The mystery surrounding the haunting of No. 18 Argyle Terrace

A regular enquiry we receive at the Hull History Centre is that concerning spooky goings on. For most it tends to relate a house or property. Frequent questions include: what was on the site prior? Did someone live/die there?

Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, people have for centuries reported strange occurrences, many of which continue to intrigue amateur ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, psychologists, parapsychologists, and those in forensic psychology to this day.

Hull has its share of alleged supernatural accounts and reputed hauntings across the city. In this blog we revisit the reported haunting of No. 18 Argyle Terrace, Argyle Street and shed light on this alleged haunting.

The haunting  

In October 1969, the Hull Daily Mail ran a front-page story in which it reported a mother and her six children lived in terror, claiming a ghost of an old women roamed their terraced house. The house was No.18 Argyle Terrace, Argyle Street.

Argyle Terrace, 17 Apr 1973 
[Ref: C THD/3/221/17]

It was claimed the ghost caused a sudden drop in temperature, pulled the children, bruised a new-born baby, and touched the neighbours. The ghostly occurrences appeared to centre around the 13-year-old daughter, who had seen the ghost - an old woman - and even recognised her.

Trouble began shortly before the Hull Daily Mail broke the story. Initially, banging came from upstairs of the property. The banging, put down to children was soon dispelled when the children quickly came downstairs terrified, claiming they’d seen an old woman. Over the following days banging and strange and noises continued. A medium visited the property, but this was said to have only made things worse. The family described it like being followed, with a sudden drop in temperature.

A neighbour in nearby Wycliffe Grove who had spent time with the family at the property described the coldness and a presence. On one occasion a neighbour felt something move through him.

Explanation(s)

The simplest explanation is there was no haunting. The children were playing a prank which simply got out of hand. It is not the first time this type of thing has happened. The famous Enfield haunting is believed to have been a hoax. The explanation for such a hoax at Argyle Terrace is the family were after a new home and the whole haunting was made up to facilitate a move. Interestingly, the children’s father claimed not to have witnessed or sensed anything.

Another theory to the alleged haunting was its location. Argyle Street was once home to the Old Hull Borough Asylum. Argyle Street originally called Asylum Lane, was home to the Old Borough Asylum. The asylum however was located further north, occupying the space somewhere between what is now Wyndam Street and the western tip of Londesborough Street, rather than the area of Argyle Terrace or indeed any of the adjoining terraces.

The closest to an actual explanation put forward was shortly after the story broke by an unnamed woman claiming that as a young child, aged 14, she cleaned for an old lady at No. 18 Argyle Terrace, fifty years earlier. She recalled the lady who she named as Mrs Sellers, wore a shawl. A shawl was described by the thirteen-year-old daughter who said she’d seen the old lady in a chair. The letter went on claiming Mrs. Sellers husband died shortly after their marriage. The person who sent the letter did not name themselves. The only thing known about the letter is that it was posted in Hull.

Unidentified court, New George Street c.1890s-c1930. Note the two ladies wearing shawls which was not usual for the period
[Ref: L THP/1590]

This information was checked after the Mail reported it. Directories for 18 Argyle Terrace did not record a Sellers listed at 18 Argyle Terrace. Interestingly, a George and Charlotte Sellers were recorded living in the next terrace, Wycliffe Grove, at number 8. This George and Charlotte married in 1907. At the time of marriage both were in the later years of their lives. At the time the young girl said she had been cleaning, Charlotte Sellers would have been aged sixty.

There are however a couple of discrepancies. Firstly, the address. This Charlotte Sellers did not live at 18 Argyle Terrace. The writer also described Mrs. Sellers as about 80, when in fact she was around 60. And thirdly, the letter claimed Mrs. Sellers lost her husband just after their married, but in fact he died thirteen years after their marriage. 

This said, we must remember the reputed letter writer was aged fourteen at the time they claimed they worked for Mrs. Sellers. An individual aged sixty may look aged eighty to younger eyes. And although Mrs. Sellers lost her husband 13 years after her marriage, the young girl may have been told her husband died recently which is where the confusion lies.

Another interesting comparison to the Charlotte Sellers of Wyncliffe Grove is that she did live alone after her husband’s death. The 1911 census reveals that George and Charlotte Sellers had no children. Using the register of electors, no other individual was listed living at 8 Wycliffe Grove. The 1939 register reveals Charlotte Sellers living alone at 8 Wycliffe Grove.

Nos. 5, 6, 7 & 8 Wyncliffe Grove, 17 Apr 1973
[Ref: C THD/3/221/21]

Charlotte died on 24 January 1945 aged eighty-six. Her death notice simply noted, ‘loving wife of the late George’. Later that year the Hull Daily Mail published a notice from Gosschalk and Austin, Solicitor’s, asking for persons to come forward who have a claim to the estate of Charlotte Sellers, late of 8 Wycliffe Grove, further suggesting that Charlotte Sellers had no family, further corroborating the letter which recalled Mrs. Sellers as having no family.

If the letter is indeed recalling Charlotte Sellers of 8 Wycliffe Grove, though well intended, it is difficult to see how it has a link to the alleged haunting at 18 Argyle Terrace. The writer may have simply got confused. Easily done when looking back over 50 years through a child’s 14-year memory. And while the description of Mrs. Sellers wearing a shawl appears to match, shawls were common attire for women at the time. As for the 13-year-old daughter who was said to have recognised the women, Charlotte Sellers died in 1945, therefore the daughter could not have known her.

Sadly, the History Centre records cannot prove whether 18 Argyle Terrace was indeed haunted. The existence of ghosts or spirits has not been scientifically proven. All we can do is look at the evidence and conclude that the letter explaining the reputed haunting of 18 Argyle Terrace by a Mrs. Sellers cannot be true.

In the early 1970s Argyle Terrace and those adjoining were demolished by the Corporation. The site is now the main carpark by Argyle Street for the Hull Royal Infirmary.

Our holdings

Remember the History Centre has books on Hull, East Riding, and some wider Yorkshire hauntings. You can search our information index under ‘Ghosts’ to look at other local reported and reputed hauntings. You can uncover the history of your house, or the land its sits on. The History Centre holds maps for Hull. There is free access to FindMyPast and Ancestry. Trade directories are available as too are the registers of electors for Hull. We also have original house plans for properties in Hull.

Neil Chadwick

Librarian/Archivist