By
Richard HollandA Mr Williams of Gresford, near Wrexham, had just such an experience back in the 19th century. Not only was it a terrifying experience, it was one which culminated in tragedy.
Mr Williams was enjoying an evening stroll with his friend, Mr Jones, a builder who lived in nearby Marford. They were walking down Little Acton Hill between the two villages when suddenly they saw approaching them through the gathering gloom an unearthly white figure. The men stopped and watched with growing unease as it came closer.
The figure looked like everyone's idea of a ghost - dressed in white and with wild, flowing hair. Was someone playing a prank on them? Then Mr Jones laughed - he had recognised the figure. It was Mr Williams' wife!
"Now you're for it," he joked to his friend. He assumed they had stayed out too long and Mrs Williams was coming to find them. But Mr Williams was not laughing. He could see the expression on his wife's face, drawn and desperate. What was wrong and why was she out in her nightgown?
He moved toward her - and she vanished! The men were dumbfounded. But Mr Williams lost no time. Something was terribly wrong - he knew it. He hurried down the hill the way his wife had come, followed by Mr Jones. At last they reached Mr Williams' home in Gresford. All was dark and cold. There was no supper on the table, as was usual.
His heart thumping, Mr Williams called out his wife's name but received no response. He lit a candle and began to search the house for her. He found her in the sitting room. She was dead, suicide.
The apparition he and Mr Jones had seen on the road must have been that of his wife at the moment of her death, when her desperate spirit had come in search of her husband.
your comments
Kenny Jones, Chester
To Jack from Wrexham, read about the Gresford werewolf on this site - the story even frightened me.
Fri Jul 18 08:48:08 2008
Paul Williams
I feel really sorry for Mr Williams for losing someone he loves!
Tue Jul 1 08:11:57 2008
Kathy, Wrexham
The valley in between Llay and Gresford is said to have quite a few ghosts. There is a story about a doctor finding a dead woman's body, and as he went to find help she ran away. There's the nuns and child on the railway bridge, a monk and a mad axe man in the woods, and a ghost of a man seen on Pentre hill. I don't know if any are true but they are certainly spooky stories that get passed around.
Tue Apr 1 10:43:07 2008
Jack from Wrexham
Adam from Marford I have heard about that and the woman in question is Lady Margaret Blackbourne. Does anyone else know of any good ghost stories round the Marford and Gresford area?
Fri Mar 28 09:23:33 2008
Jayne, Gresford
Very scary, my grandad first told me this story and I couldn't believe it!
Mon Feb 25 09:03:27 2008
Erika from California
Oh my gosh... this story scared me the most of all of them. I got a tear in my eye and a shiver.
Tue Jun 19 08:19:14 2007
Nat from Wrexham
My nan's house is opposite Gresford church. It used to be a Victorian school and there are many stories about ghosts living in her house in the cupbord upstairs. Real creepy.
Thu Jun 14 14:20:34 2007
Jon from Gresford
I have seen this lady a few times when walking home from the pub. Also, walking from work past the churchyard is pretty freaky and makes your mind play tricks on you, or so I hope!
Wed Apr 25 08:34:11 2007
Sophie Newing, England
I think that all ghosts are people who have died near you or in that house. That story is so sad I give my sympathy to Mr Williams.
Tue Apr 10 08:24:37 2007
Bethan Wynne, Wrexham
I've heard this story before, in 'Haunted Clwyd' by Richard Holland. It's great. Read it people!
Tue Jan 9 15:03:26 2007
We're no longer accepting comments on this page but we're still interested in your ghost stories about NE Wales
