Luton History: "Ghostly images or just gossip"

Nestled in the Hamlet of Biscot is the beautiful ancient thatched Moat House, built in the mid 1300's and linked to names such as De Beresfords, Acworth, Joshua Iremonger and the Crawleys of Stockwood.

The Crawleys were landowners of the farm plus Grange farm sited at the rear of Moat cottages (a few cottages still remain) for over 100 years.

In the 1830's, the farm accommodated the Bates family and then followed the Kidmans, related by marriage to the Bates.

In 1889, Moat Farm was auctioned, the purchaser a Mr Henry Ormond Millington, a bachelor Gentleman from Ardley in Oxfordshire, moved in with his spinster sister Ethelred, who left shortly after to teach in South Africa.

Henry Millington married Virtue Elizabeth Hipwell on the 1st August 1895 in Oxfordshire, a lady in her early 30's was to become the Lady of Moat Farm, however things didn't quite go to plan. Virtue was still in mourning for her father who died a year earlier, although financially independent, she had lived a sheltered life prior to marriage, and found settling into her her new role difficult, she was homesick and utterly miserable, and by the end of August 1895, she left never to return.

Moat Farm was auctioned again in 1895 requesting "a quick sale at short notice".

Little did Henry Millington realise, he was to become the victim of cruel and unsavoury rumours 8 years later.

In 1903, rumours began to spread around Biscot village as to what really happened to Virtue Elizabeth Millington. Stories circulated that she was "done away with" and buried on the farm, it was said some difference arose between husband and wife, and she decided she was going to leave and never return.

The more the rumours spread, the more believed it to be true, questions were raised, were the villagers confusing the befell of Miss Holland of Moat Farm with Saffron Walden who was murdered by her lover Samuel Dougal in 1899 and found buried on her farm in 1903?" No, they say" the lady of Biscot vanished in 1895 without trace.

The rumours intensified, reporting that her ghost-like image had been seen floating around the farm at night, people hid behind locked doors too frightened to venture out, petrified of the eerie atmosphere engulfing the village.

To end the fear, the police were contacted to investigate the missing Virtue Millington and lay the rumours to rest, but their attitude was there was no case to answer.

Eventually the stories faded and life returned to normal, but what really did happen to Virtue?

With the help of technology, I found she was not 'done away with' in 1901, both Henry and Virtue are together living in Ardley Manor Oxfordshire, she died in 1906 leaving £2,850 to Henry.

A newspaper report followed in 1903 saying: "It would be putting it mildly to say that it is a great shame that anyone should walk under a dark cloud of suspicion due to someone's gossip".

The Craig family followed the Millingtons and remained until 1923, the Meadows family were the last to leave around 1950.

As a pupil of Icknield School in 1963, Moat Farm by then was a sad neglected derelict piece of history due for demolition, but luckily it was granted a new lease of life.

The photo was taken around 1900, how could anyone leave such a beautiful place?