Tag: UK- Liverpool

Is the ghost of Albert Williams real? Or was that a convenient fiction for a  2017 Most Haunted episode?

I expected the latter.

I was wrong.

When I watched the April 2017 “Most Haunted” episode filmed at the Slaughter House in Liverpool, I was intrigued.

Albert Williams is a name that Yvette received from spirit, during the investigation. According to Yvette’s impressions, Albert “looked after horses.” Around 1913, he may have been pushed down the Slaughter House stairs, and fell to his death.

Was he the same spirit in the “possibly 19th century” impression received by Billy in the earlier investigation?

Or, did two young men die there, in separate tragedies?

And was the searching (and probably distraught) mother Emma, not Meg or Mary? The names sound similar and could be confusing, especially if the psychic impression isn’t clear.

It’s too early to be certain.

Meanwhile, I was not optimistic about finding a likely Albert Williams. Williams is the third most popular surname in modern Britain, with nearly 300,000 people sharing the name.

Also, the given name of Albert – often a tribute to the memory of Queen Victoria’s husband – was very popular in that era.

I expected to find too many “Albert Williams” around Liverpool.

To my surprise, a likely match emerged early in my research. In fact, this was one of those times when the research seemed too easy.

Did he want me to confirm his identity? I can’t rule that out.

Here’s the most likely match for the Albert who contacted Yvette.

Albert Williams (1900 – c. 1913)

Albert Williams was born in 1900 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, to Emma Graham, age 36, and Alfred Williams, age 40.

“Our” Albert Williams is shown in the following screenshot from the 1901 English census. I’ve circled his name on the census page. The family lived on Anglesea Road in the town of Liverpool. (Note that, in 1901, Albert’s father was a blacksmith.)

Next, here’s the 1911 census. (Again, I’ve circled “our” Albert Williams.)

In 1911, Albert’s father was working as an Engine Smith (engineer) for the Cunard ship line.

One of Albert’s older brothers, George, was an Apprentice Blacksmith.

(Remember, their father had been a blacksmith for most of his adult life.)

So, in 1913, it would be reasonable – in fact, likely – that young Albert (around age 12 or 13) might have “looked after horses” in Liverpool.

He might have worked in or near the Slaughter House location, too. It was a popular commercial area.

So, is this a match for young Albert who haunts the Slaughter House?

It’s more than likely. Here’s why.

I’ve found no records for this Albert Williams after 1911.

That suggests that he died young. Maybe as early as 1913.

Of course, there may be another explanation. Maybe I’d find this Albert Williams in later records, if I dug deeper.

Or, maybe this is the Albert Williams who died at the Slaughter House location around 1913… just as Yvette said.

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Is Liverpool’s famous pub, The Slaughter House, truly haunted? And does history support its many ghost stories?

Here’s what I found out.

The haunted Slaughter House Pub is just one of many haunted sites in Liverpool.

It’s also the city’s oldest pub.

(The pub’s name gives me the creeps, but it’s popular with tourists as well as local residents.)

According to the Paranormal Database, the Slaughter House’s ghosts include two spirits who live in the cellar, and sometimes appear near the bar.

However, other reports suggest even more entities at the site.

So, let’s start with the obvious question… the pub’s name.

It probably wasn’t a slaughterhouse. Or… maybe it was?

According to researcher Tom Slemen, the pub was never an “abbatoir” as some were called. (Other terms included “fleshers” and “flesh markets.”)

Mr. Slemen lists several previous owners and businesses at the Fenwick Street location.

I checked his research, and confirmed his results.

For example, I had no trouble finding Peter Edwards in the 1827 Liverpool city directory, with an office where the Slaughter House is, today. (His residence was 11 Portland Street. His office was 15 Fenwick Street.)

However, I’m not sure if Mr. Slemen studied anything before the late 18th century. (Generally, I like to go back at least to the 16th century, and as far back as the 14th – or earlier – if I can.)

Liverpool directories didn’t exist in earlier times, so it’s not an easy task.

So, Mr. Slemen’s initial study may not reflect the whole story. In fact, Alex of Auld City tours says the Slaughter House site was an abbatoir.

Until I can study this further, I’m reluctant to say it was never an abbatoir.

Note: English history goes much further back than modern records. Also, hauntings like the Slaughter House’s usually indicate a lengthy, turbulent past.

So, I cast a wide research net, and don’t rule out anything until I’ve triple-checked it.

If you’d like to dig further into history, see my preliminary notes about the Slaughter House site: Haunted History: The Slaughter House, Liverpool.

But what about its ghosts?

Reports at the pub include the sound of a little boy ghost, hair being moved by invisible fingers, other poltergeist activity, and the sound of glasses clinking when no one is nearby.

The best description of the Slaughter House’s ghosts appeared in a 2004 article, quoted at YO! Liverpool.

Here’s some of that article:

[from the cellar] …We decide to go walkabout. On the “evil” stairs leading out, the ghostometer begins to sound uncomfortable and Billy claims he feels a presence but nothing too strong and certainly not malevolent.
…

We proceed to the top floor and it’s here, at the top of the stairwell, that Billy first detects something.

“The impression that I get here is that there was some kind of self destruction that somebody committed suicide. Somebody died in this area but it must have been some time ago. It was a man who hanged himself here.”

The ghostometer duly goes slightly bonkers emitting a fluctuating whine like that of the dentist’s drill. We head a little more quickly back downstairs where, back in the bar, it’s thought that it might be a good idea if Billy went back down in the cellar, alone this time, so as not to be distracted.

Billy, for some reason, doesn’t agree.

Minutes later Joe and I are perched on stools downstairs and after a brief surf with the divining rods – this area of the city apparently being awash with ley lines which convey psychic power – Billy has placed the ghostometer at the centre of the low stage at the far end of the room.

He then retreats to another stool on the far side where he sits occasionally stroking his chin apparently preoccupied in thought.

No words are spoken. The only sound is the warble of the ghostometer in mild distress.

Ten minutes later Billy springs up and walks over. “I’ve just been having a conversation,” he says calmly and then points at the stage.

“It’s a guy sitting over there. He says his name’s is Walter Langton. He worked here in the 1800s. He’s very rude and bad tempered and he says he wants to do me harm. I’ve told him he can’t. He chooses to be here. He also knows that we are here and he wants us to go. But I don’t feel intimidated.”

Billy then says that there is another presence on the stage. It’s a middle-aged woman dressed in grubby smock and bonnet. She’s possibly from the 19th century and called Meg or Mary. She’s unaware of us but is apparently looking for her son.

” He was crushed to death here,” adds Billy simply.

Needless to say neither Joe or I have seen or heard anything – it is, unfortunately, the drawback of the medium’s trade that concrete proof is hard to produce.

Nevertheless there’s an unnerving feeling that we’re not alone and there’s relief in finding the stairwell behind the bar – and not adjacent to Walter’s alleged spot at corner of the stage – to return to a curious Adam and co upstairs.

Was Walter Langton real?

Because Liverpool was a very active port in the 1800s, it’s difficult to pinpoint just one likely person, even when the name is unusual.

Walter Langton might have worked at the site briefly, waiting for a ship to sail, or immediately after he arrived in England from Canada or the United States.

I found one Walter Langton, born around 1863 in Plymouth (England), who was part of the crew of a ship that docked regularly in Liverpool.

Casting a wider net, using “sound alikes” such as Langdon and Longton, I found a large array of Walters arriving and leaving on ships at the port.

A Walter Longton appeared in the 1871 census for Liverpool. He was a student and the son of a farmer. He was born around 1860. I have no further info about him.

My “gut feeling” is that the Slaughter House’s Walter Langton may have been a transient.

(For more history like this – strictly for hardcore researchers – see my related article, Haunted History: The Slaughter House, Liverpool.)

Conclusion? Everything is a “maybe.”

Between the size of Liverpool, it’s history as a busy port, rumored names (and myriad spellings), it’s difficult to confirm – or deny – the many stories connected to the Slaughter House and its ghosts.

My sense is: It’s haunted. I’m just not sure about the ghosts – who and how many, and from what eras.

Maybe the Slaughter House is just a convenient focal point for local urban legends.

But maybe it isn’t, and spirits really do lurk there.

If you’re going to be in Liverpool anyway, I think the Slaughter House pub is worth a visit, and definitely a ghost vigil.

Let me know what you discover. Something about the Slaughter House pub has an odd energy to it, and I’d like to understand what that is. It’s just… odd. That’s the only word to describe it.

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Other investigations

Here’s one YouTube video of an informal seance (glass on a table) at the Slaughter House:

 

If you’re a ghost hunter interested in extremely detailed history related to the Slaughter House, here are more notes from my off-site research.

(If you’re looking for Slaughter House ghost stories, see my related article, Most Haunted: The Slaughter House, Liverpool.)

The following history might connect to ghosts in and near Liverpool’s Slaughter House.

First, I researched Jane Ellison. She was a previous owner of the Slaughter House site. I’m not sure those notes are useful.

Then, I studied old maps – and business directories – looking for local clues. That historical information may be helpful for future investigations at the Slaughter House.

Or it might be irrelevant. I haven’t a clue, but – having put so much time into this – I’m sharing it in case it’s useful.

Jane Ellison

Using Tom Slemen’s list of historical owners of the haunted Slaughter House site, I researched early owner Jane Ellison.

For some reason, Jane’s name seems to “light up” for me. (When I use that expression, it means the item seemed to hold my attention more than it should. That’s when I go looking for something odd to explain it.)

Jane Ellison #1

Here’s one interesting Jane Ellison, but I don’t know if she had any connection to the history of the Slaughter House.

This Jane Ellison was born about 7 March 1820 as a “female bastard” child of James Ellison, a laborer (from the nearby borough of Knowsley), and a woman whose name might be Margaret, but I can’t quite read it.

Here’s part of the court record:

However, Ellison isn’t an unusual name in England.

This document does tell us that, in the early 1800s, at least one Liverpool-area Ellison caused some drama. He didn’t show up at court when charged as Jane’s father.

That’s a big red flag, if this Jane Ellison was connected with the history of the Slaughter House.

Also, in the 1766 directory, I found only one Ellison actually in Liverpool. (He was David Ellison, a watch maker on Ranelagh Street, not far from the Slaughter House site.)

So, maybe “Ellison” wasn’t a popular surname in the area, until much later.

Jane Ellison #2

Next, I found a burial record for “Jane, daughter of Jane Ellison,” who was buried 4 Oct 1819 in Liverpool.

The oddity there is that she’s just the “Jane, daughter of Jane Ellison,” without a father listed. Other entries on the same page list the mother and father of each deceased person.

Here’s the burial record:

Below, you can read the detail.

That record shows:

• She lived on Dale Street. (It was just around the corner from Fenwick Street, where the Slaughter House is.)
• She’s noted as a “spinster.”

So, there are two red flags connected with the name “Jane Ellison.” One was an illegitimate child, Jane Ellison, who was born in 1820.

The second (but lesser anomaly) was another Jane Ellison who appears to be a single parent, and – in 1819 – she buried a child named Jane Ellison.

In my research, I always note those kinds of anomalies. At least half the time, if they’re connected to a haunted site, their stories will be related to that site’s ghostly energy.

(Additional — but less unusual — Jane Ellison notes are at the foot of this article.)

Next, I looked at Liverpool maps and city directories. If I were investigating at the Slaughter House, I’d definitely study the maps in greater detail. I’m sure more clues are hidden in the history of the neighborhood.

MAP STUDY

If you’re researching the haunted Slaughter House’s history, here’s how the immediate area looked in 1766 Gore’s Liverpool Directory. (That directory is available, online.)

Here’s a transparent overlay of the current Slaughter House site (courtesy Google Maps), on that 1766 map.

So, if you’re studying what was where in the late 18th century, the green arrow, on the map below, points to the current Slaughter House site.

I’m not sure what the “Dry Bn” was, or if that’s what the map says. But, I’d look at the history of the area where Fenwick Street (circled in red) intersected with Moore Street and — on the 1766 map — what’s indicated as Castle hill.

I’d also look at what was on Castle Street, in or close to the same building.

In 1766, these were businesses on or near Fenwick Street:

“Peter Carson, dancing-master” caught my attention. From my previous research involving dancing-masters, he’s likely to have a colorful history. (But, to be fair, “dancing-master” didn’t always indicate something other than dancing lessons.)

Other directory notes

Surveying the area, I have an uneasy feeling about nearby Castle Street, where a “cabinetmaker and toyman” business was mentioned. Perhaps something there was connected to the Slaughter House’s ghost stories.

And, Thomas Banner was an innkeeper at the Golden Fleece on nearby Dale Street. It was a long street, so that may not be near the Slaughter House site. It simply caught my attention as I was studying the area. (Also on that street, an inn called the Golden Lion. Interesting juxtaposition of names, particularly if they were near one another.)

Note: Every “Golden Fleece” I’ve researched has had more ghost stories than average. One usually involves a man chasing a woman as she fled for her life. Some of those tales ended more happily than others.

If you find more useful history related to the Slaughter House ghosts, let me know in comments, below.

Slaughter House photo courtesy Rodhullandemu

Additional notes about Jane Ellison

I’m including the following notes about Jane Ellison of Liverpool, for dedicated researchers who may find them useful. At this point, these Jane Ellisons don’t necessarily connect to the history of the Slaughter House or its ghosts.

Jane Ellison #3

This is not unusual; I’m including it in case it’s pertinent, later.

A Jane Ellison, age 75, was buried on 24 Jan 1838. (Born around 1763.) She died in the workhouse.

Aside from living to a grand old age (for that era), and the sadness of dying in a workhouse on a cold January day, there’s nothing of note in this. But, she could have been the surviving Jane Ellison #2 (above).

Jane Ellison #4

I’m not sure this has anything to do with the Slaughter House, either, but I found the “Will of Jane Ellison, Spinster” in Liverpool. (Reading it requires a fee, and I’m not that interested… yet.)

Note: If she is related to history of the Slaughter House, I’d read that will. Wills and probate records sometimes include the oddest details that can shed light on paranormal activity.

Jane Ellison #5

Here’s the marriage record of another Jane Ellison. Nothing odd here, but it may be useful, later.

Marriage: 26 Oct 1871 St Michael in the Hamlet, Aigburth, Lancs. (in Liverpool)
Joseph Craven – 25 Mariner Bachelor of St James Place
Jane Ellison – 22 Spinster of Collins St
Groom’s Father: William Craven, Builder
Bride’s Father: John Ellison, Labourer
Witness: Thomas Craven; Mary Ann Ellison

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