The Ghost That Terrorized London and Stumped Samuel Johnson

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]Did you know that in 1762, London's most terrifying ghost case was investigated by the author of the first English dictionary? This actually happened, and the evidence files were sealed for decades. A family on Lane reported violent scratching sounds coming from inside their walls, but when they listened closely, the scratches were answering questions. [music] One knock for yes, two knocks for no. The spirit claimed to be Fanny Kent, a woman who said she was murdered by her lover.

[00:00:29]But here's where it gets disturbing. The ghost knew things only the dead woman could know. Private conversations, hidden secrets, even predicted future deaths that came true. Samuel Johnson himself documented everything. Church officials recorded testimonies. Hundreds of witnesses [music] from priests to nobles swore they heard it. Some think the family faked it all. Others believe something else was in that house.

[00:00:55]>> [music] >> Because when investigators asked the spirit to prove it was real, the scratching stopped. And Fanny Kent's body was found exactly where the [music] ghost said it would be. The case files still exist, but nobody talks about what Johnson wrote in his final notes.