Here is J Wentworth Day’s ‘Here Are Ghosts and Witches’, the 1954 first edition. I’ve always liked the sinister cover art by Michael Ayrton. Ayrton also provides some distinctive interior illustrations and, judging by his Wikipedia entry, seems to have been a highly regarded artist and eccentric personality: he has work in the Tate and the National among other galleries.
J Wentworth Day wrote several books on ghost-lore, of which ‘Ghosts and Witches’ was the first and perhaps the best. A proud East Anglian, Day wrote many more books devoted to the history and country pursuits of the Fens. He enjoyed talking to elderly country folk in isolated inns or while out in the marshes wildfowling and is therefore notable for his success in garnering information about a way of life that was on the verge of extinction even in the mid-20th century. In this way, he was also able to tap into a great deal of folklore that would otherwise have been lost, including some first or second-hand accounts of encounters with ghosts. These Day renders in the local dialect, not only with authenticity but also often with great humour.
