shooters hill

The Ghostly Tale of Unrequited Love at Veremont House

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In Shooter’s Hill, London, a once-grand residence named Veremont House held a dark and haunting secret. The house was believed to be the dwelling place of a vengeful female ghost, and even the renowned paranormal investigator Elliot O’Donnell had an unsettling encounter with the apparition. The tale dates back to the late 1800s and revolves around the tragic love story of Bertha Rungate and her ill-fated suitor, Philip.

(Creepy Victorian city house. Image Source: Bing AI)

The Unrequited Love

Bertha lived with her widowed mother in Veremont House. Her late father had been a City merchant and she was their only child. Bertha was doted on by her mother but was known as a selfish and wilful child to others. Mrs Rungate wanted Bertha to become educated and at the age of sixteen, she began engaging governesses to teach her. However, Bertha one by one drove each successive governess away with her behaviour. She much preferred promenading in the latest fashions and making eyes at handsome young men to studying with her governesses.

Few governesses lasted longer than 6 weeks. However, this changed when Jane Ducrot was finally appointed. Bertha and she quickly formed a close bond and the two were often seen walking in the park together when they were not in their lessons together.

After around six months of Jane Ducrot as governess, news came that there would be a family visitor.  Bertha’s cousin Philip Rungate was planning a visit. Bertha’s mother was delighted as she saw this as an opportunity to bring Philip and Bertha together romantically with a view to marriage. Bertha was also very excited and showed her governess affectionate letters she had received from Philip.

Once Philip arrived at Veremont House it was clear that it was now Jane Ducrot who had caught his eye, no longer Bertha. Bertha and her mother were dismayed and set about covertly watching Philip and Jane. Bertha soon managed to surprise Philip and her governess in the summer house meeting clandestinely and some days later she finally caught them kissing, This sent Bertha into a rage and Jane Ducrot was summoned to see Mrs Rungate and given her two weeks’ notice.

(Victorian lovers. Image Source: Bing AI)

The day before Jane Ducrot was due to leave Veremont House, Bertha once again caught the two lovers together canoodling in the summer house. Bertha was advised by her mother not to confront them further, as Ducrot would be leaving for good the next day. However, later that day Philip announced he too would be returning him the following day, ending his stay with them.

Bertha Rungate was a woman consumed by unrequited love for Philip, who, much to her dismay, was enamoured with none other than Bertha’s own governess. Overwhelmed by jealousy and driven to a fevered fit, Bertha committed a heinous act that would shroud Veremont House in a sinister aura for years to come.

A Murderous Act

Bertha suspected that Philip had decided to leave to join his lover, Jane.  That evening, Philip was seen by a servant going into the back garden, with Bertha following him shortly after.  Around an hour and a half later, she was seen to return alone, looking pale and agitated. Philip did not return that night, did not come for his breakfast the next morning, and was never seen again. It is thought that in a moment of jealousy that bordered on madness, Bertha murdered Philip and concealed his lifeless body, some say in the basement and others in an abandoned well. Those who asked about the whereabouts of Philip were told of his love affair with Jane Ducrot and it was explained away that he had run away to be with her.

However, the walls of Veremont House would soon bear witness to the anguished echoes of Bertha’s desperate attempt to win the affection of her beloved.

A Ghostly Apparition

Following her own death, Bertha’s spirit was unable to find rest. Witnesses claimed to have encountered her ghost, and paranormal investigator Elliot O’Donnell himself shared a chilling account of his encounter in ‘The Midnight Hearse and More Ghosts’: “Down, down, down it came, until at last I could see it – a white, evil face surmounted by a mass of black hair. The eyes were the most alarming feature – large, dark, very lurid, very sinister – and they were fixed on mine with a mocking leer.”

(Bertha’s Ghost. Image Source: Bing AI)

O’Donnell’s Fateful Encounter

O’Donnell stayed one night in Veremont House where he had his eerie encounter with the apparition on the upper floor landing. He further detailed how Bertha’s spirit led him past the summer house to the very spot where she had disposed of Philip’s body in an abandoned and hidden well. The paranormal investigator described the malevolent presence, and the ghostly figure seemed to mock him with a disdainful gaze. The apparition’s dark eyes held the secrets of the tragic love story that had unfolded within the walls of Veremont House.

Rest in Peace

The tale took a turn when Philip’s remains were discovered, removed from the property, and granted a Christian burial. Strangely, once the departed lover was given a peaceful resting place, all sightings of Bertha’s ghost ceased. The once-haunted Veremont House regained a sense of calm as if the restless spirit had finally found solace in the resolution of the tragic love affair.

Veremont House, with its vanished suitor and the ghostly presence of Bertha Rungate, stands as a testament to the enduring power of love, jealousy, and the unresolved mysteries that may linger in old buildings. The tale of the angry female ghost of Shooter’s Hill is a haunting reminder of the tumultuous emotions that can transcend the boundaries between life and death, leaving an indelible mark on the places we call home.

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