Historical Significance: Shot to death by Francis Smith who was mistaken to be the “Hammersmith Ghost” due to his white bricklaying uniform.
Current State: The “Hammersmith Ghost” came forward as John Graham, a local shoemaker, who was attempting to scare his apprentices. Tales of the ghost kept appearing in the local lore until Spring-Heeled Jack took form some twenty years later. The tale is now less lore and sets a precedent in early English self-defense laws.
More details on the events can be found [here] and [here – “Ghost at Hammersmith”]
Image source: The British Museum
The Ghastly Historian 