This has been associated with an event that took place during the Oxfordshire election celebrations of 1754. The Whig victory in the election had triggered wild celebrations amongst Whig supporters in Oxford, who clashed with a group of disgruntled Tory supporters in the area of Magdalen bridge.

One of these was a young chimney sweep who was had climbed onto the parapet of the bridge to get a better view as he jeered at the Tory supporters passing by.

According to reports, a Tory supporter named Captain Turton was passing through the crowds in his carriage. The captain took umbrage at being jeered at by the chimney sweep and, pointing his pistol out of the carriage window, fired at the sweep at close range. The chimney-sweep was killed instantly, his body tumbling backwards into the river.

Interestingly, there is another ghost connected to the 1754 Oxfordshire elections. The Tory candidate was Sir James Dashwood, whose ghost is said to haunt the pond near his family seat at Kirtlington!