A real-life 'Scooby Do' ghost story from 18th-century Aberdeenshire (with a twist at the end) – Susan Morrison

After the ghost of a recently deceased farmer’s wife started haunting her son, this respectable, pious family called in a Church of Scotland minister, who returned with quite a tale to tell

In the autumn of 1737, up in Chapel of Garioch, the kirk session was much exercised by a haunting at a nearby Bridgend Farm, on the banks of the River Ury. It was a wealthy farm. In 1715, Mr Watt built a pew for himself and his family in the kirk. He needed a lot of seating, since he and his wife had seven sons.

When this industrious patriarch passed away, his family were left in comfort and security. Sadly, his wife followed him to the grave not long after, leaving at least five of the boys at Bridgend farm, including young George, known as Geordie. The Watts were a pious, religious family, so it was surprising that only a few weeks after the death of the boy's mother, tales were being told of her spectre haunting the farm.

Ghosts, it was assumed, had desperate reasons for appearing to the living. It could be an uneasy conscience, a crime unconfessed or perhaps the dead had left a task undone. The good farmer’s wife was surely innocent of any such things.

The ghost, a white, floating figure, took to appearing at the bedroom windows and speaking in a shrill, high voice. Yes, she insisted, she was their mother. She had demands, particularly of young Geordie, who called in the minister, Mr Gerard, who in turn reported back to the Kirk Sessions. He had a tale to tell. The haunting had escalated. The ghost had upped her game and moved on from flitting about peering in the windows.

Spectre demands a wedding

Geordie Watt woke up in the middle of the night to find the ghost of his mother standing at the foot of his bed. Like Hamlet’s father, she had a task for him. She wished to see her boy married, and she had the bride lined up. Handily, she actually lived in the house. Tibbie Mortimer, their servant girl.

The ghost was very insistent. It was “the will of the great God that Geordie Watt should marry Tibbie Mortimer because that Tibbie was now in a gracious state”. It generally doesn’t pay to argue with your mother, especially if she is a floating spectre at the end of your bed announcing that your future spouse has been chosen by the ultimate higher authority.

Ghostly apparitions were a serious business in Scotland in the 1700s (Picture: Getty Images)

Geordie, however, did take umbrage at this. Despite the shock of facing this ghostly messenger, he outed himself as a bit of a snob. Tibbie, he announced, was just a servant-girl. She was seriously far down the social scale. No, he wasn’t keen on this. He needed more proof from the Almighty. The ghost got a bit exasperated, and said, basically, oh alright then, I’ll get more proof.

Troubled, Geordie summoned his brothers to a council of war, and as they were discussing this celestial matchmaking, the spirit appeared at the window and shrieked at them that "unless Geordie Watt should marry Tibbie Mortimer, he and all his brothers, and all things belonging to them, should certainly be consumed with fire from heaven”. This rattled the argumentative Geordie enough to consider the proposal, but he felt the need of spiritual guidance from his local minister.

Ghostbuster on a mission

Gilbert Gerard and his servant made their way out to the farm, and settled down with the seven brothers of Bridgend to wait for the ghost to appear. She did. She wasn’t particularly fazed by the appearance of Mr Gerard, announcing in a “vehement tone” that she would speak “to men, minister, and all… Come here and I will discourse you all".

Mr Gerard was a ghostbuster on a mission. Whilst the farmer's lads were in an uproar in the house, he raced outside. There, in the moonlight, he saw something drifting away. He said it was, “about the bulk of ane ordinary woman, covered with white clean linnen head and arms down to the middle of the body before, and somewhat farther behind”.

Quick action was called for. He walloped the spook with his stick. It took to its heels, Mr Gerard close behind. His servant joined the chase. The minister caught the fleeing spirit by the neck and his man rugby-tackled the figure to the ground. They tore the linen from the face of the ghost of Bridgend farm just as the moon broke through the clouds to shine on... Tibbie Mortimer. Scooby Do and the gang couldn’t have done it better.

Tibbie was marched into the house to face the fury of the brothers, and a lengthy ticking off by Mr Gerard. He wanted to hand the imposter ghost over to the law, but the family prevailed and Tibbie was sent packing. That should have been the end of the matter. It wasn’t, as Dr Martha McGill of Warwick University discovered when she uncovered this story in the archives.

Twist in the tale

Ten months after the unmasking of the ghost of Bridgend Farm, Isobel Mortimer, known as Tibbie, stood before the presbytery and was convicted of the "sin and scandal of fornication”. Her partner-in-crime? None other than George Watt.

Martha believes that Tibbie may have been pregnant at the time of the haunting. After all, in her ‘ghostly’ form she described herself as being in a ‘gracious’ state. Fornicating George was considered to have been in cahoots with the fake phantom, fined and ordered to appear before the congregation in sackcloth. He kicked up a fuss about that, coughed up some extra cash and dodged the sackcloth.

Tibbie too, was fined and punished. If she was pregnant, there seems to be no record of the baby. Did Geordie promise to marry Tibbie, then ditch her? We’ll never know, but the lesson is, should you find yourself haunted, don't call Ghostbusters. Get yourself a Kirk minister with a stout stick.