The Ghost of Miss Jane Vernelt of George Street in Edinburgh, Scotland

August 27, 2024
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Into Horror History
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You know what's spookier than seeing a ghost?

Seeing the ghost of someone still alive.

It's the sort of thing that would bring up all kinds of questions about that person, ghosts, the afterlife, and whether or not you're sleep-deprived or hallucinating. Because, even if you don't believe in ghosts, they're at least pretty well-defined as "an apparition of a dead person."

But the ghost of a living person?

Now that... that's a rarity.

Is it even a ghost?

Or something else?

If not a ghost, then what is it?

Only a handful of cases of living ghosts have ever been reported. One of them happened in the early 1900s in a place called George Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Where is George Street?

Just in case you don't know where Scotland is located, let's start there:

Google Map showing the location of Scotland.
Scotland, part of the UK, is known for its dramatic landscapes, historic castles, rich traditions, vibrant cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow, and horrific creatures like the Kelpie, a shape-shifting water spirit that drags unsuspecting victims into the depths of its lochs, and the Bean Nighe, a ghostly harbinger of death that washes the clothes of those doomed to die.

Humans have inhabited Scotland for thousands of years, from the Neolithic villages of Skara Brae to Iron Age forts scattered across the Highlands. Over time, Scotland's rugged terrain became home to the Picts, Celts, and, eventually, the Scots. You can probably guess where the modern name for Scotland came from. There are signs of ancient peoples all over Scotland, in standing stones, burial cairns, and ruins dotting the countryside.

In the southeastern part of Scotland, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, lies the capital, Edinburgh. Edinburgh is roughly midway between Scotland's northern and southern extremities, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Glasgow.

The Firth of Forth is a large estuary that flows from the North Sea into central Scotland, creating a natural boundary between Edinburgh and Fife. Its name, derived from the ancient river 'Forth,' means 'a narrow sea inlet.' This waterway has connected Scotland's capital with the world for centuries.
Google Maps shows the location of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is known for its medieval Old Town, elegant Georgian New Town, and renowned festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Edinburgh International Festival. It's also known for the headless drummer that haunts Edinburgh Castle and the mysterious Mackenzie Poltergeist that roams the vaults of Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Edinburgh was settled during the Bronze Age (3300 to 1200 BCE), and places like Castle Rock might have served as a strategic stronghold even during prehistoric times.

Castle Rock, a volcanic plug in the heart of Edinburgh, formed around 350 million years ago during the early Carboniferous period. This ancient geological feature is the foundation for the iconic Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh grew around the volcanic outcrop, and by the medieval period, it had become the capital of Scotland. Fast-forwarding a bit, there's now a place in Edinburgh known as Old Town with narrow, winding streets, Reformation-era architecture, and old buildings just ripe for paranormal activity because of the sheer number of people who have lived and died there. There are even eerie underground vaults in Old Town dating back to the late 18th century.

About a 10-minute walk from Old Town lies New Town, a part of the city full of Georgian architecture. While there are plenty of ghostly reports from Old Town, there are some rather odd ones in New Town.

Ah, New Town...known for its century Georgian architecture and Princes Street Gardens, is also home to Panda & Sons, a barbershop-themed speakeasy with a hidden entrance, and Underground Solu'shn, one of Scotland's oldest independent record stores. Plus, Dean Village is seemingly straight out of a fairy tale.

One of those reported ghosts is on George Street in New Town. George Street is a thoroughfare named after King George III. It was designed in the late 18th century as part of the city's expansion, aiming to showcase the city's sophistication and modern urban planning. George Street has broad avenues and ordered townhouses, contrasting with the jumble of Old Town.

Google Map showing the location of George Street, Scotland.
George Street is known for its upscale shops, trendy bars, and restaurants. It's also just a short walk from the Banshee Labyrinth, one of Edinburgh's most haunted pubs.

On George Street, there are whispers of a woman's ghostly figure wandering the street at night. Unlike many ghost stories, this one isn't about an unknown woman in white. No, it's the ghost of a woman named Miss Jane Vernelt. An account was published about her ghost in 1911, and it details how it started showing up before Miss Jane Vernelt died.

Street view of George Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, featuring a prominent statue of a historical figure on a large pedestal in the foreground. The street is lined with grand neoclassical buildings, including a church with a tall spire in the background. The scene is lively, with people walking and vehicles passing under a bright blue sky with wispy clouds.
William Pitt the Younger stares down George Street like he still owns it. At 24, he took charge, battled Napoleon, overhauled taxes, and got Britain's finances in line—because even in the 18th century, someone had to do the paperwork.

The Ghost of Miss Jane Vernelt

In the late 1800s, Miss Jane Vernelt owned a dress shop on George Street. She was proud to tend to the store, but after many years, her mental health declined. Reluctantly, she sold it off to a chemist in 1892. Shortly after, she began to regret selling her dress shop.

Miss Jane Vernelt's regret grew and spiraled into an obsession, fretting every waking hour over selling her shop. Her condition was described as "softening of the brain"—which, back then, generally meant degenerative. Her behavior became erratic, and she started to visit her old shop every day, pacing about the area. Eventually, she was forcibly removed for causing disturbances around the new chemist shop. She was put under confinement for medical care.

However, even though her body was confined, she still appeared at the old store. Witnesses at the time described Miss Jane Vernelt as a tall, graceful woman dressed in a dark blue coat with a black braid, a high collar, and a small toque with white and blue plumes—all that was normal for her—but something had changed. Her pale yellow hair had become lighter, her usual fair complexion turned stark white, and her eyes were dark, cold, and lifeless.

One night, during a torrential downpour, she was seen gliding—not walking—through the streets. And, despite the rain, her clothes remained dry. The few people who saw her claimed to be overtaken by a shiver as she brushed past them, and nearby horses shied away from her. One of the witnesses was a policeman, who, upon seeing her, was paralyzed with fear. Only after she passed was he able to move again, leaving him questioning what he'd just seen.

All of this happened while Miss Jane Vernelt was very much alive and confined in a medical facility. She kept showing up, gliding through the shop door, and vanishing near the counter, leaving customers speechless. One witness from around that time also described an incident where he stood by a different shop's window on George Street. He saw her reflection and turned quickly, only to find no one there.

A living ghost? Doppelgänger?

A vintage-style sketch of the ghost of Jane Vernelt walking down George Street in the rain. The eerie figure, dressed in a dark, flowing gown with a high collar and an elaborate hairstyle, is silhouetted against the shadowy outlines of old buildings, creating a haunting and ominous atmosphere.
The Ghost of Jane Vernelt. Original artwork by J.A. Hernandez.

After her death, Miss Jane Vernelt kept wandering George Street, gliding, untouched by rain through downpours, moving through doors, and suddenly vanishing. Even today, some claim to see her in her old-fashioned clothes, leaving them with a sense of sadness.

A doppelgänger is a mysterious double or look-alike of a living person, often seen as an omen of death or bad luck in folklore. Unlike ghosts, who are typically spirits of the dead, doppelgängers are eerie duplicates of the living, creating confusion and fear in those who encounter them. In some stories, seeing your own doppelgänger can be a sign of impending death.

So, after hearing about Miss Jane Vernelt, we're left with a chilling question:

How can someone be both alive and a ghost?

Was her spirit so consumed by regret that it slipped away before her body did? Or was it something even stranger—a doppelgänger, a living ghost, trapped between two worlds?

The idea of a living ghost challenges everything we know about the line between life and death.

Because if a living person can haunt the world...

What does that mean for those of us who believe we are among the living?

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