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The Borley Rectory may have been the most haunted
house in England. It was destroyed by fire in 1939, but what occured in the rectory, whether it is true or not, is fascinating!
The rectory was built for the Minister Henry D. Bull,
his wife and his 14 children. Some say that it was built on top of an old monastary, but others claim that this is not so. Regardless, many people claimed (and continues!) to see the apparition of a nun walking in the garden. The legend states that she was trying to elope with a monk, but was caught. He was beheaded, and she was walled up in her convent.
Many strange happenings were recorded in the
rectory. Objects were thrown about, strange footsteps were heard, and the childrn were slapped at night by unseen hands. When ownership changed hands, articles were printed in the local newspaper about the place. People came from all over to see it. They didn't stay long, and after them came Lional A. Foyster, who was Harry Bull's (Henry's son's) cousin. His wife Marianne and their adopted daughter Adelaide came with him. |
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Marianne was constantly slapped, and once she was
even thrown out of bed. The ghosts would write to her on the walls. Some of those writings she was unable to read, but others she would reply to. The Foysters only stayed for about 5 years. Once they moved out, a psychic investigator named Harry Price leased the place for a year. He ran several tests over it, and published his findings (which were disappointing) in a book titled, "The Most Haunted House in England" (1940). Many of his claims were subsequently discredited, and he was labled as a fraud several times. However, the fact that so many people witnessed the events lead even skeptics to believe that at least something did occur.
Whatever the case, the Borley Rectory has become
a favorite subject for webmasters these days, and any haunted houses web page worth anything will have a bit about it. |
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Picture of brick floating in ruins of Borely Rectory
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Other Tower ghosts include Sir Walter Raleigh,
Guy Fawkes, and even the apparition of a bear. In 1816, a palace guard who was on duty spied the bear. Not realizing he was facing an apparition, the guard attempted to lunge at the creature with his bayonet, which passed straight through it. |
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The Borley Rectory
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The Tower of London
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The Tower of London was built in 1078 by William
the Conquer, and has since held a bloodthirsty reputation, and contains no less that 30 ghosts! Since there are so many, I'll only go over a few.
Henry VI was murdered "the hour before
midnight," by the Duke of Gloucester, who later became King Richard II, in the Wakefield Tower. Henry is said to make a yearly appearance there.
The White Tower, which is the oldest part of the
building, houses a "White lady's" strong perfume, which is smelled when she drifts about.
Anne Boleyn, the second of the six wives of Henry
VIII, who was executed in the tower, is said to haunt the Tower Green.
In the Bloody Tower, the two little princes Edward
(aged 12 at time of death) and his younger brother Richard, sons of King Edward IV, whimper as they clutch each other in the dark. They were imprisoned in the tower while their uncle ascended to the throne to become King Richard III. Soon after, the little princes disappeared. The skeletons of the boys were discovered beneath a staircase of the White Tower in 1674, and they were buried in Westminster Abbey. |
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Various pictures from the tower or london
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Edward and Richard, sons of Edward IV haunted
the Bloody Tower |
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King Henry VI
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Anne Boleyn
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King Henry VIII
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Ghostly writing to Marrianne
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If you like this page, you may also like (these links will not take you away from this site):
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Books on these subjects:
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The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England- Edited by Antonia Fraser (c)1975, 1993, 1998.
Published by University of California Press. |
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Haunted Britain and Ireland- Written by Richard Jones
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The Enigma of Borley Recory- Written by Ivan Banks
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Movies on these subjects:
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The Haunting- Adapted from the book, "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson and
was loosely based on the Borley Rectory haunting. |
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Related Websites:
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~ Other Dorp Express Sites ~
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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. |
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The Borley Rectory is no more, but would you have liked to visit?
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Haunted England
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