In the 17th and 18th centuries there were a number of infamous priests in Cornwall known as ‘Ghost-layers,’ a type of exorcist who would lay troublesome spirits to rest. Writing in the 19th century, British antiquarian Robert Hunt spoke of ghosts having “more freedom in the world in those times,” (1700’s) and of having “more business with the visible world.” In his collection of Cornish folklore, Hunt tells us about those priests that were frequently required by their parishioners to lay troublesome spirits to rest.
The Reverend Richard Dodge was an infamous ghost-layer in the south-east of Cornwall and the vicar at Talland from 1713 – 1747. One night Dodge received an urgent letter from the Reverend Mills of the neighbouring parish of Lanreath. He had received multiple reports from his parishioners of a ghostly carriage travelling the nearby moors and lanes.
A labourer had come across the dreadful appearance of a man in black, driving a carriage led by the horrifying spectre of headless horses. The sight frightened the poor man into madness. In his letter the Reverend Mills pleaded for Dodge’s assistance in setting the troubled spirit to rest so the people of his parish were no longer afraid to venture far from their homes after dark. The Reverend Dodge replied with urgency and wrote to Mr Mills assuring him he would ride to the moors with him the following evening.
On that following night the two men rode resolute from the rectory and reached the moor by 11pm. It was a bleak and desolate place in daylight, by night it was a deathly dark vista with no sound but the wind tearing across the heathland; whistling an unearthly sound as it whipped through the small groves of twisted trees. Although uneasy the two men were reluctant to show any fear, for that would signal their lack of faith in God to protect them. Eventually, after a night of no ghostly occurrences, they decided to ride home their separate ways to return another day.
A mile toward home Dodge’s horse became uneasy, snorting and spinning. As he insisted his mount carry on she span and reared in terror. Believing this to be a sign from God he allowed his horse to gallop away from home back toward the moor. As they approached the heathland at speed the Parson could see the dark shape of undefined objects up ahead.
To his horror he realised it was the spectral coach harnessed to the headless horses. Worst of all, his friend, the Reverend Mills lay face down in the heather with the ghoulish driver of the carriage looking over him. As Dodge summoned his courage and began to utter the prayers to send this spirit to his rest, the spectre cried, “Dodge is come! I must begone!” leapt into his chariot and galloped away.
Eventually the Reverend Mills recovered from his terrible ordeal, despite being initially struck incoherent. The spectre of the coach and its headless horses was never seen or heard from again in the parish.
Craig Weatherhill, in his Myths and Legends of Cornwall, remarks that some of Dodge’s contemporaries believed that he was likely conspiring with local smugglers. Possibly to spread rumours of ghosts to deter people from certain locations at night. With the location of his parish on the south-east coast of Cornwall, and the proliferation of Cornish smugglers in the 1700’s, it could very well be the truth.
Leave a Reply