Antigonish

Mina · Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: England, UK

There is a charming poem, which is quite popular, apparently, about a man "who wasn't there". Like all such poems, I figured it must have some darker meaning behind the paradox, and I have started to look into it.

Thus far, I have found that it is not a nursery rhyme as I first believed at all. It was written by a poet in 1922 about a haunted house in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

According to an article in the New York Times, published in 1922, said house was the home of Alexander MacDonald and his wife and adopted daughter, and they fled from it one night, claiming that something have been "tampering with cattle" and setting a series of "inexplicable fires".

I found some mention of hauntings both in 1898 and 1922, and that the house has now been torn down.

But that is about as far as I can get. That is perhaps due to a lack of information about it generally, but it interests me, and I thought I would ask to see if anybody knew anything more about it, or could recommend to me some places to search?

damaralenoire · Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Posts: 334 Location: South Wales UK

ca i just ask if the poem goes like this

As I was going up the stair , I saw a man who wasn’t there, He wasn’t there again today, how I wish he’d go away.

When I came home last night at three, The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall,I couldn’t see that man at all.

Go away, go away, don’t you come back no more, Go away, go away, and don’t slam the door.

Mina · Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: England, UK

Yes, so sorry, I meant to put that in. There is another verse on the end, similar to the first, but that is essentially what I meant.

damaralenoire · Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Posts: 334 Location: South Wales UK

Well , being a poet myself i am quite familiar with the work, i also performed the play which was based upon it when i was at university. the author of the poem William Hughes Mearns i believe has a strong link to scotland and I know that there was a project going on between Nova Scotia university and a scottish univeristy, but cant remember which one. And it was a kind of research project with similar goals to what you have. I know that Nova Scotia university have a whole load of information based upon it there, as I one incorporated the refernces into a dissertation i wrote. a few links i do have on record though, you may have already come across but they are

http://www.townofantigonish.ca/folklore.html

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0zbdUkJkm10C&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=haunted+house+in+Antigonish,+Nova+Scotia+inspired+poem&source=web&ots=JdylmSUSrv&sig=2Qcwm2ltWc0vQIGnLtrGsMvW3rM&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA25,M1

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ckB-sWGjxykC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=haunted+house+in+Antigonish,+Nova+Scotia+1922&source=web&ots=A5Uf5LI6r1&sig=EfwSrcE12rcLhmNIkkF_m1g3bY0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result

Thats all I know on the subject. But please if you know what the rest of the poem is, i would love to know, as my mind is going crazy right now trying to remember it. lol

Mina · Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: England, UK

According to Wikipedia:

"As I was going up the stair
I saw a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away...

When I came home last night at three
The man was waiting there for me
But when I looked around the hall
I couldn’t see him there at all!
Go away, go away, don’t you come back any more!
Go away, go away, and please don’t slam the door...

Last night I saw upon the stair
A little man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
Oh, how I wish he’d go away"

However, there was mention on Wiki of it being made into a song, and those might be the song lyrics.

Thank you for the site addresses - I've just had a look, and have added a few more notes to me list. It's all just "peculiar goings-on", it would appear.

Thank you so much for your help ^^

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:59 pm Post subject:

Cool poem.
Very fitting for this forum. Very Happy

Mina · Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 12 Location: England, UK

I thought so. And in an odd way, it's kind of charming.