that the ‘ghost’ was causing. It is important with any haunting to remember the person at the centre of it, and the real, tangible fear that such events inspire.

In the days that followed, the doctor returned but did little to help Emma, and we are also told that a clergyman visited her to perform an exorcism, but this did nothing to reduce the paranormal activity. I cannot imagine how distressing it must be to experience an exorcism. I have read accounts of such a ritual, and they always make for an uncomfortable read. The fact it is dropped so casually into the articles makes it all the more difficult. The psychological implications of an exorcism much have been hard to navigate as a teenage girl.  During this time, we see a number of different theories being shared about the phenomena, including that it was being caused by a build-up of natural gasses, but no one seems at this point in our tale to cast doubt on the events. Indeed, it is being reported as genuine phenomena, which could be representative of both the belief in the paranormal as well as the newspaper’s role in fanning the flames of interest.

As soon as Emma returned to her parents’ house, the paranormal events continued. Upon entering the room pieces of coal jumped from the fireplace and things started moving around the house. We are also told that on one occasion household items flew around the house from dusk to the following day ‘in a most alarming manner’. The newspaper’s make it clear now that Emma is at the centre of the events. She is the cause of the mysterious manifestations. They implore the reader to consider that Emma Davies may be haunted.  She is depicted as nervous and in a state of high emotion during this time, and we are told the alleged paranormal events were making her quite ill.

One thing that is quite striking about the proceedings is that there are a host of witnesses who can attest to the events and believe enough to be interviewed by the newspapers. Her father describes furniture moving around the room. A police constable stayed with the family and saw the metal guard of the fireplace move around the room, as well as cushions fly as if thrown by an invisible hand. Mrs Maddox, the village school mistress also reports witnessing Emma and the chair she is sitting on rise from the floor. There are also multiple reports of china cups and plates smashing and boxes being broken by force. After about a week of reported events, Emma Davies is removed from her family home and is left under the care of the local doctor, due to how withdrawn and ill the events around her are making her. Through the influence of the newspaper stories, people flocked to the area to witness the aftermath of the carnage, in hope that they might glimpse a spirit, or event the fantastical girl at the centre of events. Many newspapers also send journalists to Weston Lullingfields to try to piece together the story and increase their sales in the process.

The newspapers also appear to be making up stories during this time and linking them to the events at Weston Lullingfields. These fictional accounts are farcical, including one which suggests the pigs stood up on two feet and sang the national anthem. Their eagerness to exploit a teenage girl is all too pertinent and is still rather chilling over 100 years later. We see more reported phenomena in a similar vein to what has previously mentioned until late November, when we are told that the ‘Shropshire Mystery’ has been explained.

The ‘Truth’ was that Emma Davies had made up the whole affair, and this was shared widely in national newspapers. The world had been fooled by a teenage girl it seemed, and many newspapers chose to vilify her, or approach her story with cruelty. I have chosen not to include quotes from these, as I believe that it is unfair to a teenage girl who was, as we shall soon see, navigating a very difficult stage of her life. We are told that Emma Davies made up the whole thing, and much of the phenomena was caused by ‘slights of hand’ and was ‘an accomplished performer’. The journalist that gained the confession stated that after ‘some trouble’ he was able to speak to Emma herself (alongside a friend her age) and after questioning her she ‘became hysterical’ and confessed it all. We learn nothing yet of how he gained the confession, but I find the power dynamic uncomfortable, especially knowing that she became so emotional whilst being questioned.  She would later confess the hoax to the doctor and even demonstrate some of her tricks. Several articles that share her confession make it clear that however much they had previously emphasised the fact, there was nothing supernatural about the case and she had made up the whole affair. With Emma’s tricks uncovered, the events of Weston Lullingfields and Loppington should have faded into obscurity, however this is not the end of our story.

Just a few days later, we find another article published about Emma called ‘kissing the Shropshire fraud’. The author of this piece was a local journalist, who was able to interview Emma. This is more of a sympathetic portrayal of Emma’s story, and in many ways provides the girl with a voice for the first time during this whole episode. In the article Emma states that she was forced to confess, tricked by London reporters. She said that two men waited for at the Doctor’s house where she was staying and claimed to be police officers. They told her they knew she was lying and that she was in a lot of trouble, that she risked going to prison if she didn’t confess to the events being a fraud. She told the local journalist that the men terrified her, and she truly believed them to be police officers. She states they also slapped her hand, and with the threat of prison looming over her, she confessed to the fraud without properly meaning it. She also states that upon leaving the ‘police officers’ kissed her. I find this unfair power dynamic and deceit appalling and it explains why in previous articles it states that ‘the girl was very much frightened’. The men had coerced a confession out of her under false pretences, surely this experience would have only heightened her ‘hysterical nature’ that was so emphasised by previous newspaper articles.

I don’t feel that trying to guess the validity of Emma Davies’ account is useful now, as it is made more difficult by the passing of time. Though it was revealed to be a hoax, it doesn’t mean we should ignore her or leave it out of wider paranormal and historical discourse. Perhaps Emma truly believed she was haunted, and perhaps people were there to witness it, or perhaps she made up the whole thing. What is important is to emphasise the exploitative nature of the journalists and those close to her. Coerced into a confession, she was given little agency and treated like chattel rich for exploitation.

Even if it was a case of childish games taken too far, she shouldn’t have been manipulated, exploited or have become the centre of such a media frenzy. It is sad to think that at the heart of this case is a young girl who had little say in the way she was represented, whose name became synonymous with fantastical events, before being lambasted as a fraud. I feel that more could have been done to protect Emma, and it makes me very sad. What is all the more pertinent is that one can look at Emma as but one example in many of the way that women and young girls are exploited by the media and often those closest to them. There have been many Emma’s throughout the history of female representation, who have been ridiculed, vilified or who have been put at the centre of a media frenzy. The tabloids at the time knew very well what they were doing. They knew of society’s deeply held fascination with the spirit world, so they chose to exploit the story further than anyone originally anticipated.

After the events were proven to be false, the fascination with Emma Davies doesn’t immediately wane. After the publishing of the ‘Kissing the Shropshire Fraud’ article there are a few notable objections to Emma’s treatment. In one letter which was published the writer emphasises the unfair handling of Emma’s story and states that the eyewitnesses to the events were ‘respectable people’ with little cause to make up such proceedings. This seems to suggest that there were still people who believed in the possibility of the Shropshire haunting.  A further letter suggests that Emma ‘deserves some pity’ and that even with the manifestations supposably falsified there ‘was not an easy explanation’ to the seemingly intense burst of phenomena. Some refuse to believe her account was falsified and some seem to be pleased that the whole affair can be put to bed after the frenzy of public interest it inspired.

 We are also told that Emma’s parents had received offers of adoption from a number of people who ran music halls and talent managers, eager to exploit Emma further. At one point her parents are interviewed and suggest that she is still indeed haunted, but they provide little evidence. It seems in part they too wanted to continue the frenzy of interest centred around their daughter. In one of the last references I have found to Emma Davies in the newspaper archives we are told that she had been taken to London by a man and woman who ‘had promised to do right by the girl’. Sadly, as of yet I have found no evidence to suggest they were telling the truth, or truly what happened to her after those strange few weeks in 1883. (Though I am still actively researching her).

There is one detail that we have not addressed during the course of this article, which I believe provides us with some context to the story of Emma Davies. It could certainly, I part be used as an explanation for her heightened emotional state. What is more important is that it emphasises her vulnerability and that in her short life she had been treated so poorly. In July 1883, just 4 months before the paranormal activity manifested.  Emma Davies was present at the Baschurch petty sessions, where she charged ‘youth called Thomas Jones’ with indecently assaulting her. Though details are vague, Emma stated that Jones had assaulted her, and the court found him guilty. He was charged just £2 for the offence, which is the equivalent of about £310 today. Like so much of Emma’s story, it is difficult to imagine how she would have been feeling, and it saddens me that she had to navigate this.  Emma’s experiences also make the ‘kissing the Shropshire fraud’ article and her account of the journalist’s behaviour feel even more sinister. The fact that this teenager had faced such a level of exploitation still hits hard after all of these years.

I mentioned at the beginning of the article that Emma had almost entered folklore, and a story has emerged that Thomas Jones’ mother did not believe her son had done anything wrong, and she cursed Emma for the lies she had told, which was used as an explanation for the paranormal events. Though we know from newspaper accounts that Jones’s mother did not believe Emma, it is harmful to suggest that her being a victim of a sexual assault is the cause of the manifestations. This must have been such a difficult time for Emma, which would have been amplified by the media’s involvement with the ‘paranormal’ events. Emma deserved to be protected and even if she was making up the hauntings, the media of the time exploited her vulnerability. I do not want to suggest that Emma made up the whole affair because she had been assaulted, as it is far more complex than this and we should instead focus on the fact that she was a person, with real, tangible emotions. However, it is fair to suggest that Emma was navigating a lifechanging event amidst a society filled with stigma and shame, which was so often placed upon the victim.

Was Emma Davies haunted? I believe she was but perhaps not in the way we expect. She had just lived through a very difficult period of her life and now she was subject to an intense power play between herself, and the journalists keen to exploit her purported experiences. They knew very well the general public’s fascination with the miraculous and Fortean. This ‘quite plain looking girl’ became the centre of an international story, which even no one could have truly predicted. With cases such as Emma’s, it is important to focus on the humanity of the protagonist. We are guilty even in more recent times of sensationalising the story to make it more fantastical or focus on her as a cunning deceitful young woman. Even if she had made up the phenomena, at the centre of this is a young girl who was trying to conceptualise what had happened to her and navigate a world of unkindness.

Regardless of whether the paranormal events were real, she didn’t deserve to be used by the tabloids and then cast away, lambasted as a fraud and wicked girl. Her story is far more nuanced than originally presented and at the centre of this complex story is a very sad state of affairs. Often women’s narratives have been misrepresented or moulded to fit a particular stereotype, and I believe that this is what has happened here. The cruelty she had previously experienced has been depicted as secondary to her presentation as a liar. When she was given a voice, it has been drowned out by other people’s perspectives on her situation, and I wish I could find more evidence of Emma Davies telling her own story. I think if we move away from conversations regarding the phenomena’s authenticity, a much more interesting discussion can be had. The story of Emma Davies is unique and though it is not a verifiable haunting, she can still provide a window to the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the period. Firstly, the story of Emma Davies demonstrates the intensity of the ghost craze during the Victorian era. After all, several articles reference the swathes of people who flocked to Weston Lullingfields to visit the site of such extraordinary events. Furthermore, it shows how marketable paranormal events were in the eyes of the newspapers. In a similar vein, it reminds us just how unscrupulous journalists could be, caring little for her personal welfare. I believe the Story of Emma Davies also holds a light up to the experiences of women during this period. Though still only 13 years old, Emma was subject to scrutiny regarding her appearance, her background and her authenticity as a witness. She was exploited and lied to and thus represents the experiences of many women, whether or not they had witnessed a paranormal event. Even in more recent times, women’s opinions and voices have been decried as being of less importance entirely due to their gender. Emma Davies is an example of this.  As I said previously, the paranormal is an exercise in Trust, and sometimes our trust can be misplaced. Regardless of this, I hope that we can hold space for Emma, because she is deserving of empathy, she is deserving of our care.