Best Ghost Story 16 from 1800-1849 Lady Eleanor's Mantle by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was no stranger when it came to telling a scary ghost story. His "Legends of the Province House" was mentioned as being exemplary by H.P. Lovecraft and his 1835 story titled "Graves and Goblins" is quite good. But this post is about Lady Eleanor's Mantle, which floats in at the 16th spot in my countdown of the scary ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Lady Eleanor's Mantle" is a ghostly tale of pestilence and because of that it draws certain parallels to Edgar Allan Poe's "Mask of the Red Death," which is included in my recently published book: The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology. Without giving away too much, the horror story contains an insane person and is well worth a read on a moonlit night. Enjoy.  

Best Ghost Story 17 from 1800-1849 is "The Mines of Falun" by Ernst Hoffmann

Ernst T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), one of the earliest progenitors of supernatural stories, wrote the excellent The Mines of Falun. I pegged it as #17 in the greatest ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. It was first published in 1819 and is set in the storied mines of Falun, Sweden. Many scary stories link the mines to the supernatural and a rumored tunnel to the center of the earth.

While in my estimation this is Hoffmann's greatest ghost tale, it is not his most original. He admits in Die Serapion Bretheren, Vol. 1, of 1819, that it involves a "well-known thema of a miner at Falun." Regardless, it is the first ghost story I have found in a mine and is well written right to its horrific ending.

What ghost storied did I like better than The Mines of Falun? Read The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 and find out.

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Best Ghost Story 18 from 1800-1849 is "Monos and Daimonos"

Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) is known in supernatural circles for penning one of the greatest ghost stories of the nineteenth century: "The Haunted and Haunters." This scary story is not in consideration for this countdown of the best ghost short stories from 1800-1849, however, as it was published in 1857. H.P. Lovecraft called it "one of the best short haunted house tales ever." But enough about "The Haunted and Haunters."

Bulwer-Lytton's second best ghost story is Monos and Daimonos, which floats in at 18 on the countdown. It was published in 1830. The horror story involves a shipwreck, a murder and . . . well . . . a relentless ghost set out for revenge. I hope you enjoy it!

Read my new book: The Best Ghost Stories 18800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology  

Best Ghost Story 19 from 1800-1849 is Albert Werdendorff; or, The Midnight Embrace by Sarah Wilkinson

Although Albert Werdendorff; or, The Midnight Embrace is not the most artful name in this countdown of the Top 40 best ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century, but the story itself is little diminished by it. Penned by Sarah Wilkinson over 200 years ago in 1808, this scary story makes a person think twice about being hugged at midnight. Wilkinson was a early author of the Gothic school along with other stars like Mathew Gregory "Monk" Lewis and Horace Walpole and Ann Radcliffe. I hope you enjoy it.

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Best Ghost Story 20 from 1800-1849 is "The Ghost with the Golden Casket" by Allan Cunningham

This is an exciting time because we have reached in the countdown the Top 20 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. This first scary story does not disappoint as it comes from Allan Cunningham (1784-1842) who was right at home in telling a supernatural yarn.

Cunningham is less than popular today, but in the early nineteenth century he was a popular author and poet. He kept company with Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg (the "Ettrick Sheppard) who appeared at spot 29 in the ghost short story countdown with "Mary Burnet". Each of these Scottish authors forged new ground when telling supernatural tales. It is Allan Cunningham, however, who penned one of the best ghost stories apart from Scott's "The Tapestried Chamber," which I included in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology.

In The Ghost with the Golden Casket readers are immediately transported into Scotland of old where they can visualize, through Cunningham's fine prose, Caerlaverock Castle, smell the conifers and greensward, feel rocky hillocks underfoot, and hear the crash of the green ocean waves. But let's be honest, the thick accents of the peasant speakers are challenging in modern times. Still, I am hard pressed to find a true to life Scottish ghost story for the first half of the nineteenth century than this. Get ready to be scared after you are transported to Scotland from your favorite reading chair!       

Best Ghost Story 21 from 1800-1849 is The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington by Charles Ollier

Ghost story 21 of the Top 40 from 1800-1849 is The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington by Charles Ollier (1788-1859). "The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington: A Tale for November" was published in Bentley's Miscellany during 1841 at a time when Ollier was associated with the literary magazine. The haunted manor, which has fallen into "gloomy ruin" in the scary story, is based on an actual house in the Paddington borough of Westminster, England where Ollier lived. The house was ideally situated next to a cemetery and was demolished nearly 200 years ago, as a footnote in the story admits. The story's building terror and heard but not seen ghost nearly place it in the Top 20 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. But I believe there is much more to this horror tale than meets the eye.  

For my observant followers of this countdown you have already noticed that the photo provided is of Charles Dickens (1812-1870). This is not a mistake of the Charles. One reason is because there are no known photos/illustrations of Charles Ollier. More importantly, is what I believe is a link from this scary ghost story to Boz; or more specifically to his famous novella: A Christmas Carol. This most famous ghost story of our modern age was published on December 17, 1843. This was a mere two years after Ollier published "The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington." This is unremarkable in itself, except that the later ghost story contains a ghost or spirit that warns of the future visit of a more horrid ghost. Dickens was clearly familiar with the magazine. He was its first editor from 1836-1839. During this same period Charles Ollier was employed by Richad Bentley, founder of the magazine. It is very likely that Dickens read Ollier's ghost story and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buy the Book: The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology

Best Ghost Story 22 from 1800-1849 is "Allan M'Tavish" by Caroline Norton

One of the first and few scary ghost stories by a female author takes spot 22 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost short stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. The story is Allan M'Tavish and it is set in Ireland. It is a ghost story of the sea and includes the appearance of a waith or warning ghost, without giving too much of the story away. The horror tale was published in 1833 by Caroline Norton (1808-1877) whose full name was Caroline Elizabeth Sarah (Sheridan) Norton. She was an accomplished poet and novelist. Her portrait below gives her an uncanny resemblance to Virginia Poe, Edgar Allan Poe's only wife.

 

If you would like to skip ahead in the countdown, the top 10 scary ghost stories from this period are laid out with story backgrounds in my newly edited book: The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology ----> AndrewBarger.com/BestGhostStories1800.html

Best Ghost Story 23 from 1800-1849

Horace Smith (1779-1849) was an English stockbroker, poet and novelist. When he became independently wealthy trading stocks, he turned to writing full time. One can also add to his resume: ghost short story writer.

Floating in at spot 23 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century is Horace Smith's Sir Guy Eveling's Dream. This scary story first appeared in The New Monthly Magazine of 1823. Smith later collected it in his compilation of short stories and essays titled Gaieties and Gravities in 1826. Nine years later Washington Irving would publish his much anthologized "Adventure of the German Student," which has a similar construct as "Sir Guy Eveling's Dream." I won't give away anymore than that!

The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology is now available on Kindle, Nook or through the iBookstore.

Best Ghost Story 24 from 1800-1849 is "The Water Spirit"

Joseph Snowe's ghost story "All Soul's Eve" appeared at spot 30 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories from 1800-1849. His next appearance on the countdown is at spot 24 with The Water Spirit. This scary story about a mid-wife who is summoned by the spirit world is very well written. It first appeared in Vol 1 of the 1839 collection of short stories titled The Rhine, Legends, Traditions, History from Cologne to Mainze by Snowe. Long before the movie Jaws, this ghost story taps into our hidden fears about what lurks beneath the water. I hope you enjoy it.