The Cock Lane Ghost: London's Most Scandalous Haunting

In 1762, a series of mysterious knocks, scratches and ghostly messages sent Georgian London into a frenzy.

At the centre of the story was the supposed spirit of Fanny Lynes, a young woman whose ghost appeared to accuse her former lover, William Kent, of murder. What followed was a sensational mixture of scandal, superstition, séances, packed crowds, public accusations and celebrity investigation.

Soon, everyone from ordinary Londoners to Samuel Johnson was drawn into the mystery. Was Fanny really speaking from beyond the grave? Had a murderer escaped justice? Or was the entire haunting an elaborate fraud?

In this episode of Highly Improper, we uncover the bizarre story of the Cock Lane Ghost — one of the most notorious supernatural scandals of the eighteenth century.

Expect ghosts, gossip, murder accusations, Georgian scandal and a haunting that gripped the capital.

Watch on YouTube (25 min)