George, the Ghost of Christmas Past

For many years, rumour circulated throughout the neighbourhood about the haunted house "just down the road". When the news first broke that 'some Paris person' was crazy to purchase the Wolverton House, I was bombarded with many questions regarding the searching of the ghosts that would have lived in our newly purchased home.

Im not much of a believer of such nonsense, however I have had a situation in a two hundred year old farm house in Colbourg that could have turned me into a ghost buster...or perhaps rather busting my a@# to run away from a ghost. I was on assignment to help with the restoration and my job was to remove the wall paper and save the plaster. While I was scrubbing and scrapping, the door leading into the "common" room at the top of the staircase was opening and closing. It was a hot summer's day and the windows were open, but a hurricane would have had to pass by at the moment that the door moved. That was almost thirty years ago and I have been in and out of lot of homes with out seeing, feeling or hearing anything like it. Or perhaps I was just in one of those moments in time when a TV was on in the back ground and imagined it all. Nevertheless, moving into our new home left me wide open to search for anything paranormal.

Walking in for the first time, one gets a calm feeling, yes even in the mess of cobwebs, debrie, cat hair, drywall dust, sawdust, etc. I have had several mediums walk through from time to time. Although they come for different reasons, each one eventually asks the question of seeing orbs, sounds, missing items and the likes. If you asked me today if I had a ghost residing here, I would inphatically say "yes". I was cleaning up the main floor bath room and noticed the second set of scratching on our red wallpaper. Something is chewing right through the wall paper at about 7' and 8' up the wall, about the size of a quarter. Chuckling to myself all the while thinking, "ya right, a ghost doesnt like the red wall paper and is sending messages". On the other side, I think it is probably a mouse. I have seen them climb the walls on different occasions. We rarely have them in the house and when we do it is because of contractors coming through leaving doors open to bring in equipment. But recently Bello caught one in the parlor. Hubby and son watched this silly feline toss it up in the air, swat and chase it for about five minutes before realizing it was REAL. Hubby snatched it from kittie and tossed it out the door! Kittie was not amuzed and story has it that he grumbled and hissed at both of them.

Now I have to continue to say that I have been researching the people that built the home, who lived with them, different owners, etc. I have discovered that George the coachman was a black slave that came to work for Asa and his wife. They also had Sadie who was given to this couple from Asa's brother who felt that the aging house maid should stay within the family. Enos lost his wife and moved from his home with his seven children. Sadie could not go with them. Folk lore also has it said that there were many black slaves who came to this part of Ontario to escape slavery and the Wolverton's took them in and also hide them from the bounty hunters.

I met the great great grand neice of Asa and Juliet and with the family letters that she possesses, pieced together more history of some of the people that lived here. I also received a call from the previous owner who is now in her mid to late seventies. She is very articulate as she is a writter for the Globe and Mail, so she tells me. I thought it odd that she would call me a year later, but figured she just wanted to share stories. She went on to mention how her daughter would frequently see "George" standing beside the bake oven and fireplace. I figured because she was Irish, she grew up with tales of ghosts and had a vivid imagination..and they believe in that kind of stuff. This woman went on to say she didnt believe in ghosts, however she saw a reflection in the parlor mirrow of a lady in a taffetta gown, dark grey and wearing a black hat with black tuelling covering her face. It sounded like the description of someone from the 1880's and of course that would be Elija Jackson Baker, the second mistress of this home. If there were to be a ghost in this house, it would be Elija as she did probably die here. The Baker family owned this home for eighty years.

With this information, I was more interested than ever to find out more about the ghosts. I didnt believe and talking to Hubby about this was not an option. He would have had me locked away for thinking such stupidness. I research the paranormal clubs in our community through the internet and actually began to email. I had an interesting response and I started to invite the group over for a "ghost hunt". Does that make me crazy now? It was explained by the 'president' of the society that they are usually out to disprove a sighting, rather than fine a ghost. That was fine by me. And so a group of six can in one night. We turned of the hydro in the house and stood in the darkened house for three hours. The infrared cameral was rolling in three corners, the six voice recorders were placed in different rooms. It was exactly what you would see if you were watching the TV Ghost program. They left and the report came a week later. Nothing! No static, not a light flash, not even light reflecting into dust particles (and there were lots).

I have talked to people since that time that say they have spotted George. I mentioned this to my son one night and the two of us were afraid to go into the kitchen for fear of "running into George". How silly! It's a bit of a giggle now. From time to time I might be caught having a conversation with George, all in the fun of thinking he might actually exist. But I believe that there is no ghost.

But if you ever have the chance to come to visit us and the front door opens on it's own,or you hear a funny strange noise dont be alarmed if you hear hubby say, "Come on in George", or "George is home".

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