An excerpt from the Diary of Professor Matthias Jeremiah Braithwaite; a Victorian investigator of the paranormal, on his travels around York, a city most haunted.
Dear Diary,
My investigations have shown that the souls of the lost congregate not only in the hallowed ground whence they are laid to rest, but also that the spirits are drawn to sites of tragic events, misfortune and sinister deeds. Here, their tortured souls reside, waiting to seek revenge or to recount their tales as a warning to others.
In the previous century, the area known as Bedern housed some of the city’s most unfortunate members of society. Many were children, unwanted, their parents slaves to drink, or orphaned, parents taken by the Lord from this dark overcrowded slum, rife with disease.
Mr George Pimm, Master of the York Industrial Ragged School in Bedern, “the house of prayer,” was paid a coin for the upkeep and welfare of each of the misfortunate wretches in his care. Although workhouses and orphanages existed to offer shelter for the most vulnerable, those that should protect are often the most insidious.
Pimm, a cruel and greedy individual, instead rented the children as workers to local farmers and chimney sweeps. Excessive labour, starvation rations, squalid conditions and the savage beatings dished out by Master Pimm led to the untimely deaths of many of these tragic orphans.
Rather than lose his coin from the church, Pimm chose not to inform his benefactors, instead hiding the little bodies within the walls of the orphanage.
Once the tiny corpses had reached fourteen in number, the smell of decay was invasive, and Pimm, often under the influence of strong liquor, was increasingly aware of the souls of the dead surrounding him. Soon their chatter began to turn into screams.
A harsh winter frost prevented him from burying the deceased and he was forced to live with the bodies around him. Suspicions arose about the erratic behaviour of Pimm and there followed an investigation by the church into the conditions within the school. His crimes were soon discovered and Pimm was sent to the lunatic asylum where the screams of his victims overwhelmed him and he took his own life.
There have been many tales of encounters in the back alleys of Bedern - the giggles of children at play or the tugging of clothing as though the small hand of a child is trying to attract one’s attention. Strangely there have been no reports of the screams which haunted the evil George Pimm, perhaps their souls can be children once more.
Upon entering Bedern I feel most uneasy as many scoundrels and ladies of ill-virtue still walk the cobbled streets. I am reluctant to take out my bejewelled clockwork lantern in such a squalid place and have brought my sword, concealed within a walking stick, in the hope that it will deter any who may try their luck with me. As the purple glow fills the street I spot upon a rooftop the local legend, “White Paws” the ratter. He is not in ghostly form, but below in the street the beam picks out small scurrying ghostly forms of what looks like several of his victims. It is then that I spy, framed in the covered passage that leads to the back streets, a large shrouded figure clutching in his hand a bottle of cheap liquor. He looks nervous and I can see that from every window and doorway small spirits seem to reach forward towards him. Fourteen poor souls - the same number of bodies found within the workhouse - their angry faces pointing in the direction of the rotund figure and their little shrouds torn just below the eye holes to form a grimace or twisted scream. Far removed from the accounts I have been told of playing children, I have perhaps witnessed the deserved hell in which the soul of the despicable Pimm resides. Beyond the covered passageway at the far side of the street I spy the familiar top-hatted man with the bandaged face. His appearance at yet another site of ghostly activity troubles me deeply and my curiosity is pricked by what his involvement may be, my unease growing with each encounter.
Professor Matthias Jeremiah Braithwaite
"What Devilry is this? My sketches and impressions of these unworldly beings have been enchanted by some form of witchcraft. It seems a ghoulish hand has been at work mimicking my own and changing the very nature of my picture. Viewed using a strange light purchased on my adventures in the Far East, an unnatural glow emanates from the very soul of the spirit I have drawn. It is my belief that this light will let me see into this world of spirits beyond our own - it will require much further study and experimentation."
The enchanted edition of the print is larger than other formats - presented in a black mount with outer dimensions 50x50cm. When viewed under black light, the ghostly image glows. This special effect has been hand painted and signed by the artist.
The enchanted edition has just one UV ghost. The enchanted limited edition has many hand-painted UV features.
Black lights are readily available from many suppliers.
The diary entry, printed on parchment effect paper, is in the reverse.
A detail from this picture is also available in smaller sizes
© The Artist
