Another famous exorcist of
the old days was Parson Polkinghorne of St. Ives
whose laying of the ghost of "Wild Harris"
forms one of the most interesting stories of the
Bottrell collection.
The turbulent
spirit had long defied the powers of all the other
clergy of the district was at length laid to rest by
Parson Polkinghorne within the ancient ramparts on
the adjoining hill of Castle-an-Dinas.
It is doubtful that
Parson Polkinghorne was able, for all his skill, to
rid the Harris mansion of all the troubled, turbulent
spirits which formerly haunted it.
About 1890 the
Harris property passed into the hands of another
well-known Cornish family, which was represented at
that time by two ladies. The elder of the two retired
to her bedroom one evening when her sister was much
alarmed at hearing her terrorfied cries for help.
Hastening to he
room, she anxiously inquired the cause of her
distress. It was some time before the other was
composed enough to speak, but eventually she stated
that on being about ready to get into bed she had
suddenly perceived the face of a man outlined on her
pillow.
The younger sister
was clearly skeptical so the older took out a pencil
and sketched the face which she had seen. An outsider
who knew "Wild Harris" knew instantly from
seeing the sketch that it was he that she had drawn.
His portrait remains for comparison to the sketch
today.
