Chime hours

According to English folklore, those born at certain hours could see ghosts. The crucial time was generally said to be midnight, but varied by region. The chime hours often corresponded with the hours of monastic prayer, when bells tolled. In Suffolk the hours were said to be eight p.m., midnight and four a.m., in Sussex it was six, nine, or twelve o'clock, while in Somerset it was held that the hours were from midnight on Friday to cockcrow on Saturday.^[1] In Irish folklore, those born in the chime hours would have the second sight.

The term "born in the chimehours" likely refers to the old monastic hours of night prayer (Matins) which were marked by the ringing of bells. The idea is referenced in the first chapter of David Copperfield.^[2]

References

1. Simpson, Jacqueline; Roud, Steve (2000). A Dictionary of English Folklore. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0192100191.
2. Dickens, Charles. "1". David Copperfield.