51 | The Hammersmith Ghost & Strange Murder Defence

In 1803, Hammersmith was gripped by fear after multiple sightings of a supposed ghost. Amid the panic, a vigilante named Francis Smith took drastic action, believing he had shot the ghost—only to discover he had killed an innocent man, bricklayer Thomas Millwood. What followed was a trial at the Old Bailey, an unexpected twist, and a revelation about who was behind the ghostly scare. This true story became a landmark case in British legal history.