31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Thirty-One, All Hallows Eve

 Day 31 All Hallows Eve: Dracula

Who has not heard of the famous Transylvanian Count? Bram Stoker's 1897 novel has become the one against which all vampire stories are measured. There have been over 200 film adaptations which even diehard fans seem to struggle to see in their entirety. Add in all the the adaptations and even a lifetime may not be quite long enough to see, hear and read everything. From Max Shreck (or Bela Lugosi if you like) to Claes Bang, the role of Dracula is one many people have managed to add to their CV. Of course, with so many adaptations (stage, screen and of course radio) few people read the book anymore. However the book, is a good way to get to know the characters. The book itself, is essentially diary entries of the main characters with a few letters and newspaper articles. 

  The book starts with the diary of Jonathon Harker. He leaves his fiancée, Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray in England with her best friend Lucy, while he travels to Transylvania to provide legal support for the Count for a real estate transaction. The Count is moving to England. Jonathon writes every day of his strange friendship with the Count and the mysteries of the castle he is staying in. The Count's vampiric tendencies, the three vampire brides in his castle and the fact that he never intends to let Jonathon leave alive become clear the longer Jonathon stays. Back in England his fiancée is missing him while her best friend is choosing a suitor between the three men courting her. Eventually the Count arrives in England and wreaks havoc in the lives of all. Luckily for the characters, The man Abraham Van Helsing (named after Bram Stoker) is there. He knows about vampires, the Count and how to fight against them. The count's ultimate goal is slowly revealed, he wants Mina as his bride.

  While a long read it is gripping. Unlike the tales of blood and gore we find in modern horror stories, Dracula is more subtle, showing a way in which vampires survive within society. The Count can walk among others during the day, his powers are just weaker than at night. Also, people are not found drained of blood with the blood all over the room or their throats ripped out, they wither away from an unknown disease. While they do have puncture marks in their necks and turn pale from loss of blood, unless people know about vampires, you'd just know someone had died from an untreatable, incurable illness. No one is going to be blamed for someone becoming ill and dying. We never see anything from the perspective of he Count. He has no need or desire to keep  journal so everything is seen through the eyes of the other characters. The way the reader themselves would see it. 

  Dracula is not the only story of a vampire but it is the most famous. He has almost become the original vampire, all others are secondary. It does seem that, within his own story, he is the most powerful. While we have been bombarded with different vampires and vampire lore, Dracula is still the one that is most often referenced. In some other vampire stories vampires claim him as real, others dismiss him as myth. He appears many times in media, he even appeared in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. One thing that never seems to change with Dracula, however people fight him, he always comes back. 

   

  What people seem to forget about Count Dracula, is that he was actually based on a real person.

  Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler, was the ruler of Wallachia (now part of Romania). There were many stories about Vlad's cruel and gruesome treatment of his enemies. When visitors from Turkey refused to remove their turbans in his presence, he had the turbans nailed to their foreheads. When he captured prisoners he had them executed and impaled, earning him his nickname. He also massacred many people. Vlad's father was referred to as Vlad Dracul, Dracul meaning dragon. Vlad III was often referred to as Dracula during his reign. Dracul in modern Romanian, mean devil. In literature, Vlad is often referred to as Dracul, translated as the son of the devil, adding to his reputation. Stories of his cruelty were popular after his death. Stories of his cruelty and apparent bloodlust, made him the perfect inspiration for Bram Stoker's title character. The bloodthirsty ruler becomes the bloodthirsty Count. Some adaptations of Dracula have him constantly adapting for the times. In modern times he is often a doctor, giving him access to blood banks.

  As I said before, Dracula has made the inevitable transition form page to screen. Film and TV adaptations are in abundance. I myself saw the ballet. I loved the ballet it was brilliant. Of course my poor mother spent most of it scared but it made me appreciate more her taking me to it. Shows another side of ballet for the sceptics who think is all, pointing, jumps and essentially boring. I have never seen a play or indeed heard a radio adaptation, but am working my way through the better known films.

  The first Dracula film was, essentially, the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu. 

  Unable to get the rights to Dracula, the studio changed the name and appearance of the title character. The names of supporting characters were also changed. As the story was still practically the same as Dracula however, the studio was sued by Bram Stoker's widow and was forced to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying.

  The first film to actually have the title of the character is one of the most famous. In this adaptation, in 1931, the Count was played by Beal Lugosi.

  This film was actually based on a stage adaptation which was endorsed by the Stoker estate Bela Lugosi was actually reprising his stage role. This is, as I said, one of the most famous adaptations. It is credited with initiating the Universal horror film series of the 30s and 40s. 

  In 1958, a very famous studio called Hammer, released an adaptation starring Christopher Lee.

  Van Helsing was, of course, played by Peter Cushing. A more cinematic Gothic interpretation, it took many liberties with the plot. However the performance of Lee and Cushing not only were credited with making it very memorable, it fixed Lee with the image of the count in popular culture. Dracula became a Hammer series and both Lee and Cushing reprised their roles in The Brides of Dracula (1960), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), Scars of Dracula (1970), Dracula AD 1972 (1972) and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973). Peter Cushing reprised his role as Van Helsing in The Legend of the 7 Golden vampires in 1974 which did not feature Christopher Lee. Lee reprised his role in 1970 with Herbert Lom as Van Helsing, this was not a Hammer film and was made on a small budget. 

  In 1979, Dracula took on a more sensual role played by Frank Langella. 

 A rather sexually charged film (in the 70s!) it switched the characters of Lucy and Mina and Laurence Olivier (apparently Mina's father in this one) took on the role of Van Helsing. This is a very good version of the film. The special effects were well done (although Mina as a vampire seems a little overdone) and the climax is one of the more exciting ones.

  Also in 1979, a clever horror comedy called Love At First Bite was released, starring George Hamilton.

Only Dracula and Renfield are the familiar characters, this film followed Dracula to New York as he tries to find his reincarnated true love. Van Helsing's unskilled, bumbling grandson brings a lot of the jokes and, even though often seen as a just a disco Dracula, is a funny comedy that many sill enjoy.

  One that is fairly well-known is Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film. It started with the cast reading the book together (reading their characters' parts) which took two days. They then, as requested, went to Coppola with anything not in the script that they felt was needed. Coppola said later they all succeeded in making their parts bigger. In this version, Dracula was played by Gary Oldman.

  Often credited as being very faithful to the book, titled Bram Stoker's Dracula, it also included a back story and subplot. Most notable in this version is Dracula changing appearance. He starts off looking very old and gradually looking younger as the film progresses. This version boasted a stellar cast with Keanu Reeves as Jonathon, Winona Ryder as Mina, Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, Richard E Grant as Dr Jack Seward, Cary Elwes as Arthur Holmwood and Sadie Frost as Lucy. Monica Belluci also appeared as one of Dracula's brides, a role she is well known for. Unlike many other film adaptations, all the principal characters appear and Lucy has all three suitors. It portrayed Dracula as a more sympathetic character, more a tragic hero than a malevolent creature. Dark and gothic, it includes several sexual references including two love scenes. 

  In 2000 a Dracula film that has largely been forgotten came out starring Gerard Butler.

 Often, unfairly I feel, passed over, Dracula 2001 saw a gang of thieves unwittingly freeing the Count and letting him loose in New Orleans. In a way he almost recreates his persona, acquiring the three brides while trying to find his favourite, who in this version is a descendant of Van Helsing. The story of who Dracula actually is, is revealed towards the end and explains his aversion to both religious artefacts and silver. A good film in many ways, featuring Christopher Plummer, Johnny Lee Miller, Justine Waddel, Omar Epps and Jeri Ryan. A better film that perhaps it gets credit for, it was followed by a nonsensical sequel devoid of any of the original cast that found a following of the late night cable film lovers.

  There are many other Dracula films of course, including Blackula, which I suspect is a little non-PC these days, and one that apparently goes heavy on the kung fu. There was a time of course that Hollywood loved a bit of kung fu. In the universal films at least, Dracula became a movie monster along with Frankenstein's monster and the Wolfman. 

  In 2006, the BBC treated us to a very erotic version at Christmas. This starred Marc Warren.

  A good story with a brilliant cast, it tends to be most remembered for the very erotic love scene between Dracula and Lucy. Sophia Myles played Lucy and both her and Warren did a lot of the promotional material for this seasonal treat. Of course, in keeping with tradition, the apparent defeat of Dracula didn't quite stick.

  Dracula as a novel and character, is one that in a lot of ways, now resemble little of what they were originally. Of course the novel is still out there for anyone who wants to get to know it. However Dracula has become such a big part of popular culture, precious few actually read the book anymore. Dracula is very unlikely to be forgotten or fade into obscurity, even if he will be remembered very differently than he was portrayed so long ago by Bram Stoker. I plan to read the book again, I have read it before, it will reach it's 200th birthday in the not too distant future. With luck, it will reignite the original story's popularity a little. In  the mean time, grab some garlic, put on a costume, heat up some popcorn and have a happy, haunted All Hallow's Eve. 

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Thirty

 Day 30:Vincent Price

(1911-1993)

Vincent Malloy is seven years old

He's always polite and does what he's told

For a boy his age, he's considerate and nice

But he wants to be just like Vincent Price

  Vincent Leonard Price Jr is one of best known horror actors of all time. On a par with Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff, he worked with both during his career. Known for his roles in horror he started as a character actor and one of his favourite roles was actually a comedic one in the film Champagne for Caesar. His first horror role was in the Boris Karloff film Tower of London (1939). 

   Price is probably best known for his roles in House of Wax, The Fly and The Abominable Dr Phibes. From 1953-1973 Price was a regular leading man in many horror films.  He actually appeared with Christopher Lee in the film The Oblong Box, an adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story. He appeared with Lee's regular onscreen partner Peter Cushing in Dr Phibes Rises Again, the sequel to The Abominable Dr Phibes and Madhouse, a weird film but which saw Price and Cushing spending a lot of screen time together. In Dr Phibes rises again, Peter Cushing only makes a cameo but I'm going to count it as a Price and Cushing film. The three famous horror actors only appeared in two films together. 

  In 1970 the three starred in science fiction conspiracy thriller, Scream and Scream Again. In 1983 they starred in comedy horror House of the Long Shadows. While we would expect more films starring three of the kings of the horror genre, we sadly only have those two. However Price, Lee and Cushing all in the same horror film may have been too much for us mere mortals so maybe they did us a favour. I do really want to see The Oblong box now. Christopher Lee's voice and Vincent Price's, with their screen presence? Stuff of dreams, and probably nightmares. 

  Vincent Price did voiceovers for many things. Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris a notable one. Although it was brief and they removed it far too soon, when the ride was refurbished they put it back along with some recordings they had not used originally. His laugh however, was always used. Vincent Price recorded a monologue as the opening of Alice Cooper's song Black Widow in 1975. Vincent Price also narrated the 1982 short film Vincent. The film is about a young boy called Vincent Malloy who likes to imagine he is Vincent Price. It is a stop-motion animation by Tim Burton. Vincent Price was Tim Burton's idol and the film started a friendship between the two which would last until Price's death in 1993. Price worked with Burton again in his last role in Edward Scissorhands. One of Price's last major roles was one of his favourites, the voice of Professor Ratigan in the Disney film The Great Mouse Detective in 1986.

 

  Vincent Price died from lung cancer at the age of 82. Nearly 20 years later his films are still loved, praised and in high demand. While he may always be remembered of a master of the macabre, he did so much more than horror films. Like other kings of horror, including Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Boris Karloff, there is something we can say without a shadow of doubt. There will never be another Vincent Price.

31 Days of Halowe'en: Day Twenty-Nine

 Day 29: The Invisible Man

    In 1897, Pearsons Weekly, published a serialisation of The Invisible Man by HG Wells. A scientist named Griffin, manages to find a way to turn himself invisible but fails to find a way to reverse it. In 1933 it was made into a film starring Claude Rains the it took off. Sequels, rewrites, variations on a theme for the next 100 years. In 2020 another Invisible Man film appeared. The first film since 1933 actually with the title, The Invisible Man. Of course it was also adapted for television, stage and radio. The Character has appeared in so many things it's easy to lose track. The Invisible Man almost became a movie monster. 

  Appearing in many films the original story is all but lost in translation these days. In the original, the procedure to turn himself invisible and his experiences following it are known only by the protagonist to start with. In the 1933 film both things unhinge him and he is somewhat of a sympathetic character. His crimes aren't due to malicious intent and are more a means of survival coupled with his deteriorating mental health. In the book he is possibly a sociopath or psychopath before his invisibility.

  In more modern incarnations his experiments are usually known to more people or he has been invisible for some time and has adapted as far as he can. While some adaptations have kept the deteriorating mental health as a part of his character others completely omit that part of the character. Sometimes he, much like a superhero, uses his ability to do good and in others, lives a relatively quiet life until he is called upon by others who need him for some reason. In many films he, at least at some point, seeks a cure and a way to become visible again. Sometimes he gives up and sometimes his quest is not mentioned but it always seems to be his ultimate goal.

  H.G. Wells, the author, was a prolific writer in many genres but is best remembered for his science fiction novels. Along with The Invisible Man, he best known works are probably, The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau and The War of the Worlds. 

   I personally have never read the book, perhaps I should one day. I have seen the 1933 film (I actually own it) I think I saw Hollow Man once but I can't remember. I haven't seen any other adaptations. I know there have been a couple of The Invisible Woman films but I think apart from the 1933 film the only film I have seen featuring the Invisible Man is The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Now that was a good film! In the film we also have the characters Allan Quatermain (King Soloman's Mines), Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), Wilhelmina Harker (Dracula), Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray),  Tom Sawyer (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) and Professor James Moriarty(Sherlock Holmes). The invisible man's name in the film was Frank Skinner.

  All in all the original Invisible Man from H.G. Wells 1897 novel seems to have slipped through the cracks and the incarnations of the character from adaptations and popular culture have taken over. I cannot comment on the 2020 film as I haven't seen it. I do hear it is loosely based on the novel so I highly doubt that it is in anyway a faithful adaptation, even an updated version. I do think that unless you have read the book, we don't have a real grasp on who he is or what exactly happens. I really should read the book and perhaps in the future I will. In the mean time I think I shall stick to the 1933 film (I am something of a Claude Rains fan). For the rest of you, there are at least 16 films based on it, 9 Tv series and 2 radio adaptations. By all means check one, or all of them out. Be all good and read the book, be sure to let me know how, whatever you watch/listen to/read goes. And if the doorbell rings and there's no-one there....maybe don't open the door too wide.

  

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty-Eight

 Day 28: Burke and Hare

  In the 19th Century, Edinburgh, Scotland was a leading European centre of anatomical study. One of the things medical students have done for centuries and still do today as part of their training, is to dissect the human body. These days people donate their bodies to medical science but in the 19th century, the only bodies allowed to be used for for study were criminals who had been executed or died in prison. The supply of cadavers could not keep up with demand which led to the gruesome business of bodysnatching.

  In the dead of night body snatchers would break into graveyards, dig up freshly buried corpses and sell them to medical schools. With such a high demand the trade flourished After a while families became concerned, patrols were set up and watchtowers and mortsafes were built. While this at first sight was a good thing as it made bodysnatching more difficult, it pushed up the prices body snatchers could charge for the bodies they stole. This made the trade even more profitable.

  William Burke and William Hare were friends, Hare ran a boarding house in which Burke and his wife rented living space. One morning Hare found one of his tenants dead with outstanding rent, he turned to Burke and the two of them concealed the body and put a heavy weight in a coffin to make it look like the lodger had received a proper burial, it was a risky move but they got away with it. They sold the body to Dr Knox for £7 10s. As they left they were told that the anatomists would be happy to see them again if they had another body to dispose of. They had found a willing buyer and so decided to go into the trade of selling bodies but instead of bodysnatching they decided it would be easier and more profitable to kill.

  Burke and Hare selected their victims from the poorest members of the city. Often homeless and with no-one to miss them if they disappeared.  They would befriend them, get them drunk and then, in the dead of night, kill them. Owning a boarding house was of benefit to Burke and Hare, the place would often house the poor and places like it often had a high turnover of guests and new faces coming in and out regularly, no-one would question any residents disappearing. Over a period of ten months in 1828, Burke and Hare murdered 16 people, men, women and children, and sold the bodies to Dr Knox. The murders were done with such efficiency and stealth that details of the victims is scarce and vague. The steady supply of cadavers made Dr Knox's lectures extremely popular, however things took a turn when the students started to recognise the bodies they were dissecting.

  Soon after the disappearance of Mary Docherty, an Irish beggar, one of Hare's tenants noticed Burke and Hare acting suspiciously. He saw the pair leaving the house carrying an unusually heavy tea chest, he immediately alerted the police. A couple at the boarding house also had apparently seen Mary Dochety and after seeing Burke acting oddly,  secretly entered his room and saw the body of Mary under the bed. By the time they had alerted the police however, the body had been sold to Dr Knox, so the police did not find a body at the boarding house. The police had been suspicious of Dr Knox's medical practices for quite some time, their inquiry and an anonymous tip off, possibly from one on Knox's medical students, took them to his medical school where they discovered the body of Mary Docherty, their investigations led them straight to Burke and Hare.

  There was a public outcry and a call for Burke, Hare and Dr Knox to be hanged. However forensic testing was still in it's infancy at the time and Burke and Hare's method of murder was to asphyxiate their victims leaving little to no marks and no proof of murder. It also meant it was difficult for cause of death to be determined.  The police had very little to hold them on as they had no evidence, then a deal was made with Hare. If he would turn king's evidence on Burke, he would be given immunity. The public were not happy with this nor were they happy with Hare's wife Margaret being acquitted as was Burke's wife. After giving evidence Hare, with the assistance of police,  fled the city. No-one is certain what became of him.

  There is much debate over how much Dr Knox really knew about Burke and Hare's activities, many surgeons at the time did not ask questions when being provided with bodies. How he responded to the concerns of his students suggests he didn't really care. When one of his subjects was identified with no room for error, he immediately detached the head and club foot to prevent further identification. He also never alerted the authorities, even though the identified body on his table had not been ill nor a criminal. He was never charged with a crime and never spoke of his involvement with the pair. However his reputation took a serious hit and his peers gradually excluded him from university life.

  With Hare's testimony against him Burke was found guilty of murder and hanged in front of 25,000 people for his crimes. His body ended up in the same place as his victims, on an operating table to be dissected. His skeleton was preserved and is still on display today at the Anatomical Museum at Edinburgh University. His skin was tanned and used as binding for a pocket book which is on display at nearby Edinburgh Surgeon's Hall Museum along with his death mask.

    The horrific revelations in the press and the public outrage and shock that followed the crimes led to Parliament bringing out The Anatomy Act in 1832. This legalised the use of dead bodies left unclaimed by family members. This act laid to rest the gruesome trade of body snatching. However the evil deeds of Burke and Hare still haunt the dark streets of Edinburgh.

31 Days of Halowe'en: Day Twenty-Seven

 Day 27: The Beasts of Britain

  For years all over the United Kingdom there have been sighting of big cats. There are also wild cats and reports of livestock being slaughtered. There have been sightings of pumas, jaguars and unidentified big cats. Some people have even apparently encountered them. A boy who was scratched by one when told by his mother a cat couldn't have scratched him as badly as he had been responded "no it was a big cat Mummy it was as big as a dog". Whether this was a wildcat or big cat no-one knows for sure.

  

  There are so-called "experts" who dispute any sightings saying that big cats such as Jaguars would not be able to survive in the wild in Britain, then one gets caught on camera and all their explanations and theories are called into question. While there are wildcats native to Britain there are no big cats, yet they are sighted more frequently than is reported. 

  There are three "Beasts" of Britain that come from folklore of 'Phantom Cats' that many believe are big cats. 

1. The Beast of Bodmin: believed to be a puma
2. The Beast of Buchan: believed to be a lynx
3. The Beast of Exmoor: believed to be several cats including a leopard and panther

  There are people who say that it's impossible for them to be big cats but impossible is a strong word, improbable perhaps, but not impossible. The explanations of course are feasible. A wild cat mistaken for a big cat, a cross breed of domestic and wild cat. Exaggeration of the sighting of a domestic or wild cat. All are feasible and plausible but when a camera then snaps a picture of an apparently healthy pregnant jaguar the cracks in the "experts" opinion start to be more visible.

  It is highly likely that there are some big cats roaming around Britain. When the Dangerous Wild Animals Act passed in 1976, people in Britain owning animals such as wild cats and big cats had to get rid of them. It could be expensive and difficult to get a tiger (for example) off your hands, therefore a simpler and cheaper way is to simply let it out to fend for itself. Also if you own an animal which it is essentially illegal to own, if it escapes you're not exactly going to report it are you? A lot of people believe that the big cats roaming our land are ones that were let out in 1976 and have managed to survive, perhaps even breed to an extent. 

  While sightings of "beasts" have gone on from long before 1976, often due to folktales, they have not waned as much as perhaps you would expect in this "age of enlightenment". Experts are so often proved wrong and there is still so much about this world we do not understand, it does not take too large a stretch of the imagination to believe that we may share our shore with that of animals not native to our land. Wild boar were illegally reintroduced to our forests not too long ago and are thriving. Grey squirrels are not native to Britain and have all but eradicated out native red squirrels. Who's to say we do not have a few big cats happily living on our moors?

   As long as these sightings keep happening, we really cannot be sure. We also cannot be sure if the supernatural is not at work and these beasts are the beasts of old. It may be the fabled beasts still haunt our moors, it may be that big cats are merely keeping these legends alive. For every theory there are a few more, for every explanation there is an argument and for every opinion there is another. Supernatural beings or not, I do not find it so wholly unbelievable, that we do not walk these lands unaccompanied. 

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty-Six

 Day 26: The Real Annabelle

   Annabelle is housed at the occult museum originally owned by Ed and Lorraine Warren. She is in a box with a warning for guests not to touch. Unassuming to look at Annabelle has a dark history.

  Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll who was purchased as a gift by the mother of a student nurse in 1970 for her, Donna's, 28th birthday. Donna was very happy with the gift and took it back to the apartment she shared with her friend, Angie. At first everything was fine, Annabelle was like an accessory in the house. After time though, Donna and Angie noticed that Annabelle seemed to move around the room of her own accord. Donna would seat Annabelle in the living room before she left in the morning and return to find her in the bedroom with the door closed. The two women started finding parchment paper around their house which had written on it "Help me". One day, Angie's boyfriend, Lou, was alone in the house. There are two stories about what happened, one is that he heard noises coming from Donna's bedroom like someone breaking in and upon investigating found nothing but Annabelle who was face down on the floor. The other story is that Lou awoke from a nap to find himself being attacked by the doll. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his chest and found bloody claw marks on it. Two days later the marks vanished. Worried about Lou's traumatic experience and the other odd things happening around the doll, Donna and Angie asked for help from a medium. The medium held a séance and discovered that the doll was inhabited by the spirit of seven year old Annabelle Higgins, a girl whose body had been discovered on the site the apartment building had been built on during construction. The medium claimed the spirit was benevolent and just wanted to be loved. Felling bad for the girl Donna and Angie gave her permission to stay in the doll.

  Eventually, the girls wanted Annabelle's spirit to leave and asked for help from a priest. He contacted his superior who contacted the Warrens. The Warrens believed that the girls were making a big mistake in feeling sympathy for the doll. They believed that it was actually a demonic spirit looking for a human host. They believed spirits attached themselves to and possessed people, not objects. Demonic entities however did possess objects in the hope of finding a human host. The Warrens identified the events as evidence of demonic possession and asked the priest who contacted them to perform an exorcism outside of the apartment building and then took Annabelle into their possession to house in their occult museum. 

  The Warrens immediately experienced paranormal activity with Annabelle, the brakes on their car experienced problems as they drove home, Ed pulled out holy water and doused the doll, at which point the problems with the brakes disappeared. At home the doll would move about and even when put outside the house would return. The Warrens believed they needed to lock Annabelle up. A special box was made and inscribed with the Lord's Prayer and St Michael's Prayer. Ed would periodically say a binding spell over the case to make sure Annabelle, and the spirit, stayed inside. 

  Annabelle may not have moved but the spirit seems to still be around. A priest examined Annabelle and discounted her demonic power. When Ed warned the priest not to mock her he laughed. On his way home he was involved in a near fatal car crash that totalled his new car. He claimed to have seen Annabelle in his rear-view mirror just before the crash. Years later, another visitor tapped on the glass and laughed at how people could be scared by it. On his way home he lost control of his motorbike and crashed. He was killed instantly and his girlfriend barely survived. She claimed they had both been laughing about Annabelle just before the crash. 

  None of the people in the story of Annabelle told by the Warrens have ever been identified, nor have any of them come forward with their story. It may be that  Annabelle is nothing more than a normal Raggedy Ann doll. It may be that she is possessed. no-one has been willing to let her out to test the theory. Whether or not the stories are true, Annabelle has remained in her glass box for many years and will likely never be removed. I personally, do not want to tempt fate or mess with things I don't understand, so I don't think I'll try anything with Annabelle and I really hope she doesn't mind me writing about her. As far as I know, she had no problem with the film. I haven't researched this however so feel free to correct me either in the comments or via The Darkside Facebook page. Either way, Annabelle has become famous. A Raggedy Ann doll with a dark history...makes me rethink my desire to have one.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty-Five

 Day 25: Robert The Haunted Doll

  Let's face it, dolls can be scary! Like clowns and ventriloquist dummies, I think it is the frozen expression (though that baby expressions doll freaks me out). I never had a huge problem with dolls as a kid, I had a few barbies and Disney dolls. I never really was into bigger dolls though. I was given a doll at Christmas but I don't think I even played with her for a day before I completely lost interest. Now though, a lot of dolls freak me out. However no doll freaks me out like a haunted doll. There are a few haunted dolls out there.

  The most famous is probably Annabelle (who I will talk about in the next post) she even had a film made about her. Of course Hollywood used a much freakier looking doll in the film than the Annabelle in real life. She is not the only haunted doll though, there is Mandy who follows people with her eyes and makes things disappear. There's Okiku who is possessed by the spirit of her young owner who died not long after receiving her. She is pretty cool, her hair grows. There is Letta, who moves around on her own and there is Pupa, another possessed doll.

  There is no shortage of haunted doll stories and even alleged haunted dolls available to buy on ebay. One that is almost as famous if not as famous as Annabelle is Robert.

  Robert is 111 years old and lives at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida. He has supernatural abilities and is said to be responsible for car crashes, broken bones, job loss, divorce and many other misfortunes.

  Robert was originally owned by Robert Eugene Otto, and eccentric artist who was part of the prominent Key West family. Otto's Grandfather bought the doll as a Christmas gift in 1904. He was made by the Steiff company (who make the bears and actually made the first teddy bears). Otto had what people would call an unhealthy relationship with Robert. He brought the doll everywhere and talked about it as though it was alive. While not necessary unusual behaviour for a child it was seen as a little strange. 

  The legend says that Otto soon started blaming Robert for his childhood mishaps. It could have been laughed off as childish imagination but then adults starting noticing things. When Otto grew up he positioned Robert as though he was looking out of an upstairs window. Local children swore that the doll would move. sometimes they would see him move sometimes he would periodically appear and disappear at the window. Children avoided the house after that. When Otto died Robert was left in the house and when someone else moved in , visitors said they could hear footsteps and giggling. People saw him move and it was said his facial expression would change if anyone bad mouthed Otto in front of him. After 20 years of antics, Robert's new owner donated him to a museum.

  It was discovered that the Steiff company had not planned to sell Robert, he was made as part of a window display, he was essentially made to be a prop. Since Robert has been at the museum though he has become hugely popular. People come from all over the world to meet him and he is even sent letters. It is apparently bad luck if you don't respect Robert, people have blamed misfortune on their failure to respect him and some of the letters are people asking for forgiveness. If you want a photo with Robert you are supposed to ask him first. Many people who have visited the museum claim to have seen him move.

  Robert has been on Tv shows, has had a film made about him, he is on a ghost tour and has social media accounts. He is sent sweets as he apparently has a sweet tooth. His caretaker checks him every year to make sure he isn't damaged. His caretaker also sometimes responds to Robert's letters and emails on his behalf, especially if they're sent by children. 

  Robert is one of the scariest haunted dolls, his care worn face and almost caricature-esque soft toy disconcerting to look at for too long. If you do visit Robert, I would love to hear about anything that happens but do respect him. He's an old man with a chequered history after all.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty-Four

 Day 24: The Night the Devil Walked In Devon

   On 9th February 1885, the residents of East and South Devon, England, woke to find someone or something had left a 100 mile trail of hoofprints in the freshly fallen snow. They seemed to have been made by a creature walking upright on two legs with cloven hooves. The prints ended at one end of a drainpipe and began again at the other end, the creature apparently having crawled though. The drainpipe was 4inches in diameter. At another point, the cloven hooves continued over the roof of the barn. Inside the barn, a cow was found in the hay loft. There was absolutely no way it could have gotten up there, it couldn't have climbed the ladder and there was no other way up there. Other obstacles seemed to have just been walked over as if they weren't there or that height had no meaning.

  The prints themselves were 4 inches long, 3 inches across and between 8 and 16 inches apart, mostly in single file. There were many theories on how they occurred put forward, hopping mice, a kangaroo, badgers, even the trailing shackles of an experimental balloon. The problems with these explanations were numerous. For one, Kangaroos do not leave hoofprints, jump on buildings or take journeys through Devon at night. There was a theory that Kangaroos had escaped from somewhere but it was later found to be a false report made up to assuage the fears of parishioners. The wood mice is more likely as hopping mice can leave a trail that looks like hoofprints, however it does not explain where some of the hoofprints led and why they seemed to stop and start pretty abruptly. The badger  theory is problematic as badgers don't tend to leave footprints that look like a creature walking on two legs. They do have four after all. The balloon one is bizarre. Why would the balloon change it's height, leave such similar prints and not be seen? Though the wood mice theory is the most likely, it seems a little unlikely and does not explain the cow in the hayloft, no-one could explain that. Some people also reported that the footprints looked like they had been made by hooves that were hot. A sort of panic soon spread. There was talk of a terrifying creature leaving the trail and a hunt was launched but no such creature was found. 

  The incident was reported in The Illustrated London News and Bell's Life in Sydney. While there were other reports of similar incidents in other parts of the world, none were close to being on the same scale. When similar reports were made after this incident, they were very often found to be false or a hoax. In the end no clear and fully accepted explanations were ever given for the strange events on the night of 8th February 1885. In many homes, children hid in closets and under blankets when they heard what the hushed voices of the adults around the fireplace said. That the Devil had walked in Devon that night.

31 Days of Halowe'en: Day Twenty-Three

Day 23: Spring Heeled Jack

   Spring Heeled Jack was an entity that held the nation in a grip of terror for over 60 years. From 1837 onwards he terrorized the city of London and was never caught. While he is described as a character of folklore and an urban legend, he was sighted many times and even physically attacked people. Many people believed him to either be a demon from hell or the Devil himself. 

   While descriptions of Spring Heeled Jack varied, most described him as wearing a helmet and tight fitting white garment like an oilskin. He had eyes like fire and horribly clawed hands. Some say that he could change his appearance to deceive people and lure them to him, hence the slightly differing descriptions. 

    In October 1837 a girl by the name of Mary Stevens was walking to Lavender Hill, where she was working as a servant, after visiting her parents in Battersea. On her way through Clapham Common, a strange figure leapt at her from a dark alley. After immobilising her with a tight grip of his arms, he began to kiss her face, while ripping her clothes and touching her flesh with his claws, which were, according to her deposition, "cold and clammy as those of a corpse". In panic, the girl screamed, making the attacker quickly flee from the scene. The commotion brought several residents who immediately launched a search for the aggressor, but he could not be found.

  The next day, the leaping character is said to have chosen a very different victim near Mary Stevens' home, inaugurating a method that would reappear in later reports: he jumped in the way of a passing carriage, causing the coachman to lose control, crash, and severely injure himself. Several witnesses claimed that he escaped by jumping over a 9 ft (2.7 m) high wall while cackling with a high-pitched, ringing laughter. News quickly spread of this seemingly demonic figure and his ability to leap over high walls led to the press and public dubbing him "Spring Heeled Jack".

  Over time many people, mostly servant girls who were often obliged to walk home at night, complained of attacks from Spring Heeled Jack. Victims were reportedly terrified and often injured by his claws. There was a public outcry for something to be done but all hunts for Jack proved fruitless. It was reported that when encountered he would escape either by leaping over high walls or simply laughing and melting away. He was even sighted in Sussex, chasing and terrifying a gardener, he left over the high garden wall. 

  Some were sceptical but with so many reports and physical injuries occurring even skeptics started to wonder if perhaps this terrifying apparently superhuman being existed. One skeptical girl who thought the stories false became a victim herself.

  Jane Alsop knew better than to listen to the stories but on the night of 19 February 1838, she answered the door of her father's house to a man claiming to be a police officer, who told her to bring a light, claiming "we have caught Spring-Heeled Jack here in the lane". Thinking perhaps she had been wrong and the stories were true, she brought the person a candle, and noticed that he wore a large cloak. The moment she had handed him the candle, however, he threw off the cloak and "presented a most hideous and frightful appearance", vomiting blue and white flame from his mouth while his eyes resembled "red balls of fire". Miss Alsop reported that he wore a large helmet and that his clothing, which appeared to be very tight-fitting, resembled white oilskin. Without saying a word he caught hold of her and began tearing her gown with his claws which she was certain were "of some metallic substance". She screamed for help, and managed to get away from him and ran towards the house. He caught her on the steps and tore her neck and arms with his claws. She was rescued by one of her sisters, after which her assailant fled.

  Nine days after the attack on Miss Alsop, on 28 February 1838, 18-year-old Lucy Scales and her sister were returning home after visiting their brother. Lucy stated in her deposition to the police that as she and her sister were passing along Green Dragon Alley, they observed a person standing in an angle of the passage. She was walking in front of her sister at the time, and just as she came up to the person, who was wearing a large cloak, he spurted "a quantity of blue flame" in her face, which deprived her of her sight, and so alarmed her, that she instantly dropped to the ground, and was seized with violent fits which continued for several hours. Her brother added that on the evening in question, he had heard the loud screams of one of his sisters moments after they had left his house and on running up Green Dragon Alley he found his sister Lucy on the ground in a fit, with her sister attempting to hold and support her. She was taken home, and he then learned from his other sister what had happened. She described Lucy's assailant as being of tall, thin, and gentlemanly appearance, covered in a large cloak, and carrying a small lamp or bull's eye lantern similar to those used by the police. The individual did not speak nor did he try to lay hands on them, but instead walked quickly away. Every effort was made by the police to discover the author of these and similar outrages, and several persons were questioned, but were set free.

  Spring Heeled Jack's popularity as a figure of folklore increased while sightings waned. He became the subject of Penny Dreadfuls, plays and even a character in Punch and Judy shows. People began to feel a little safer as reported sightings continued to fall. Then in 1843, a wave of sightings swept the country.

                                                         

  Northamptonshire reported "the Devil himself, with horns and eyes of flame". East Anglia reported that attacks on mail coach drivers became common. A man in Devon was arrested after donning a costume to resemble Spring Heeled Jack to attack women. In 1855, footprints of the Devil appeared in Devon. (See next post). In the 1870s, sightings of Jack were reported in several different places including Peckham and Sheffield. Many reports followed then in August 1877, quite a notable one happened.

  A group of soldiers in Aldershot's barracks reported a sentry on duty at the North Camp peered into the darkness, his attention attracted by a peculiar figure "advancing towards him." The soldier issued a challenge, which went unheeded, and the figure came up beside him and delivered several slaps to his face. A guard shot at him, with no visible effect; some sources claim that the soldier may have fired blanks at him, others that he missed or fired warning shots. The strange figure then disappeared into the surrounding darkness "with astonishing bounds." While some believe this was a prank, no-one was charged with an offense and all the soldiers believed it couldn't have been a normal person.

  In Autumn 1877 Spring Heeled Jack was sighted and cornered in Lincolnshire but simply leapt away. In 1888 in Liverpool, he was sighted on rooftops and, in 1904, sighted again. On his final reported sighting he was again cornered but did not leap away. Instead, he laughed and melted away into the darkness. This time for good? 

 

 Spring Heeled Jack seamlessly fell into folklore, urban legend and fiction. Used as a bogey man for naughty children and a character in many works of fiction, the character eventually morphed into a benevolent character that acted as a precursor for pulp fiction and comic book superheroes. No-one was ever accused of being Spring Heeled Jack or claimed to be him. Many sceptics who saw him demonstrate his superhuman jumping abilities became convinced he was something paranormal.

  There are some sceptical people who believe the urban legend of Spring Heeled Jack was exaggerated and altered through mass hysteria. There may have been a person or persons who played elaborate pranks which seemed more supernatural or terrifying than they actually were and, when the reports became widespread and well-know, mass hysteria kicked in. If it was mass hysteria, it managed to last for a whole generation and reach from London to the North of England.

  There are many paranormal theories about what Spring Heeled Jack actually was. From what was reported he certainly wasn't human. One theory is that he was an extra-terrestrial entity with a non-human appearance with superhuman agility deriving from life on a high gravity world. Many think he was a demon either summoned by practises of the occult or just coming of his own will, possibly to incite spiritual unrest.

  Many people say Spring Heeled Jack is just an urban legend, one of many supernatural entities found in folklore around the world. Others say there is far too much evidence that he was real and it is quite an achievement for an urban legend to terrify a whole country for 60 years. Whomever or whatever Spring Heeled Jack was, he seems to gave gone, at least for now. The mystery of Spring Heeled Jack may never be solved but one thing is for sure, we cannot be sure he is really gone for good and it may lead to some people being forced to eat their words if he ever returns.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty-Two

 Day 22: Montague John Druitt aka Jack the Ripper?

   Over the years there have been many people put forward as suspected of being Jack the Ripper. From theories to probable suspects, there is no shortage. As one of the most famous serial killers in the world, Jack the Ripper is a character who has captured the attention and imagination of many people, especially in England.

   In Whitechapel, London 1888, Jack the Ripper murdered five prostitutes. Mary Ann Nichols was seen alive one hour before her mutilated body was found at 3:40am on Friday 31st August 1888. Her throat had been cut right down to her vertebrae and her body slashed. One week later on 8th September 1888, Annie "Dark Annie" Chapman was discovered at 6am with her throat cut and several body parts missing. It is believed she was killed with people just feet away. There was a witness who claimed to have seen Annie with a man just 30 minutes before she was found. On Sunday 30th September Elizabeth Stride's body was found at 1am with blood still pouring from her throat. Catherine Eddowes body was found just 45 minutes later. It was believed due to the fact that Elizabeth bore no other injuries and had not been dead long led people to believe the killer had been interrupted. Eddowes face was mutilated with several organs removed.  

  The most violent murder was that of Mary Jane Kelly. Unlike the other victims, Mary Kelly was murdered in her room, thus giving the killer a lot longer to mutilate her body without fear of being seen and/or interrupted. Mary's body was found at 10:45am on Friday 9th November, she was to be the last victim.  Her face had been "hacked beyond all recognition", with her throat severed down to the spine, and the abdomen almost emptied of its organs. The heart was missing from the crime scene.

  The identity of Jack the Ripper has never been discovered. Many people have their own ideas and suspects. Books have been written about possible suspects and many believe that the police did talk to him at some point. Most people believe that if the murders occurred today, forensic testing and security footage would lead to the killers identity and conviction but we cannot be sure. A suspect who is favoured among many is Montague John Druitt.

  Druitt was a lawyer who worked as a teacher in London from 1880 onwards. Shortly after the murder of Mary Kelly, on 30th November 1888, Druitt was dismissed from his position for reasons that have never been clear. Shortly afterwards in December, Druitt disappeared and about a month later rumours circulated that the body of Jack the Ripper had been found floating in the river Thames. Druitt's body was found on 31st December 1888 floating in the Thames. The stones found in his pockets led police to believe he had been submerged for one month.  As he was found with a train ticket to Hammersmith dated 1st December, a silver pocket watch, a cheque for £50 and £16 in gold it was believed that he had been dismissed from the school after being accused of being a homosexual and/ or a pederast and therefore had committed suicide. There was speculation that the money was a final payment from the school and he had so much on him, he was planning to pay off a blackmailer. It is however strange that he would commit suicide with such items still on his person it is also strange that, if he was murdered as some believe, the murderer did not take at least the money and pocket watch. As £16 of gold is about £1,800 in todays money and the £50 cheque £5,600, it is unlikely he was killed by his blackmailer. It could however, have been that either the murderer did not have time to go through the pockets of his victim, or even did not know Druitt had the money on him. His death was officially ruled a suicide but there are still those who believe Druitt himself was the victim of a murderer. 

  At the inquest into Druitt's death, his brother gave  testimony 

William H. Druitt said he lived at Bournemouth, and that he was a solicitor. The deceased was his brother, who was 31 last birthday. He was a barrister-at-law, and an assistant master in a school at Blackheath. He had stayed with witness at Bournemouth for a night towards the end of October. Witness heard from a friend on the 11th of December that deceased had not been heard of at his chambers for more than a week. Witness then went to London to make inquiries, and at Blackheath he found that deceased had got into serious trouble at the school, and had been dismissed. That was on the 30th of December. Witness had deceased's things searched where he resided, and found a paper addressed to him (produced). The Coroner read the letter, which was to this effect: - "Since Friday I felt I was going to be like mother, and the best thing for me was to die." Witness, continuing, said deceased had never made any attempt on his life before. His mother became insane in July last. He had no other relative.”

  Although a lot of facts about the case and the probability of Druitt''s guilt is disputed, it was said at the time that many people, including members of Druitt's family believed him to be the ripper, it would explain why Mary Kelly was the last victim. Also, if it was correct that Druitt was of "unsound mind" when he died as was believed and reported, a killing spree could be attributed to his mental illness. If it was suicide it could have been partly due to his guilt over the murders, if he was the ripper and was a victim of murder himself, it would be poetic justice. As I said, there is no shortage of suspects and many have their own theories, There are those that are sure Druitt was the murderer, and those who say it couldn't possibly have been him. Whomever Jack the Ripper really was, his secret is dead and gone forever.

 

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty-One

 Day 21: The Enfield Poltergeist

   In Enfield, London, England in the late 1970s, two sisters claimed to experience poltergeist activity in their home, a council house in Brimsdown. Margaret was 13 and Janet was 11 when the hauntings started and it continued for eighteen months. While many have been sceptical about the claims of the girls and their family, some believe the hauntings were genuine and, to this day, the girls claim they were telling the truth. 

  In August 1977, Peggy Hodson (the single mother of the girls and two other children) called the police claiming she had witnessed furniture moving and that two of her children had heard knocking sounds on the walls. A police constable that responded said that, while there, she saw a large armchair "wobble and slide" but could not determine the cause. The chair apparently moved four feet across the floor. The police however informed them that there was no-one breaking the law and it was not a police matter. The case was reported by the Daily Mirror and attracted the attention of The Society of Psychical Research (SPR) and several paranormal investigators including Ed and Lorraine Warren. 

  Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon-Playfair from the SPR and the Warrens said that they believed the incidents at the house were caused by a supernatural entity. Initially, Guy had not wanted to get involved. It was after hearing Maurice Grosse on the news. Maurice had spent a night at the house with a BBC reporter and Guy realised that it was a big story that wouldn't wait for him. Various people (at least 30) over the eighteen months described seeing heavy furniture move on it's own, objects thrown across the room and the girls levitating. Some also reported hearing knocking noises and a gruff voice. Other phenomena experienced by the family was cups randomly filling with water, fires igniting on oven gloves and match boxes and then just going out without damaging the matches in the box.

  Both Margaret and Janet admitted later that, though the haunting was real, they fabricated some evidence when investigators and journalists were present. Janet was caught on camera bending spoons and attempting to bend an iron bar. she was also caught banging a broom handle on the ceiling and hiding an investigator's tape recorder. Janet had also been practising ventriloquism and one of the voices heard, Bill, had a habit of changing the topic, a habit Janet had. however, there were people who said they couldn't understand how Janet would be able to sustain the gruff and raspy voice for as long as she did without hurting her throat.  When "Bill Wilkins" spoke, the words came out of Janet's mouth and she said it felt like they were coming from behind her. At one point the voice described how he had died. That he had gone blind, had a haemorrhage and died "in the chair in the corner downstairs". Bill's son Terry, confirmed that that was how his father had died in the house. Janet said that at one point, Maurice Grosse had filled Janet's mouth with water and taped it shut, yet the voice still spoke clearly.  The list of evidence that the girls were making it up makes many people believe that the whole story was fabricated and they experienced no paranormal activity. 

  The photo of Janet apparently being thrown across the room is widely debated. While some see it as proof of the activity, critics and sceptics say that it looks like she is jumping. Janet said what happened was that she felt cold hands and a force pulled her out of bed. This happened on several occasions. sometimes she would just be dragged to the door, other times she would be thrown through the air. The photos were taken by a newspaper journalist but he wasn't there at the time. The camera had been left in the girl's room, set to take photos every few seconds.

  On an interview on This Morning in 2012, Janet (whose surname is now Winter) described what went on in the home. Guy Lyon-Playfair and sceptic Deborah Hyde were also at the interview. Janet said the first experience was her and her brother hearing shuffling noises than seeing a chest of drawers move by itself. After witnessing it herself and not being able to push the chest back and becoming scared, the mother told everyone to come downstairs. They went to a neighbour, Vic Nottingham for help and upon experiencing the same was so scared he fled the house. It was at this point Peggy called the police. Janet recounted some of the incidents and said the scariest thing was when she was in bed and a curtain wrapped itself around her neck. 

   Guy Lyon-Playfair, when asked by Philip Schofield what he had witnessed in the house, said that he remembers an armchair and table moving and toppling over when Janet was no-where near them (the armchair was the same one the police officer saw). He said also "about a thousand" other things. He said that he heard the voice of Bill and it terrified everyone including the speech therapist they brought in. He said that the therapist refused to be interviewed and ran from the room. He said Bill could speak through Janet for hours without Janet getting a sore throat, which is effectively impossible. 

  When sceptic Deborah mentioned the girls fabrication and recodings being tampered with, Guy said that she was mistaken and misinterpreting things she had either read or heard. He said that the girls tampering with a recording was when they tried to do a video recording and the tape recordings they got was genuine. When Deborah said that a member of the SPR had done a further investigation and concluded the stories were false, Guy again corrected her. He said the individual she was taking about had actually concluded it was genuine. She just understood that some evidence had been fabricated by the girls but said the haunting itself and some incidents were in fact due to supernatural forces. Deborah argued her point that people can be influenced by their own imagination, that our memories aren't the best and we can both see things that are not there and not see things that are. Guy told her that you had to see such things to believe them and he was there and she wasn't. Janet also said that Deborah wasn't there, has no idea what it was like, what she went through, how she feels and how it affects her to this day. 

  In closing the interview, Philip Schofield said that after Peggy died a woman named Claire Bennet and her family moved into the home. Claire said that although she didn't see anything, she did feel "uncomfortable. There was definitely some kind of presence in the house so I always felt like somebody was looking at me." They moved out after just two months.

  Over 40 years after the event which grabbed headlines and the publics attention, the Enfield poltergeist story is still remembered, discussed and even adapted for entertainment. The Sky Living 2015 series 'The Enfield Haunting' was very popular and even The Conjuring 2 was about Ed and Lorraine's investigation into the case. It is one of the 'true' ghost stories that has endured and probably will for many years. There are those that believe the whole thing was fabricated, those that believe there is a mix of truth and fabrication to the case and some that believe the whole thing is true and the stories of Janet's fabrication are invented and/or exaggerated to discredit her account of events. 

  Was Janet the target of a poltergeist? Did unexplainable things really happen? Was it fevered imagination and/or some form of mass hysteria that led to so many witnesses claiming the stories were true or did these people really see what they claimed? It is one of the cases we may again never learn the truth about definitively. After all, Janet rarely talks about what happened, her This Morning appearance was a rare interview. It may be that one day Janet admits it was fake or she may go to her grave insisting it is true. Either way, the Enfield Poltergeist is one of the true ghost stories that makes our world so much more exciting.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Twenty

 Day 20: Borley Rectory

  Once dubbed 'the most haunted house in England' Borley Rectory boasted lots of paranormal activity. It was built in 1862 to house the rector of the parish and his family, it is alleged to have been haunted from practically day one (the first recorded evet was in 1863). After it was badly damaged by fire in 1939, some individuals claimed to have seen three ghostly figures in the wreckage. The rectory was demolished in 1944 and has never been rebuilt.

  In 1863, locals reported hearing unexplained footsteps when nobody was around. On 28 July 1900, four daughters of the rector thought they saw the ghost of a nun outside the house. They tried to communicate with the apparition but it disappeared as they got closer. People said that the family were convinced they had seen ghostly apparitions. During the next forty years, various people claimed to have seen strange things including a ghostly coach being driven by two headless horsemen. 

  

  On 2nd October 1928, over 15 months since the rectory had been left vacant, the Reverend Guy Smith and his wife moved in .While clearing out a cupboard, Mrs Smith found a paper bag containing a woman's skull. shortly after, the family claimed to hear the disconnected servant bells ringing at night, lights appearing in windows and unexplainable footsteps. Mrs Smith believed she had seen the ghostly carriage at night. The Smiths were put in touch with the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) via The Daily Mirror. The newspaper sent a reporter on 10th June 1929 who wrote the first in a series of articles about the mysteries of the rectory. Paranormal researcher Harry Price was sent to the house by the paper and reported many new phenomena such as the throwing of stones and other objects and the tapping out of spirit messages on the mirror. However these strange new phenomena left with Price, leading the family to believe the expert conjuror to have made it up. The family left the property on 14th July 1929 leaving the rectory vacant again and the parish struggling to replace them.

  On 16th October 1930, Reverend Lionel Algernon Foyster and his wife Marianne moved in with their adopted daughter Adelaide. Lionel Foyster wrote of the strange apparently paranormal incidents that occurred between the day they moved in and October 1935. These included bell ringing, windows shattering, wall-writing and his daughter being locked in her room despite no key being used. This report was sent to Harry Price. Marianne complained of poltergeist activity that included her being thrown form her bed. On one occasion Adelaide claimed to have been attacked by "something horrible". Foyster attempted two exorcisms, during the first, he was struck in the shoulder by a fist sized stone and after the second, nothing had changed. Several psychic researchers were drawn to the cases reported in the Daily Mirror but decided Marianne had caused, perhaps unconsciously, the incidents recorded. Marianne later said that her husband and one of the researchers had been responsible for some incidents but she believed others to be genuine paranormal phenomena. She later admitted she had been having an affair with a lodger and had fabricated some of the phenomena to cover up their liaisons. One of the paranormal phenomena that captured attention and imagination was the wall-writing. Whoever or whatever was doing it, seemed to be trying to communicate directly with Marianne. One message seemed to read "Light mass prayers" and another "Marianne get help" it seemed someone needed help, possibly spiritual, from Marianne. The most famous message  seems to read "Marianne get help, to die unrepentant bothers me" Marianne replied to the messages by writing responses in capitals on the wall. Under the famous message she wrote "I cannot understand, tell me more". Under this was written a message that is indecipherable, though it seems the words "light", "and" and "of" seem to be part of it. Marianne again replied, writing "I still cannot understand. Please tell me  more". as a result of Lionel's ill health, the Foysters left the rectory in October 1935.

  In May 1937, Harry Price rented the property from the owners for a year. He recruited 48 official observers who spent mainly weekends at the rectory, with instructions to report any phenomena that occurred. The daughter of one of the helpers conducted a planchette séance in London in March 1938. This woman, Helen, claimed to make contact with a spirit who identified herself as  Marie Lairre. Marie was a French nun who had left her order and travelled to England to marry a member of the family that owned Borley Hall in the 17th century. Marie claimed to have been murdered on a property that had been on the same site as the rectory. Helen said Marie's body had either been buried in the cellar or thrown down a disused well. As on of the wall writings to Marianne Foyster had been "Marianne, please help me get out" it was alleged that the wall writings were from Marie. Helen claimed to have made contact with a second spirit who identified himself as Sunex Amures. Sunex claimed he would set fire to the rectory at nine o clock 27th March 1938, that night. He said that, at that time, the bones of a murdered person would be revealed. 

  On 27th February 1939, the new owner of the rectory was unpacking boxes when he accidentally knocked over an oil lamp in the hall. The fire spread through the property and severely damaged the house. Miss Williams from nearby Borley Lodge claimed that she saw the figure of a ghostly nun in an upstairs window. In August 1943, Harry Price conducted a dig in the cellar of the ruined house and two bones were discovered. While some believed they were the bone of a young woman, Borley refused to give them a Christian burial claiming they were the bones of  pig. The bones were instead given a Christian burial in Liston churchyard.

  There was a story that a monastery had been built in the area and in 1362, a monk from the monastery conducted a relationship with a nun from a nearby convent. When their relationship was discovered the monk was executed and the nun bricked up alive for breaking their vows. However, there is no historical evidence. Though there have been cases of monks and nuns in relationships and people being bricked up alive, this particular story was likely fabricated by the children who lived in the rectory in 1863 to romanticize their home.

  After Price's death in 1948, Daily Mail reporter Charles Sutton accused him of faking phenomena. Sutton claimed that whilst visiting the rectory with Price in 1929 he was hit on the head by a large pebble. Sutton stated that he seized Price and found his coat pockets filled with different sized stones.

In 1948, Eric Dingwall, K. M. Goldney and Trevor H. Hall, three members of the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), two of whom had been Price's most loyal associates, investigated his claims about Borley. Their findings were published in a 1956 book, The Haunting of Borley Rectory, which concluded that Price had fraudulently produced some of the phenomena.

  The "Borley Report", as the SPR study has become known, stated that many of the phenomena were either faked or due to natural causes such as rats and the strange acoustics attributed to the odd shape of the house. In their conclusion, Dingwall, Goldney, and Hall wrote "when analysed, the evidence for haunting and poltergeist activity for each and every period appears to diminish in force and finally to vanish away." Terence Hines wrote that "Mrs. Marianne Foyster, wife of the Rev. Lionel Foyster who lived at the rectory from 1930 to 1935, was actively engaged in fraudulently creating [haunted] phenomena. Price himself 'salted the mine' and faked several phenomena while he was at the rectory."

Marianne Foyster, later in her life, admitted she had seen no apparitions and that the alleged ghostly noises were caused by the wind, friends she invited to the house and in other cases by herself playing practical jokes on her husband. Many of the legends about the rectory had been invented. The children of the Rev. Harry Bull who lived in the house before Lionel Foyster claimed to have seen nothing and were surprised they had been living in what was described as England's most haunted house.

  Robert Hastings was one of the few SPR researchers to defend Price. Price's literary executor Paul Tabori and Peter Underwood have also defended Price against accusations of fraud. A similar approach was made by Ivan Banks in 1996. Michael Coleman in an SPR report in 1997 wrote Price's defenders are unable to rebut the criticisms convincingly.

  It may be that Borley rectory was haunted and certain people falsified some incidents to make it more exciting and/or to keep the legend alive. It may be that every incident can be explained or was fabricated. The truth may never be known, Borley Rectory is no longer there. The most haunted house in England, or ghost stories that got out of hand? You decide.