Staff spooked by ghost child’s 'horse of horrors'

Wednesday 31 October 2018

A member of museum staff was left too terrified to ever do the night shift again after a paranormal experience in the Victorian children's playroom.

The Merchant’s House is a fully restored 19th century town house forming part of Jersey Museum, but recent whisperings suggest that it isn’t just the furniture and fittings which have taken up residence.

Both staff and visitors have told of daytime and late-night frights at the former family home.

This Halloween, Jersey Heritage shared the modern-day ghost stories about Jersey’s haunted house with Express, so next time you visit you can keep an eye out for spooky goings-on...

The Merchant’s House, belonging to Dr Charles Ginestet and his wife Jeanne, was abandoned by the family as they fled to France in August 1869, but perhaps they didn’t leave for good… 

One night, several years ago, a member of Heritage staff was locking up the museum all alone. He was in the Merchant’s House making sure all the gas lamps were switched off and doing his final rounds of the property when he walked past the children’s playroom.

All was quiet - or, at least he thought so…

Pictured: "All was quiet - or, at least he thought so..."

A few paces down the corridor, the man heard a vigorous creaking coming from the playroom – the room which was empty just a few seconds earlier. As shivers ran down his spine, he doubled back on himself and slowly approached the door. He peered in to see the child’s rocking horse in the centre of the room rocking backwards and forwards very fast as if someone was playing on it. 

He ran out of the museum locking up as fast as he could and has never worked the night shift in the house again!

Other museum goers have told of two children – a boy and a girl – dressed in Victorian outfits playing on the rocking horse. Heritage have even been complimented on the 'living history' child actor playing in the playroom… except there is no such child actor.

So should you ever visit the playroom in the Merchant’s House on a day such as this, keep your wits about you, as you may not be the only one in there, waiting to play on the haunted rocking horse...