The Ghost of George Grover
One the more famous of Richmond 's many ghosts is that of a man who was supposedly murdered and thrown over the bridge by the convicts he tortured during the building of the Richmond Bridge. He was known as the wicked Flagellator, George Grover,
George Grover had been transported to Van Diemen's Land after being tried at Winchester England for stealing and arrived on the Earl Vincent in October 1825 – two years after the start of the building of the bridge. He spent a lot of time on the chain gangs for bad behavior but by 1829 his record shows him as a Flagellator at Richmond . It was at this time that John Lee Archer, the Colonial Architect, authorised the rebuilding of the piers of Bigge's Bridge at Richmond. Grover is said to have ridden on the heavy hand-carts full of stone from Butcher's Hill, which had to be dragged along by the convicts, and whipped the prisoners like horses.
In March 1932, an inquest was held at Richmond into the death of George Grover 'who met his death by having been thrown over the Richmond Bridge'. At the time of his death, Grover had visited the servants of a neighboring farm. Witnesses stated that Grover had left the hut on the farm in a "state of intoxication". On his way home from the farm Grover had rested on the bridge and fallen asleep. From there, he was thrown over the parapet. Grover was found by a constable at 2am "almost crushed to death with the fall under the bridge on the broken rocky ground". Witnesses revealed that Grover was alive after being thrown off the bridge, and he accused four men of committing the act.
Grover appears to have been an unpleasant sort of a person all round and upon his death, someone wrote across his convict record in large, beautifully written copper-plate writing the words "Murdered March 1832" as if to say "Thank goodness!". He was buried in St. Luke's Burial Ground on March 3, 1832, aged 27. His ghost is said to appear on the Richmond Bridge at certain times.
One the more famous of Richmond 's many ghosts is that of a man who was supposedly murdered and thrown over the bridge by the convicts he tortured during the building of the Richmond Bridge. He was known as the wicked Flagellator, George Grover,
George Grover had been transported to Van Diemen's Land after being tried at Winchester England for stealing and arrived on the Earl Vincent in October 1825 – two years after the start of the building of the bridge. He spent a lot of time on the chain gangs for bad behavior but by 1829 his record shows him as a Flagellator at Richmond . It was at this time that John Lee Archer, the Colonial Architect, authorised the rebuilding of the piers of Bigge's Bridge at Richmond. Grover is said to have ridden on the heavy hand-carts full of stone from Butcher's Hill, which had to be dragged along by the convicts, and whipped the prisoners like horses.
In March 1932, an inquest was held at Richmond into the death of George Grover 'who met his death by having been thrown over the Richmond Bridge'. At the time of his death, Grover had visited the servants of a neighboring farm. Witnesses stated that Grover had left the hut on the farm in a "state of intoxication". On his way home from the farm Grover had rested on the bridge and fallen asleep. From there, he was thrown over the parapet. Grover was found by a constable at 2am "almost crushed to death with the fall under the bridge on the broken rocky ground". Witnesses revealed that Grover was alive after being thrown off the bridge, and he accused four men of committing the act.
Grover appears to have been an unpleasant sort of a person all round and upon his death, someone wrote across his convict record in large, beautifully written copper-plate writing the words "Murdered March 1832" as if to say "Thank goodness!". He was buried in St. Luke's Burial Ground on March 3, 1832, aged 27. His ghost is said to appear on the Richmond Bridge at certain times.
The Ghost of Grover's Dog
There is the story of the ghost of a large black and white hairy dog, quite often called 'Grover's Dog'. One lady has told the story about when she was a young girl, of a dog that suddenly appeared beside her on a few different occasions as she walked across the Richmond bridge at night. She said it stayed beside her until she reached the end of the bridge and then suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had come.
There is the story of the ghost of a large black and white hairy dog, quite often called 'Grover's Dog'. One lady has told the story about when she was a young girl, of a dog that suddenly appeared beside her on a few different occasions as she walked across the Richmond bridge at night. She said it stayed beside her until she reached the end of the bridge and then suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Mrs Buscombe of Prospect House
Possibly the best known ghost after Grover's, is that of Mrs. Buscombe at Prospect House, a lovely old home, now a fine restaurant and accommodation on the outskirts of Richmond. Prospect Villa (as it was then known) was built in the early 1830s by James Kestall Buscombe using convict labor. J.K. Buscombe was an influential business man in Richmond 's early days, owning the "Lennox Arms" inn, one of the two big general stores and also, at one time running the Post Office, as well as several other small shops and houses. James died in 1851 and his wife Elizabeth died in I860. They are both buried in St. Luke's Burial Ground. Mrs Buscombe before she died was said to have become very distrustful and forgetful and decided to hide her jewels. Where she hid them nobody knows. Nor could Mrs Buscombe remember herself. Although there has been numerous searches they have never been found.
The figure of a woman dressed in old time clothing and a white frilly hat is said to wander about Prospect House possibly looking for some valuables that have been lost. She most frequently appears on the cellar stairs, sometimes sitting as though trying to remember. Sometimes she is descending the stair as if looking for something and sometimes just mumbling to herself. A visitor to the house one day swore to meeting an old lady on the stairs and they sat down together for a little while and had a chat. He too was a Buscombe. Maybe Mrs Buscombe wanted to catch up on the family news.
Possibly the best known ghost after Grover's, is that of Mrs. Buscombe at Prospect House, a lovely old home, now a fine restaurant and accommodation on the outskirts of Richmond. Prospect Villa (as it was then known) was built in the early 1830s by James Kestall Buscombe using convict labor. J.K. Buscombe was an influential business man in Richmond 's early days, owning the "Lennox Arms" inn, one of the two big general stores and also, at one time running the Post Office, as well as several other small shops and houses. James died in 1851 and his wife Elizabeth died in I860. They are both buried in St. Luke's Burial Ground. Mrs Buscombe before she died was said to have become very distrustful and forgetful and decided to hide her jewels. Where she hid them nobody knows. Nor could Mrs Buscombe remember herself. Although there has been numerous searches they have never been found.
The figure of a woman dressed in old time clothing and a white frilly hat is said to wander about Prospect House possibly looking for some valuables that have been lost. She most frequently appears on the cellar stairs, sometimes sitting as though trying to remember. Sometimes she is descending the stair as if looking for something and sometimes just mumbling to herself. A visitor to the house one day swore to meeting an old lady on the stairs and they sat down together for a little while and had a chat. He too was a Buscombe. Maybe Mrs Buscombe wanted to catch up on the family news.
The Man in the Straw Hat
Another ghost, this time a friendly one, is said to walk across the Richmond bridge towards the town, often in daylight and occasionally at night. In the late 1930s a former Council Clerk was researching into the history of Richmond and came across several stories which reported sightings of a man dressed in "old-fashioned clothes" walking across the bridge, but he was unable to find out any further details about the man. Later, in the 1940s and also 1950s tourists visiting the town and inspecting the Court House asked him the same question - who was the man in the fancy dress outfit they had seen on the bridge? They hadn't seen him come or go, but they all noticed his unusual old-fashioned clothes.
A former resident of Gunning Street told a magazine writer in the 1950s of her daughter's encounter in the 1930s with the ghost of an old man near the bridge. Apparently he was dressed in a dark gray suit and wore a straw boater hat and carried a walking stick. From her daughter's description she identified him as a local resident who had died some years previously and was unknown to the girl. Other sightings of this man say that sometimes he did not have his straw hat - and even that occasionally he did not have his head!
Another ghost, this time a friendly one, is said to walk across the Richmond bridge towards the town, often in daylight and occasionally at night. In the late 1930s a former Council Clerk was researching into the history of Richmond and came across several stories which reported sightings of a man dressed in "old-fashioned clothes" walking across the bridge, but he was unable to find out any further details about the man. Later, in the 1940s and also 1950s tourists visiting the town and inspecting the Court House asked him the same question - who was the man in the fancy dress outfit they had seen on the bridge? They hadn't seen him come or go, but they all noticed his unusual old-fashioned clothes.
A former resident of Gunning Street told a magazine writer in the 1950s of her daughter's encounter in the 1930s with the ghost of an old man near the bridge. Apparently he was dressed in a dark gray suit and wore a straw boater hat and carried a walking stick. From her daughter's description she identified him as a local resident who had died some years previously and was unknown to the girl. Other sightings of this man say that sometimes he did not have his straw hat - and even that occasionally he did not have his head!
