Post by alicecoopersgirl on Nov 8, 2006 10:08:44 GMT
This was reported in the Chichester Observer, this time on 13th December 1984, was the account of Roger Swaffield.
Roger was jogging along Broyle Road when he found himself gaining on an old woman, rather "scraggy" wearing a long grey coat. To avoid knocking into her, he passed her by running around her in the road. However, just as he was about to pass her, she disappeared. There was no one else in the road, and all that was left was the sweet smell of perfume.
The incident happened on a warm summer's evening at around 7.30pm. He was jogging past a part of Roussillon Barracks which was once the site of the city Gallows, the location of the last public hanging in the area which took place in the mid 1800s. The event was watched by 10,000 people. One of the last and most remembered executions were of the "Hawkhurst Gang". This gang of nine smugglers and murderers were executed in January 1749 and Richard Mills, the elder and Richard Mills, the younger were buried at the side of the gallows on the Broil. Two of the remaining seven, William Carter and Henry Sheerman, were displayed in chains along the Portsmouth Road, and the other five were displayed along several routes to act as a deterrent to any future would be offenders.
Despite jogging along this route many times since the sighting, Roger has never seen the spectral lady since.
Wow...I remember hearing something about the
Hawkhurst Gang when I was younger(I was born in Chichester)and when I heard about them on MH at the Mermaid inn at Rye the name started ringing bells again...the above is what I now remember being told when I was a kid...we had loads of smugglers caves and hauntings by smugglers doing the rounds in Chichester
Roger was jogging along Broyle Road when he found himself gaining on an old woman, rather "scraggy" wearing a long grey coat. To avoid knocking into her, he passed her by running around her in the road. However, just as he was about to pass her, she disappeared. There was no one else in the road, and all that was left was the sweet smell of perfume.
The incident happened on a warm summer's evening at around 7.30pm. He was jogging past a part of Roussillon Barracks which was once the site of the city Gallows, the location of the last public hanging in the area which took place in the mid 1800s. The event was watched by 10,000 people. One of the last and most remembered executions were of the "Hawkhurst Gang". This gang of nine smugglers and murderers were executed in January 1749 and Richard Mills, the elder and Richard Mills, the younger were buried at the side of the gallows on the Broil. Two of the remaining seven, William Carter and Henry Sheerman, were displayed in chains along the Portsmouth Road, and the other five were displayed along several routes to act as a deterrent to any future would be offenders.
Despite jogging along this route many times since the sighting, Roger has never seen the spectral lady since.
Wow...I remember hearing something about the
Hawkhurst Gang when I was younger(I was born in Chichester)and when I heard about them on MH at the Mermaid inn at Rye the name started ringing bells again...the above is what I now remember being told when I was a kid...we had loads of smugglers caves and hauntings by smugglers doing the rounds in Chichester