Cock Lane Ghost.
London: MacMillan / St. Martin's Press, 1965. First Edition. Hardcover. 8vo. x+118. Original blue cloth with gilt title and author and spine, map endpapers, frontis, b/w illustrations, tipped in errata at rear. The story of the "Cock Lane ghost" attracted enormous attention in 18th-century England, and although eventually debunked, continued to fascinate people for decades afterwards with its scandalous scenario and subtext of religious controversy. From the publisher: "The Cock Lane Ghost - the sensation of London of 1762 - has become proverbial. The narrow lane was jammed with coaches as the public fought to get into the small room where the medium, a child of twelve, relayed the knocks and scratches whereby the Ghost declared its weird and frightening message. Known familiarly as Scratching Fanny, the spirit of Frances Lynes accused her helpless lover, William Kent, of murdering her by poison while she lay sick of the smallpox; one of the few instances when a ghost has ventured into the open in the search for revenge. The Methodists werw charged with sponsoring the affair in their own interests; Doctor Johnson was one of a committee that investigated the phenomenon; Horace Walpole, in company with the Duke of York, attended a seance; David Garrick brought Fanny on to the stage; William Hogarth published a print ridiculing the public's credulity - nearly every figure of the day became involved in one way or another. At least, the principals were tried before Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, in a trial as hilarious as it was macabre. Few incidents throw such an unusual light on 'the age of prose and reason.' The story is now told in full for the first time, with the help of detailed accounts from contemporary newspapers and of the transcript of the evidence given at the trial." This copy is actually "old new stock from our warehouse." Light shelf dust end otherwise a sound and clean copy in fine condition with near fine dust jacket. (Dust jacket has light shelfwear and rubbing to edges, price-clipped). Item #30828
Price: $10.00