Harry Price
THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN ENGLAND - THE PSYCHIC INVESTIGATION
PART TWO
In 1862-1863 the Reverend Henry Dawson Ellis Bull, built Borley rectory, arguably the most famous haunted house in England. It was thought, that the ground it was actually erected on held sinister memories of macabre events absorbed and 'burnt in time'.
During Harry Price’s first psychic investigation of Borley Rectory on June 12th 1929, he reported poltergeist activity had occurred when stones, vases, and other objects had been thrown at him and the Reverend Smith's wife. He also laid claim to receiving spirit messages being tapped out from a mirror.
After Price left the rectory later that day, Mrs Smith noted that this new type of poltergeist phenomena ceased as soon as Price stepped back over the threshold. She immediately wondered why this was the case and later had suspicions of Price’s claims.
A short while after Price’s visit to the rectory, the Smith’s made plans to leave the home they shared with their unwelcome ghosts and on July 14th 1929 they bid Borley rectory farewell.
Over a year passed by before the rectory became home to live inhabitants again. On October 16th 1930, a first cousin of the Bull family, the Reverend Lionel Foyster took up residence with his wife, their adopted daughter and of course the many other spooky hangers-on who refused to leave the rectory.
The Foyster’s lived at the Rectory for seven years. In which time they endured relentless paranormal incidents such as, objects being hurled across rooms, windows breaking, eerie often unintelligible writing appearing on walls, which was addressed to the Reverend’s wife, Marianne. Two of the most readable were:
"Marianne, please help get" and another, "Pleas for help and prayers".
Another terrifying event happened when the Foyster’s daughter, Adelaide was unable to open the door of her room even though this did not have a lock. She was later attacked by an evil presence, which she went on to describe as ‘something horrible.’
The Reverend’s wife, Marianne suffered increasing terror when she was tossed from her bed by an unseen force.
On two occasions the Reverend attempted exorcisms in the Rectory, which were unsuccessful, especially during the first when he was hit by a large stone on his shoulder.
Each event was passed on by the Reverend to Harry Price who together with a number of other psychic investigators examined the reports. After time spent at the rectory and observing the Foyster’s the team came to a unanimous conclusion …Marianne was the most likely cause of the paranormal activity.
Marianne later admitted to having an affair with the lodger, Frank Peerless and said she used paranormal activity as a cover to keep the affair a secret.
The paranormal activity (Reverend Foyster believed in the main to be of a genuine nature), and Marianne’s affair probably contributed to the Reverend’s declining health, therefore the family vacated Borley rectory in May 1937.
Harry Price’s obsession with Borley rectory remained and in 1937 he rented the rectory for a year from the true owners of the building, the 'Queen Anne’s Bounty'.
Price placed an advertisement on 25th May 1937 in The Times newspaper asking for helpers who would be willing to study the activity at the rectory. After extensive interviews he recruited 48 people, mainly students who would carry out the investigations during weekend visits to the rectory.
Although there were many unexplainable reports from Price's helpers, the most notable event occurred on March 27th 1938 when the daughter of S J Glanville one of Price’s team, held a séance in Streatham, south London. Price stated that Helen Glanville and other witnesses received information from two spirits. The first claimed to be a nun called, Marie Lairre who gave an account of her murder at the site of Borley rectory in 1667. She told of her husband, Henry Waldegrave killing her after eloping with him to England.
The second spirit identified himself as ‘Sunex Amures’ who warned that he would cause the rectory to burn down the very same evening and a nun’s remains would be unearthed from the ruins. Of course they all waited with nervous anticipation for the prediction to come true, but nothing happened ‘then’.
After Price’s lease ran out, the rectory was taken over by a gentleman called, Captain Gregson, who also saw paranormal activity and the unexplainable disappearance of his two dogs.
On February 19th 1939 exactly eleven months after the séance, Gregson was unpacking boxes in the hall of the rectory when the warning from the spirit ‘Sunex Amures’ came true. An oil lamp unaccountably fell off the stand and started a raging fire which burned the building to the ground... claiming Borley rectory.
The insurance company were not convinced with Captain Gregson’s explanation for the fire however and it was thought as fraudulent.
Harry Price’s curiosity would not settle after the fire and he returned to the site of Borley rectory in 1943, where he began excavating the cellars. Quite remarkably he discovered the bones of a young woman and a necklace of Saint Ignatius. Price was certain this could not possibly be coincidental and that it had to be part of the remains of the nun, Marie Lairre. He was also convinced it was her doing when the scribed messages appeared on the Borley rectory walls for Marianne Foyster:
"Marianne, please help get".
"Pleas for help and prayers".
Price arranged for a Christian burial of the bones in Liston churchyard even though locals said they were probably the bones of a pig.
Marie Lairre is now at peace and resting…or is she? Spectral presences are still reported...together with accounts of an eerie air which hangs like a grey translucent mist over the site of Borley rectory.
My Visit To Borley
Part One
Read about more spooky, true paranormal occurrences - Ouija board dangers and many more perils you could find yourself in when delving into the supernatural. 'World Mysteries and True Ghost Tales' kindle or paperback:
No kindle? You don't need one, just download a free kindle app for your PC or laptop from Amazon in seconds.
Read more about this kindle/paperback: World Mysteries and True Ghost Tales kindle
Available on: Amazon.com
Or Amazon.co.uk
Back to home page click on this
Scroll down to comment:
By J Reynolds (aka Eyepriestess) Copyright 2009, J Reynolds @ World Mysteries And True Ghost Tales.