Phantoms of Christmas Past: Festive Ghost Hoaxes, Ghost Hunts and Ghost Panics, by Paul Weatherhead

From the publisher's website: During the 19th and early 20th centuries, ghost hoaxes (dressing in a white sheet or a more elaborate costume) and scaring people were rife but seldom studied or written about. These hoaxes frequently led to impromptu ghost hunts by hundreds, sometimes thousands of often drunk vigilantes (and hysterical panics) as rumours of the supposed ghosts would spread round the community. Many of these ghost scares occurred during the Christmas and New Year periods, and this book explores twelve little-known episodes.

Further information at the publisher's website: 6th Books.