SIX - HAM HOUSE
Notes extracted from ye olde 'Nationale Truste' websyte and other sources, Autumn 2004 & 2005:
Ham House, nr Petersham, Surrey
Ham House was built in 1610, by Sir Thomas Vavasour, and was originally intended to be used as a residence for the eldest son of James I. However, the prince died two years later and never took up residence there.
It is the ghost of the old Duchess of Lauderdale, formerly Elizabeth, Countess of Dysart, who haunts Ham House. The Countess lived at Ham House when she was married to Sir Lionel Tollemache (sic), but her heart was not for her husband. It is said that she had been the mistress of Oliver Cromwell at one time and that she later became the mistress of John Maitland, who was to become the Duke of Lauderdale. In 1672, Sir Lionel died, suspected of being killed by his wife, who married the Duke a short time later.
The Duchess remained at Ham House and died there. After her death, her boudoir was kept exactly as she had known it, including her old silver-headed ebony stick, that she had used to hobble around the house. It is the tapping of this stick that has been heard many times since her death, tapping around the house in the early hours of the morning.
The young daughter of Lady Tollemarche’s (sic) butler was spending a few days at Ham House and one morning woke up to see the figure of an old bony woman scratching at a wall near the fireplace. The girl sat up and the old woman turned round and advanced towards her bed. The child became absolutely terrified and started screaming. Hearing the screams, the whole household rushed to the girl’s room but there was no sign of the old woman.
Later a close investigation was made of the area near the fireplace and papers were found which established that Elizabeth Dysart had murdered Sir Lionel in that very room.
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