The story behind it, if true, might be related to a lost love. The woman in white could have been waiting for her lover who never returned. Jason Hawkins could have discovered letters or diaries that tell the story. Her appearance in white might symbolize her purity and the eternal nature of her love and longing, and she is seen as a ghost because her story was so poignant that it left an imprint on the place.
If it is a true story, it could be that the woman in white was a victim of a crime. Jason Hawkins may have dug up old police reports or interviewed descendants of those involved. Maybe she was murdered and her spirit haunts the place where the crime occurred as a way of seeking justice or making her presence known to the world.