Bachelors Grove Cemetery and The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

As it is now, few of the graves remain standing, and
many tombstones have been stolen. With it's
desecrated appearence, it's not too hard to believe
in the existance of a few, if not many residential
spirits. One in particular was accidentally
photographed sitting on a stone bench in the park.
There was nothing unusual until the film was
developed, and there she was. (see pic below)
There is some speculation about who she could be,
but it's thought perhaps that she could be one of
the most famous ghosts in Bachelor Grove. The
spirit is known as "The White Lady," and is thought
to be the ghost of a woman buried in the cemetery
next to her young son. She has been seen,
wandering the area with a baby in her arms.

Other ghosts that have been witnessed are several
monks dressed in robes, and a glowing yellow man
seen in 1984. Outside of the cemetery also seems
to be haunted by many entities that come in very
different forms. One apparantly is a house. Several
people have claimed to see a white farmhouse that
vanishes into thin air. Others say that the lagoon
located nearby is haunted by an old farmer that
drowned in the 1870's when his plow horse dragged
him into the water. More reports suggest that this
lagoon was once a ganster's body drop, and now
houses any number of bodies from the 1920's. But
perhaps the most unusual reports say that a two-
headed creature has been seen many times
swimming in the dark waters.

The "Ghost Lights" of the cemetery are also well-
known throuout the ghost hunters community.
Strange red lights have been seen streaking by, and
dancing balls of blue light appear on occasion to
dazzle anyone who is watching.

Even the turnpike near Bachelors Grove seems to be
haunted. Phantom cars have been seen, racing
down the road, only to disappear in th distance.

Nestled in a small corner of Midlothian, Illinois is a
small run-down cemetery called Bachelor's Grove. It
is not a fancy place, and rests in a mostly forgotten
area, but any ghost hunter will tell you that
Bachelor's Grove is the Las Vegas of supernatural
hot spots. There have been more than 100 reports
of unusual activity, including ghostly images, eerie
sounds, and even balls of light. Stories circulate
more about this cemetery, and it's many hauntings
than any other place in the Chicago area.

The cemetery first opened its doors in 1884, and
was used steadily until 1965, and then the last burial
was in 1989. In the 1960's the road leading back
to the cemetery became a popular Lover's Lane, and
soon after was subjected to the whims of vandals,
who left the cemetery in a sorry state. Because of
this, the graveyard was closed in 1965, when it
became even worse. It was widely whispered that
the place was used as a ceremonial backdrop for
satanic cultists, who sometimes left behind objects
involved in their rituals.

The Brown Lady, or the ghost of Raynham Hall is
one of the most well known ghosts in the world.
Whether real or hoax, The Brown Lady has become
synonymous with the word 'ghost.' The facts as
they are known are difficult to come across, since
nearly every website or article tells a different
story. After gathering several sources together,
and reading all of the accounts, I have pieced this
story together for you, so that you may know all of
the versions of this tale. As for whether or not I
believe in it, I cannot say. I do believe in life after
death, and I do believe that there are things in this
world and the next which cannot be explained.
With that, I'll begin...

The Brown Lady, as she is called, is a ghost (one
of several apparently) that inhabits an old house
called Raynham Hall in Norfolk England. (There are
so many supposedly haunted places in Norfolk!!)
She got her name because of the brown brocade
dress she has been seen wearing. The number of
sightings, and when they've taken place differs
between sources. Some say the first sighting was
in 1835 by Colonel Loftus, who supposedly viewed
her twice. He said she passed by him, brown skirts
flowing, empty eye sockets gazing about.

After the 'first' sighting the dates of other known
sightings wildly differ. At one time, Captain
Frederick Marryat viewed The Brown Lady. He had
stayed in the house, and intentionally slept in the
most haunted room in the house. He saw her in an
upstairs hallway, and described her the same as
Colonel Loftus, except that this time, she was
carrying a lantern. He happened to have a gun
with him, and fired at the apparition. Of course the
bullets passed right through her.

Other people who are reported to have seen her
are two unknown little boys, George IV, and Lady
Townshend.

Who is she? Who she is remains to be unknown,
but speculation suggests that she may be a former
occupant of the house named Dorothy Walpole.
Dorothy was born in 1686, and was the sister of Sir
Robert Walpole, England's first Prime-minister.
Dorothy married Second Viscount Townshend after
the death of his first wife. Unfortunately, Dorothy
had had an affair (Accounts disagree on whether it
was before or after the marriage.) with a very in
debt Lord Wharton, which was very much the
scandal! When her husband learned of her previous
(or current) affair with Wharton, he ordered that
she be kept locked in her apartments in Raynham
Hall. Dorothy died at the age of 40 on March 29th
1726, officially of smallpox, although there are
rumors that her husband may have grown angry
with her, and thrown her down the stairs, breaking
her neck. It is thought that her ghost may be
looking for her 5 children, which were separated
from her during her lock in.

The famous photograph of The Brown Lady was
taken on September 19th 1926 for Country Life
Magazine by photographers Captain Provand and
his assistant Indre Shira. Apparently, they were at
the bottom of the staircase when a misty form
descended. The picture was snapped with great
success. The picture and the story behind it were
run on Dec 26th 1926.

Many people scream hoax when they see this
picture, since it would be so easy to fake, but
those who have seen the negative, claim that it is
not so.

This website was made for kids and families everywhere by the people at Dorp Express, the children's
publications division of Moon-Star Unlimited Inc. The materials on this website are copyright protected, and
may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express written consent from Dorp Express. Inquiries may
be directed to Britt Brundige, editor in chief. You may contact her at editor @ dorpexpress.com.