A ramble through some of history's most unusual deaths

'm reading a rather fascinating book at the moment about unusual deaths. I suppose it's not the most uplifting read - I mean essentially I've spent every evening for the last week learning about how some poor so and so met his or her maker - but it is weirdly absorbing.

- Steve Canavan

Have you heard, for instance, of the Hammersmith Ghost murder case in 1804? Until yesterday lunchtime I hadn't either.

At the turn of the 19th century, dozens of people claimed to have seen a ghost in the Hammersmith area of London. The ghost was rumoured to be a man who had taken his own life the previous year and had been buried in the local churchyard. He was described as very tall and dressed all in white.

One December night, a chap called Thomas Groom was walking through the churchyard at 9pm when a figure rose from behind a tombstone and grabbed him by the throat. 'It gave me a twist round so I gave it a bit of a push out with my fist and felt something soft, like a great coat,' Groom told police, who presumably raised an eyebrow and breathalysed him immediately.

Later the same month a Mr William Girdler saw the ghost on a quiet street and gave chase. The apparition threw off its shroud and escaped. As word of this terrifying ghoul got round, and people (easily-led people I'd suggest) got more scared, several Londoners formed armed patrols in the hope of apprehending the spooky figure.

All this is fairly harmless so far, but on January 3, 1804, things took a sinister turn. While patrolling the area at 10.30pm, Girdler met one of the citizens patrolling the streets - 29-year-old excise officer Francis Smith. Holding a shotgun, he told Girdler he was off to look for the ghost.