01-1 The First Disappearances - Plaintext version
Hello, this is Callie Hewitt, recording on the 28th September 2021. Right, that’s all the professional stuff out of the way. I think. I wasn’t planning on talking about the Florences this early on, but they are the first disappearances here in Everwich, so…
This all took place over 200 years ago, and revolves around Henry, Esther, Katherine and Charles Florence, the original inhabitants of Everwich Manor. Obviously some details may be a little inaccurate to what happened, since there’s not that many firsthand accounts from back then, if there were more they’ve… Been destroyed.
This story starts on the 1st December of 18 [radio static hiding the year], when Katherine, a 15-year-old girl of parents Henry and Esther Florence, was having a ball for her birthday. By all accounts, this ball was going well – Katherine was finding a suitable suitor for her to possibly marry in the future.
Later newspaper reports show a James Beaumont, then 18, about Katherine, and the events of the ball.
‘I was, perhaps, the one to know Katherine the best. Our families were friends, and when she came of age we were to be married. Whilst I was not familiar with her family – least of all her younger brother – I did, in fact, spend a lot of time with Katherine. She was a headstrong girl, knew what she wanted. For instance, she would often explain to me how she read Mary Wollstonecraft. Whilst I do not agree with said book, she definitely was passionate about it, there was no question with regards to that.
The last time I saw Katherine? Well, that would be her 15th Birthday. An amazing ball, truly spectacular. The evening began with plenty of carriages pulling up at the Florence household – their manor in Everwich. Nice town, I always enjoyed visiting. We walked through the entrance hall, which looked nice. The ballroom was right at the back of the house, meaning we had a bit of a walk. It was rather unusual, but not unwelcome.’
Quick note from me! The ballroom is, indeed at the back of the house. If anyone needed clarification.
‘When we got to the ballroom, it was already full of people. I noticed Katherine immediately however, she was the centre of attention. As she ought to be. Her ginger hair was pinned up in an elegant bun, and her dress was a light orange colour. I think I saw Charles there, too. I can’t say for definite. But obviously, there’s already been the obituary for Charles.
‘The evening passed happily, I danced with Katherine a couple of times, I watched her dance with her close friend, Marie. Marie Everly. There was an orchestra, yes. No, nothing happened in the ball, nothing strange at all. The evening passed, until it was well time to leave. After that, I didn’t see Katherine. It was a shock, I must admit, to discover her disappearance.’
So, we know that there was a ball. Oh, my source! This was taken from Henry, Esther and Katherine’s obituary in The Everwich Post, from the 2nd January of the same year.
Not much is known about Charles Florence, other than he was the very first disappearance. The newspaper report with his obituary is nowhere to be found – and believe me, I’ve done some digging. The newspaper got similar reports to James Beaumont’s from friends of Henry and Esther, but, there’s not enough difference for it to be useful for this. Perhaps I’ll do a later episode going more in-depth, if that’s something whoever is listening is interested in!
What seems to be the general consensus, however, is that Charles disappeared sometime during the ball, on the 1st of December. During this time, Henry, Esther and Katherine seemed to tirelessly look for him for the next month, until the 1st January, when the rest of the Florences disappeared. I’ve tried to look for something that explains how, why, whatever, but… Absolutely nothing. Someone’s gone to extreme lengths to cover up specifically this disappearance.
And now for a quick intermission where I tell you guys about the sponsor for this episode! Just kidding, there’s still only one of you listening so absolutely nobody would ever want to sponsor me. However, I will sponsor- Myself? Everwich Manor is doing special show-tours next month, with the first being the 2nd of October, and then every Saturday afterwards, and also on Hallowe’en, when there’ll be candy as well!
Back to the episode. Whilst the rest of this may have made it seem like Kitty was the focus of this, it’s actually Charles I’m more interested in, due to both the lack of information, and some rumours that have been in newspapers since his disappearance.
The Everwich Post has multiple articles about sightings of ‘The Everwich Ghost’. What does this have to do with Charles, and the Florences? Well, I have a theory that the Everwich Ghost is Charles, doomed to live in Everwich for years, never aging! Of course, this is all speculation- Wait I haven’t said who the Everwich Ghost is yet…
This is from an Everwich Post report from 1985, which, from what I could find, was the best description. This is from reporter Emily Morris.
‘Everwich Ghost Confirmed?
‘It’s common knowledge for those who live in Everwich that throughout the years, a ‘ghost’ has lurked in the shadows, often killing those who see it. However, this urban myth has – until now – not had any proof.
‘The ghost, often described as a small child – most sources agree male, though there are some sources that suggest otherwise. Said to have white, curly, shoulder-length hair, deathly pale skin, and Victorian clothes, the Everwich Ghost’s first appearance is generally agreed to be in the 19th century.
‘While walking on Manor Road after dark, I heard a cry out in a nearby alleyway. I asked who was there, and only heard a cry for help. Instantly, I went to investigate, assuming it was a small child. It sounded like one.
‘When I did investigate, I saw a small child, not dissimilar from the descriptions. It seemed almost like they were glowing, like a ghost. I managed to get a photo (below), before the child ran away.
‘While this doesn’t confirm the existence of the infamous Everwich Ghost, it does make you wonder: What is happening in this town that nobody knows about?’
The picture shows exactly the description in the newspaper article, but blurry. It’s hard to make out whether the Everwich Ghost is just a hoax made to get reads on the paper, or if this was a genuine sighting, but this is one of the most recent supposed sightings, so I thought it worth mentioning.
What’s interesting, though, is that the Everwich Ghost stopped being sighted recently, around 10 years ago? It’s hard to tell. But I believe the Everwich Ghost is Charles, because the description matches… Well, not any portraits, there’s no portraits of Charles. But the curly hair seems to be a trait of the Florences, and a young, Georgian, male-presenting person would match who we can assume Charles is.
Overall, there isn’t much more information on the Florences, mostly Charles though. As I said before, it seemed like all the information got… Destroyed? Stolen? I don’t know. But there… Isn’t more. That’s it. Um, yeah. Thank you for listening, if you have, and I hope you enjoyed! This is Callie Hewitt, signing off!
[quieter] I don’t like that signoff. I should do a different- Oh it’s still on.
