48. The Phantom Cat

Whilst searching through my archives, like a gleeful grave-digger shoveling out the mounds of soil on a moonlit night, I literally stumbled across a text from a pamphlet dated 1674, in reference to a peculiar haunting, if it was indeed a haunting, or maybe one of the first ever encounters with a large 'panther'! I make no apologies for transcribing the original document exactly for weirdness sake!

News from Puddle-dock in London, or A Perfect Particuler of the strange Apparitions and Transactions that have happened in the House of Mr Edward Pitts next door to the Still at Puddle-Dock

The House of Mr Edward Pitts at Puddledock hath in a very strange and stupendious manner been disturbed these 15 or 16 Nights last past... March 15 when this Mr Pitts and his Family were going to Supper, a Fold-Up table was brought to the fire side, upon which the Meat was set, Mr Pitts takes the Loaf off the Dresser to cut bread to lay on the Table, as he was cutting the Bread he spied upon the Dresser a great thing like a Catt, at which being a little affrightened, he started back Presently calling to his wife, saying, here's a Catt, I never saw a Catt in this house before, upon which this Cat-like thing seemed to slide off the Dresser, giving a thump on the Boards and so vanished away. All Mr Pitts Family then in the Room, but none could perceive this strange Catt but only his Daughter of about 15 years of Age, and himself; and they say it was as bigg as any Mastiff Dog; but they could not perceive that it had any leggs!

A bizarre and obscure London yarn if ever there was one...

Photo by morganchin on Flickr.