13:59
Unknown
THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN ENGLAND - BORLEY RECTORY
PART ONE(Built in (1862-1863) - burned down in 1939 - demolished in 1944)
'What would be the use of an old lady like me, waiting to meet her maker, telling a whole lot of fairy stories?'
The simple, clear and convincing words of Ethel Bull at 93 years of age, when questioned about her previous home being the most haunted house in England...Borley Rectory...
In 1892 Ethel's father, the Reverend Henry Dawson Ellis Bull died, leaving his son, Reverend Harry Bull in the care of the family and to deal with the paranormal phenomena which would soon manifest itself in greater proportions.
THE FIRST MAJOR SIGHTING AT BORLEY RECTORY - THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN ENGLAND - LOCATED NR SUDBURY ON THE SUFFOLK-ESSEX BORDER - BUILT BY REVEREND HENRY DAWSON ELLIS BULL:
On a late afternoon (July 28th 1900), Ethel Bull and two of her sisters, having just spent part of the day at a party, strolled idly through the grounds of their home. In the distance (about 40 yards away), they all became aware of what seemed to be a nun materializing before their eyes. The girls recoiled as they watched the ghostly apparition of the nun move in an eerie gliding motion by the stream.
Another sister who was watching her sister's strange behaviour from the rectory hurriedly joined them. On noticing the phantom, she seemed unfazed - bravely approaching it, but then paused in her stride as the misty spectre faded into nothingness.
Some say the apparitions are linked to a murky and sad tale. It was thought that the rectory was built on the site of a thirteenth century monastery and was interconnected to a nearby convent in Bures. Legend has it that a nun had fallen in love with a monk, but they had both been killed before eloping.
This story does tie in with the unearthing of part of the walls of an earlier building dating to the time of the monastery.
Although later accounts add more confusion, as they state that the discovery of another house once standing on the site of Borley Rectory was revealed along with a female skull and jawbone. It is believed the skull belonged to a nun of French origin named, Marie Lairre, who had eloped to England with her lover, only to have been betrayed by him and murdered. He had then buried her in the cellar of the house.
Further sightings of the nun were reported on many occasions. One of those times began as the night was breaking when Ethel and the family cook were chatting outside. All of a sudden, the apparition of the nun appeared leaning on the gate before fading and disappearing.
Ethel also described a particularly terrifying experience which took place in her bedroom. This time she awoke to find an elongated man in a tall hat looming down on her as he stood over her bed. As soon as Ethel reacted to the spirit, it disappeared.
The Bull's paranormal experiences came to an end when Harry Bull died on June 9th 1927, leaving Borley Rectory vacant for over a year.
On October 2nd 1928, the Reverend Guy Eric Smith moved into the rectory with his wife. After experiencing a considerable amount of paranormal phenomena, including servant bells ringing by themselves, the Smith's contacted the Daily Mirror newspaper and asked if they could be put in touch with the Society for Psychical Research.
On June 10th 1929 the Daily Mirror sent a reporter to interview the Smith's and on June 12th 1929, Harry Price was asked by the Mirror to investigate Borley Rectory. Price visited the Rectory and was impressed and convinced by the paranormal events at the rectory (most he associated with poltergeist activity).
Borley Rectory would remain an obsession in Price's life...believing he thought - a genuine haunting.
Harry Price died in 1948 at the age of 67 years, but not before conducting further experiments into the most haunted house in England.
Part Two - The Psychic Investigation
Back to home page click on this
Scroll down to comment:
By J Reynolds (aka eyepriestess)
(Copyright 2009, J Reyonlds @ World Mysteries And True Ghost Tales)
Posted in 
0 comments:
Post a Comment