Welcome to the thirty-second edition of the Borley Ghost Society Newsletter. This issue is dedicated to the memory of Ivan Banks, who died in May 2000. Since a confirmation of such delicate things must be handled with the utmost discretion, and since I have been at a tremendous disadvantage created by the distance between us, I am most grateful for the diligent efforts of Richard Lee-Van den Daele who verified this unhappy event. If you wish to contribute your thoughts, an article, or an obituary, it will be gratefully appreciated and posted on the "Ivan Banks Memoriam" page now in progress. A printed copy of this finished work will be presented to his family. As of today, no photograph of Mr. Banks is available, nor is his obituary. We would be most grateful to anyone who could provide these missing pieces of his tribute. I'm sure you will join me in wishing the Banks family our sincere condolences and our continued best wishes for the future.

My name is Nadine and I'm a producer for CNN's Larry King Live. We're planning to do a special show on the paranormal and haunted houses April 3, 2001. I accessed your web site and found it fascinating. Is there anyone who is still alive who can appear on CNN's Larry King Live to talk about his/her experience when they lived in the Rectory? Please let me know. You can reach me via e-mail or via phone [212-xxx-xxxx].
Best wishes,
Nadine Shubailat
[Unfortunately, no. The rectory burned down in 1939, but was essentially uninhabited after October 1935. Researching Borley is my sole interest, however, and if I can be of any assistance, I will help you in any way I can. Whilst it would not be possible for me to speak for the dozens of other people who lived in the rectory, it might be appropriate for me to address the things that my mother witnessed. Although she never told me about her stay in the most haunted house in England, since her death I have accessed scores of pages related to her residency, including the beginnings of her autobiographical sketch not made public anywhere else. Additionally, I am the person who knew my mother best, and the affects the haunting had on our life after we moved to America (e.g., constant moving to escape publicity, fear of the back stairs, her absolute fear after my father died that caused us to move from the house, some of her superstitions, and her general good nature about such things). Also, I am able to share what I have learned about the views of other residents who shared the haunting, including Caroline Bull's diary excerpts which are not accessible to the general public. There is a wealth of information in my library that I have not made accessible to the casual surfer who visits my Internet web site. This information is made available only to associates of the BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY which I formed October 31, 1998. I would be willing to share these exclusive pages with you as part of my participation in the program, which includes photographs and documents relating to the alleged haunting (no photos of ghosts, unfortunately!). In short, I believe I have much to offer which could be developed between us in the next few days.]
NOTE: No follow-up to the above invitation was returned.

The Discovery Channel will feature the Ghost Research Society in "Real Ghosthunters," May 31, at 8pm CDT. If you get the right kind of camera then you can catch strange things or ghosts! Click here.
John Walker

A quick note to tell you that Peter Underwood's Favourite Tales of the Fantasical is now published ( his 43rd book)- by us Derby Publishing . The price is $20 including postage and packing(shipping) or œ11.74. The first 100 orders will be personally signed by Peter. We can take orders by cheque,Visa or Mastercard.
Regards
Crispin Derby

My question is, what was Marianne's family life? Or Henry Bull's? If you are not able to answer these questions then I will not email you any more and get low marks for my projects
a student
[If you are afraid of low grades, please take this message to you instructor. - To whom it may concern; It is impossible to respond at length to the great number of inquiries received. Many students from all over the globe write for help, but I do not have the time to do the research for them, nor to write their papers for each student. Much of the material they request is available on the web site, if the student will do the research. In this particular case, I may not have made these conditions clear to this particular student. If this was not made clear, please allow the student some extra time to complete the project without penalty. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. I have a great deal of information available about my mother - not quite so much about the Bull family. However, much of the text and photographs on my web site have been "hacked" and stolen. This necessitates certain controls, including a copyright notice on every page. Additionally, I have had to restrict access to the pages about my mother and the Bull family to associates of the BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY. To help this particular project without registering as an associate of the BGS, you might find enough material for your project on the links at the bottom of this message. All of these pages were previously available to all who were willing to search through my web site. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience, and hope you will understand. Please extend this student the extra time needed.]

Firstly it has to be said that this is a little harrowing for me as I've studied Borley Rectory for many years and for me it still remains a legend that I've only read about. So writing to someone who actually lived in the house is slight scary to say the least. Right, with that out of the way please allow my to fill you in on my (rather short and shallow) studies, well my name is Stewart and I live in the north east of England. I'm 23 and have read many books and seen many documentaries on Borley and got hooked from a book called "The most haunted houses in England" in which Borley had the biggest and most descript section. From then it was a matter of reading as much as possible and visiting your web sight. The thing that stands out to me about Borley and makes it totally different from 99% of all other hauntings is that there was an expert on sight (Harry Price) for a long time and was an eye witness to many events. Out of interest I've just managed to source his book "End of Borley Rectory" and will start reading it as soon as it arrives. Although I've never visited Borley myself (I know I have no excuses living so close) I'm not too sure weather I want to. Having said that I really do think that it's only a matter of time.
Finally I would like to leave you with something that appears on your web site and that I can't stop thinking about. It the quotation of Harry Price by Lilian Bailey "The rectory is definitely haunted. Borley will prove itself and I will be vindicated, even if I have to go there and manifest myself." I can only say that I whole hearted believe in Harry Price and can't wait to see his vindication. Borley has dropped out of the lime light as being a great ghost spot and I'm glad of that. It means that when Harry Price is vindicated it will be more alarming to the general public.
Thanks for reading,
King Regards
Stewart Pierson
[Thank you very much for your fascinating message. Please feel free to share more. Since the rectory burned down in 1939 and there is nothing left to see, the residents are even more loathe to have visitors, and I don't blame them. Please see my comments to visitors.]

To Rupert Brown
Borley Mill
As you can see from the enclosed family tree. . . . my grandmother married HERBERT CHARLES BORLEY. He was born in 1883 and died in January 1916. His father' family came from Sudbury in Suffolk, that much I did find out when many years ago I wrote to the then Vicar of Borley Church. I understand from correspondence with Colin Wilson . . . . at one time there was a manor house on the grounds where Borley rectory once stood. Colin suggested I contact Vincent O'Neil. . . . could you forward my letter to him. My grandfather was psychic, so was my mother, and so am I.
Miss Marion White
125 South
Western Crescent
Poole, Dorset BH14 8RZ
[Your editor found Christine Lamb in Canada by looking at the Martin Borley web site. Lamb also claims Herbert Charles Borley as a grandfather. In the history section of his web site, Martin writes about Borley Manor. "Borley Parish Church itself dates from the Fifteenth Century, although a wooden church probably stood on the site at the time of the Norman Conquests and Twelfth Century remains of the flint and rubble church can be seen in the South wall of the Nave. During the reign of Edward the Confessor, Borley Manor was owned by a freeman called Lewin. After defeating Edward at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror gave the Manor to his half-sister, Adeliza. Her successors held the Manor for more than two hundred years. Edward I then acquired it. In 1301, he gave it to the Prior and Convent of Christchurch, Canterbury. Another two hundred years passed. When Henry VIII rebelled against the Catholic Church and supressed the monastries, he also took possession of Borley Manor and gave it to Edward Waldegrave."]

I am Gan from Liverpool. My grandma watched Borley Rectory burn down. She has pictures.
Gan
[Thank you for getting in touch. I would like to know more!]

I am a Canadian interested in the paranormal. I have lived in a home inhabited by a spirit. My mother was born in Banstead, Surrey and moved to Canada as a war bride. She had once visited Borley. I was raised on stories of the supernatural in Britain and through my own very small experiences, have become a keen student of the paranormal. I had once read a book which had a picture of Borley Rectory in it which showed (unless it was a touched up picture) several forms which could be picked out as spirits. The picture showed the outside of the rectory, in summer and the 11 or 12 "people" were fairly visible. I have never again been able to find the book. I think the title was sometime like Haunted Sites of Britain and gave descriptions and directions to each place. Would you have any idea what the name of this book might be so that I could order it.
Thanks
Leslie Fisher
[There is a photograph of the rectory with the seven sisters outside playing on the lawn - all very much alive. Peter Underwood included that photo on page 33 of his book THE GHOSTS OF BORLEY. David Charles, 1973.]

This is a fascinating topic. I enjoyed talking with you [on the phone about ghostly noises]. Thanks so much for your help. . . . the magazine is Men's Health. The June issue [with our interview] should hit the stands around the 3rd week of May. Your name. . . . came up after a Google search of "paranormal expert" [which led to a USA Today article]. I ran your name through the phone directory on 411.com and got your home phone number.
Andrew Lippstone
[Thanks for the call. I hope I was helpful. As for being a "paranormal expert," I leave that description to the professionals. I have devoted my life to researching the haunted house my mother lived in, and as a consequence come across certain common traits with other hauntings.]

When we sign in to that special page [for BGS associates] there is a list of items and one is pictures. I don't remember seeing all of them clumped together before.
Kathy Rageur
[All those areas listed are EXCLUSIVE to associates!]

I've finally found time to read "Most Haunted" (almost finished) and I've more questions now than before! My first thought agrees with the fact that no excavations were carried out - i.e. under the stone marked with a 'B' - etc. I'm also curious to find why Price never wanted to personally investigate. Not to insinuate anything - I believe his reports and evaluations to be concise and clear - but I also do not know about what he was doing in his life at he same time ("Confessions" may reveal some answers). I also find it strange that IF Bull was haunting the place to prove the existence of poltergeists etc. - would he not have become "frustrated" at the progress of the investigation? Why didn't he try to communicate with the teams more? I surmise from what I've read about him that he would "enjoy" being the prankster - but why didn't he help the other ghosts in the Rectory? When I finally get to the UK I'd like to visit 2 people. According to the newsletter, Denning is still alive. He seems to be one of the last few (if any) who had any direct contact with the Rectory and Price. I'd also like to meet Peter Underwood.
All my best,
Jeff
[Many digs have been carried out, including the tunnel excavations described by Peter Underwood.. Leonard Sewell wrote a poem about that. There were also those described by Wesley Downes. And also the digs described by James Turner: "In June, 1947, the BBC visited for interviews and to watch the digging for treasure belonging to the church." I believe Reverend Henning - the rector - has passed on. The address for Rev. John C. Dening, author, is - 27 The Paddocks, Brandon, Suffolk IP27 0DX, UK. You can write to Mr. Underwood at - The Savage Club, London SWA1 2HD.]

I am most obliged for the last BGS newsletter. Could you please let me know the contact address of Rev. John C. Dening as I would dearly like to order one copy of his intriguing book: The Restless Spirits of Langenhoe.
With many thanks and with my best regards.
Andreas Trottmann
[My pleasure - let him know of our conversation. You will really enjoy the book. It is 10UKP. - 27 The Paddocks, Brandon, Suffolk IP27 0DX, UK]

Guy Lyon Playfair observed, "Borley does turn up in unexpected places, such as [this postcard from] my local estate agent!" The front of the card shows a copy of "Most Haunted House" apparently floating in mid-air. An inquiry to Farrar and Co. produced the following:
Dear Vincent;
Thank you for your e-mail. We employed a company called Zulver & Co. to source interesting properties in the Royal Borough that may have been of historical interest to our target marketplace in Chelsea/South Kensington. Zulver & Co. thought of some witty visual anecdotes to highlight the chosen properties. I hope that this helps you in some way.
Best wishes
Julian Chambers
Farrar and Co.

Andrew Clarke has added the English translation for a review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory in French by Trevor Hall and friends. The book is rare to begin with, never mind finding a copy in French!
Andrew also came across another Borley-related Internet web site. "Somebody does not like Harry Price!" Andrew wrote. "It is a fascinating story about Helen Duncan. Shame that they believed [Louis] Mayerling." The page against Price is part of a larger presentation which states, "This page is the OFFICIAL home for news about Helen and the attempts to clear her name. The British Society of Paranormal Studies has embarked on the legal efforts to have Helen granted a posthumous pardon."
Andrew added, "Ho! I did not know that some Borley ladies were accused of Witchcraft! I wonder if they were hung on the gallows that we know existed down by the river near Rodbridge." According to the Steve and Victoria Hulford web site, "Listed below are over 600 Essex Women and Men accused of being, or consorting with WITCHES. Many were found not guilty, but many others were hanged or more often died in prison. Over the coming months, I will be adding details of each case, but please be patient. I have tried to use the spellings from the original documents. You will see that some people were accused more than once, but the name is sometimes spelt differently." As of 1 January 2001, they list the following Borley residents: 1578 Margaret Ganzey, 1578 Joan Norfolk, 1579 Margaret Ganne, 1579 Joan Norfolk, and 1613 John Cornell.
A follow-up on the witches list produced the following:
I've visited your website before and was most impressed. Most of the names and dates come from Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England by Alan MacFarlane. Additional info comes from the Essex Records Office.
All the best
Steve Hulford

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