Welcome to the thirty-fourth edition of the Borley Ghost Society Newsletter. In the United States, today is Memorial Day, a time set aside to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of those who have gone before. It seems fitting, therefore, that as of this date, and until further notice, 100 percent of all dues collected by the Society will be dedicated to the Church Preservation Fund. Over time, the percentage donated will become 50 percent, as funds are still needed to keep the web site - and therefore the Society - in operation. All associates - especially those whose status is "honorary" - are encouraged to visit the Invitation page of the web site and donate as much as can comfortably be done. This can be done with a credit card, or by making contributions directly to: The Revd. Captain Brian A. Sampson, C.A., The Rectory, Foxearth, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 - 7JG, England.
My concern began in 1997 when I visted the Church. I was "haunted" by the recurring visions of the broken tombstones in the back corner of the church yard. When I attended services on Sunday, I noticed how few patrons there were to support this marvelous, historical location. I felt there was little I could do from so far away, but was still bothered by the obvious need. The decision to help was made as a result of a great deal of thought over the last few years. I was encouraged by the similar concern of Birgit Brenner. She asked what could be done in Newsletter 33. The clincher came while pondering the following exchange over the last few weeks. . . . .

My uncle has something of interest to you, about 15 years ago we were in the local papers over a haunting that we investigating in Winchester. In the article it was mentioned that we were going up to Borley as well and an old lady from Botley Hampshire contacted us telling us of an experience she had there, anyway we went over to the old lady's house and she told us that when she was a young woman she stayed at Borley manor, it was there she saw the ghost of a nun in one of the bedrooms! We found this interesting because we knew there was sightings on rectory site, the roadway and even the church yard but never the manor. As with all interviews we have done we always ( with their permission ) recorded them so if your interested in a copy of either the old lady or the Jeffery Groom Hollingsworth [sic] interview we would be pleased to send them to you.
Do you know if there has been any paranormal activity at Borley village hall? I've had the idea of going to up to Borley with a team of four - two up at the church and two down at the village hall where we could stick one of our matchstick mics though the key hole or letter box and record and monitor, with both teams in walkie talkie contact. Personally I've never heard of any strange goings on there and as far as I know no ones tried recording there but it's got to be worth a try! Exciting isn't it! ?
I've recently made a web page on recordings at Borley Church . . . .
Darren Jarvis
[Your mini-disks have been returned. I was unable to transfer them to any US format. Please accept my sincere apology for creating some confusion regarding your efforts. In my enthusiasm for gathering all possible data and memorabilia relative to the alleged haunting of Borley Rectory, it seemed important to collect a copy of the previously existing audio tapes from your files. I was particularly anxious to compare them with the Denny Densham/Geoffrey Croom-Hollingsworth tapes from 1974 - copies of which I already have. Your interview with the lady from Botley Hampshire would still make an excellent addition to the Borley Bibliography. As the web site generates dozens of communications daily, it is often confusing to keep track of every detail writers share with me, and I must apologize for any misunderstanding created by my rapid but incomplete response. I neither encourage, condone, or support any on-going effort to surreptitiously create additional tape or video recordings. As stated in the invitation to join the Society, "It is not the purpose of the Society to cause undue hardship, embarrassment, or discomfort to the present residents of Borley. Their rights and serenities will not be disrupted by any member of the Society. Such residents will be treated with the same dignity in which Associates of the Society would wish to be treated." In addition, please refer to my appeal to all visitors. Again, please excuse any confusion my previous messages may have created.]

I was delighted by Joseph's Contribution. He is quite right about Trevor, of course. I spoke to Trevor about his academic style. It was tongue-in-cheek for the 'Higher criticism' stuff. but he was an extremely well informed man, and perfectly capable of genuine erudition. He chose to train as a surveyor straight from school rather than go the university route. This was perfectly common practice at the time, and he never felt that he lost anything from doing so. He was a high-achiever in school, and later on. He was quite used to standing up to the academics. A remarkable thing about Trevor was that he was knowlegeable on so many subjects. He was extraordinarily well-read, and wore his knowledge lightly, with none of the snobbishness one sees in the professional academic. He also had the satisfaction of achieving prosperity from his sheer ability in his work for the Building society.
Andrew Clarke

I am writing about Borley Rectory and I can't find hardly anything to help me on the Internet. I want to write everything about it.
WHITEK

My name is Nathan Paltridge and I am 15 turning 16 in June. I go to Craigslea State High in Brisbane Australia. After first viewing the Borley rectory site at the age of 11, I fell in love with the paranormal. Now 5 years later I wish to make my own web site. But first I would like to obtain your permission to use some of the pictures of the porley rectory web site. would be greatly over joyed if you let me. I will put your site in my links page and your site will advertised around my site. Hopeful one day my site will as wonderful and well known as yours. Currently me site is under construction but once i am finished i will send you the address as i would value your opinon.
sincerely
Nathan Paltridge

[Thank you for your interest. Whilst it is impossible to respond at length to the great number of inquiries received, I have prepared some information that may help you. Many students from all over the globe write for help, but I do not have the time to do the individual research for them, nor to write the papers for each student. Much of the material they request is available on the web site, if the student will do the research. 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. A new feature has been added to the web site to answer your request, and you will find the link at the bottom of the "home" page. Look for the sentence that reads, "In compliance with international copyright laws, no extended quotes may be taken from this posted material. Short references, with appropriate copyright credit, are acceptable. No photos or graphics may be reproduced in any form. Where applicable, the appropriate Internet link is requested. Copies of printed or posted articles are requested for review, and for listing in the Borley Bibliography. A Borley Rectory Report Guide is avilable to help those writing about the subject." Good luck with your project, and please keep me posted on your progress!]

Vincent O'Neil gave an excellent presentation on the famous Borley Rectory haunting on Saturday and is now on this [mailing] list. Below is a link to him and his website. Welcome Vincent!
Alan Meyer

I will be undertaking my first full year in the university of Glamorgan, Pontypridd in September. One of the modules I'll be taking is creative writing and am really interested in writing a short story (with the possibility of extending on it in a later module) about the borley rectory I was wondering if you could recommend any sites, names which I could use to research the subject a bit more in-depth. I wish to mix fact and fiction but would still like to know a little more about Harry Price, his origins, how he was exposed as a fake and what techniques he used etc. Any help would be highly appreciated.
Steve McElhenny
[I will be most eager to see the results of your effort. I keep a very extensive Bibliography on all things related to Borley, with an attempt to file at least one copy of everything for future reference. It is that very Bibliography that will help you most in your research, as it is extensively annotated. Mine was the first web site to discuss Borley, but you may find a clue or two on some of the other web sites. After going through the hundreds of pages on my web site, if you have any specific questions, I will pass them along to the associates of the BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY for potential resolution. Keep me posted, and best of luck.]

Have you noticed the faces in the lower right window, and the upstairs left window? Were they there when the photo was taken?
Maleficent1963@aol.com
[Thank you for your interest. Over the years, many people have reported seeing different images within the various photographs taken at Borley, including people in the windows. The Henry Bull family was a large one, with up to 14 children, servants, relatives, and constant visitors. It would not be unusual to see faces at the windows.]

Me and my family are looking for somewhere to stay for a haunted holiday. We was wondering if this haunted house would let people say for a few days or just the weekend, if so could you please tell me how much it cost? If its not a place for people to stay, Please could you let me know either way.
Thanking you!
Kellie
[Thank you for your interest. There are no public accomodations at Borley - the rectory burned down in 1939.]

The first time I have heard from the Borley Legend was between a year ago, as my Husband tell me the Story of the House. He is a Cryptozoologican and a "Ghostbuster" and was sometime in the German TV. Since December 2000 he make a new Project, the Online-Magazine "Der einsame Schtze," and I wrote some Stories for the Magazine.
Greetings from Germany
Nadine Schneider
Autor "Der einsame Schtze" Magazin
http://www.einsamer-schuetze.com
http://www.kryptozoologie.net
http://www.lonlygunmen.de

I was reading the parish program looking for the reason Sir [Edward] Waldegrave was imprisoned in the Tower of London. . . . [Do you] know where I could find blueprints of the old rectory. I am very interested in the rectory and in the construction of the building itself.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Gillespie
[Edward was imprisoned for "refusing to inform Princess Mary that Mass must not be held in her household," and later for "holding Mass in Borley Hall." Whilst no blueprints per se have survived to my knowledge, the late Ivan Banks did an excellent job of recreating the original sketches of the layout found in the original Harry Price books. Additionally, he created terrific elevation sketches. These are found in his work, The Enigma of Borley Rectory.]

I'm looking for a copy of the book, We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory. Do you happen to know where I can get a copy of it? I wanted to write part of my essay on how the hauntings were faked. Or at least how they said they were faked. . . . I know that not everything he said was accepted be everyone. I did research that part also. It's actually very interesting. Thanks for the extra info. I'll also send you pictures of my [rectory] replica if you would like.
Kiara Raye
[Absolutely! I'll even post the pictures on the web - with your name! You don't have to, but I would humbly ask that you balance what Mayerling has written with the responses it has generated from others. Either way, I will be very interested to read your finished report!]

You don't know me but I have read up on the article on the rectory and it is very interesting and thought this might be interesting for you. One Halloween year me and some friends thought it would be good fun to go to the most haunted place in Britain to see if ghosts do exist, and I must say it was very scary to say the least but I can honestly say I have never felt that kind of presence before like a soft blow of wind through your hair and it was very cold and windy that night I remember, yet it seemed calm and quiet once on the land.
Anyway me and friend decided to get out of the car first and were the only ones to get out, now this only lasted for a few moments but it seemed like forever we both stood still not having walked 5 meteres from the car and thats when we felt a calm breeze not hard like the wind was that night and a dead silence, and then we saw a light in the field I believe there corn fields I think the grass was high anyway, and this was shaped round like a bycicle light which is what we thought it was but then it was bobbing up and down no bike could be doing what we were seeing and it was getting faster and closer the closer it got the more obvious there was nothing attached to this light. We ran as fast as we could and out of there as fast as we could and to this day I don't know what I saw.
Anyway I hope this may help towards your research in the future, and if not it was nice sharing that story with someone who might actually believe me.
Thanks and good luck
Jaime Dowler

I believe the fire started because the Borleys had their doubts on the ghosts or spirits. I have had tinglings on my neck and turn to find a cloud of smoke with a mysterious face. The Borleys are truly haunted house guests.
Tony & Cathy Gerardi

I am sad that i found your home page as it has cheapened the image of the story of borley which i have known since i was small. i think less inappropriate meaningless chatter about your and marianne's relationship would improve the page beyond measure. i can't help but sense a certain paranoia in the fact that you have gone to such lengths to prove your mother's love for you . . . most people couldn't care which way or the other. and, why on earth didn't you know about the whole thing until after your mother had passed? i get the feeling that you are trying to use your new found "importance" to make financial gain out of one of the worlds most famous ghost stories. just leave the story alone - you weren't even there to experience any of it! the last thing the legend needs is a hyped-up american version . . . the next thing to really destroy the story will be a movie version, i'm quite sure that you'll claim rights to that too!
extremely disappointed
abijah
[Thank you for taking time to get in touch. I sincerely appreciate your input, and would like to hear about your connections to Borley. I've tried to place the personal information at the bottom of the page - not prominently - for that very reason, to keep it available but less apparent. The more personal information is only accessed by clicking through to secondary pages, and of the hundreds of pages on the web site, there are only a handful about our relationship in the main section of the site. As with any web site, visitors can pick and choose the pages they wish to spend time reading, and those they don't care to read, just like a magazine. Yes, there IS a great deal of paranoia associated with different aspects of my research, and at the bottom of this message, I'll explain just SOME of the reasons. My mother never told me about Borley because she was VERY upset at the publicity and the people chasing her from pillar to post. She didn't tell anyone! I am indeed sorry you feel I am in it for the money, as that is NOT my intention. As I say on the BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY page, "The Society and related Internet pages are a non-commercial, non-profit venture. Society dues are used to help offset the cost of computer work, maintaining Internet web pages, printing and mailing. There are a number of honorary Society associates who do not have Internet access and who receive printed copies of newsletters and related information." All of this research came about as the result of my searching for my roots, and started with me asking the question, "Who am I?" It grew from there. Again, visitors who are not interested in the personal side of the story have the choice to not visit those pages. Perhaps you might be interested in the following message I sent to another Internet visitor to the web site, and I extend the same invitation to you that I did to him. Please feel free to write again. - "I am indeed sorry this has caused problems, but I ask you to please look at it from my viewpoint. . . . . . . Thank you very much for letting me know of your concern." More detailed response. ]

Oh boy, do I ever like this site. [Includes links to world time zones, currency conversion, web site translations, reference materials, genealogy, phone books, quotations, zip codes, and LOTS more!]
William Vicars

I can advise that the reissued edition of [The Enigma of Borley Rectory by Ivan Banks] is the same edition as originally published, with a few grammatical corrections. I am not aware that we have remaindered any stock of this book; the edition just 'sold out'. I am indeed aware of your interest through your mother, for I have logged on to your web site. When the book is reissued I will let you know so that you can order stock for resale.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Kitchen,
Director
Foulsham

My name is Emma Borley and I am the last female in our Borley family. My dad, Simon Borley has always been very proud of our name and we wish to find out more about the Borley Rectory, we would be grateful if you could e mail back regarding anything on the Borley name as well as this haunted building. Thank you and good luck with your search.
Yours Sincerely,
Emma Borley
[Thank you for your note - very interesting! Perhaps you would like to join our BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY? Here is a genealogy site that will help you. Everything I know is posted on the web site, and I continue to add more as I discover it. Make sure you explore the Bibliography, as it has some leads that might be helpful.]

Did you see the picture of John Bull and wife in the tower of Pentlow Church? I don't think you have a photo of him. Our first Bull (John Bull the Elder) came to Pentlow 1760, I believe. Our churchwarden has a better print of the old rectory. It was on the same site as the Victorian one. There was a large lake there, which I mistook for the river. Old rectory definitely not Pentlow Hall, but by edge of lake on site of later rectory. My goodness, it was big!
The parish magazine printed some extracts from Caroline Bull's diary last issue.
I see you're selling Ghost Books. Well, I assume it's you! It's a great site, mainly due to the huge amount of work that's gone into it.
Andrew Clarke
[No, I have not seen any photo of the Bulls at Pentlow. How could I get a copy, please. I would also love a copy of the print of the old rectory. I would love to add that sort of information to the Bull genealogy page on the web site - do you have any more? Did they reveal the source material for Caroline's diary? Does it match with mine? With plans to publish more from time to time? Obviously, I should like copies, and will pay for shipping and handling, etc. Would you please share with Captain Sampson the message in the last newsletter from Brigit. She - and I - share a deep concern for the grounds. I am willing to start a fund, with Capt. Sampson in charge of course - to be dedicated to the "cause" of maintenance/restoration. My main goal with www.ghostbooks.com is to be a resource for those who want Borley titles - and to acquire a few myself! It is a hobby, not a money-maker.]

My brother, brothers mate, brothers girlfriend and I recently went to explore up near the rectory, as you will probably know, there is a field before the place where all the so-called hauntings took place, we decided to take a dictaphone to record any paranormal activity incase anything were to happen, we walked across this field and heard many things, (may have just been our minds) but a few things sounded unexplainable, first when we got out of the car, we heard big rumblings on the ground, like a big stampede of something (possibly the planes that fly over?), this happened on a few occasions, we also heard a loud bang (?) when we got closer, we also saw what looked to be a floating light (street lamp?), we were recording most of the time, we all got too scared to explore any further so we went back to the car and listened to the tape, to our surprise (this is the honest truth!) we heard 6 quiet bangs, and then (you will not believe this I know) but we heard a whisper saying 'call in someone' and we all know that any of us did not say this, we heard further quiet bangs and then one loud bang which we actually did hear out on the field, on the tape we also heard horse feet coming very close to us, I know this sounds all too fake but I promise you that once I make copies of the tape I will send one to you.
RE rewind

Thanks for the excellent latest Newsletter. I've said it before, and will say it again, you're playing a more than pivotal role in keeping one of our best documented hauntings in the public eye. H.P. must be raising a celestial glass to you!
Best wishes
Richard Lee-Van den Daele

Andrew Clarke was trying out the Google.com translation facility, especially the web page by Nadine Schneider titled "Spukhauser eine Einfuhrung."
"Skeptiker considered the whole case suspekt and turned up the research work of Price their nose".....The English translation.

Clarke went a bit further on the Internet, "and proving beyond doubt that the ghost was asking for pot-noodles....." The unidentified source claims, "This photo comes from my Great Aunt, Marianne Foyster, who lived in an old rectory house in Borley, Sussex. You can clearly see that the spirit was in torment and desired noodles. Marianne, give me noodles. . . .preferably chicken and noodles." I am most anxious to correspond with the great niece!

Medium and clairvoyant Sue Knock was asked by Debbie Watson and the Evening Star to visit Borley. Part of the report for the January 31, 2001 edition reads:
Walking along the weaving pathway through the graveyard, Sue remains silent. She pauses at the side of the ageing building and turns to me, wearing an expression of achievement. “There is a man in white. He is a large man and I think he is a vicar. I am getting the name Thompson.” Intrigued by the apparent success, I listen as we turn to walk from the church, and Sue added: “This is a good feeling. It is not making me feel that I want to leave. I have got the names Sarah and Louise coming in to my head. It is not sinister here at all.” Almost sensing my determined desire to find out about the Borley hauntings, she goes on. “I can see a horse and cart, and I hear the sound of the horse’s hooves. A man, who lived in the rectory is telling me that this was a lot of nonsense. It was all nonsense, all of it.” Knowing that Sue is all too aware about the controversy surrounding Mayerling’s claims, I am somewhat cynical about the vision, but now suitably fired up for further ghostly investigations, we move on to another venue as part of our whirlwind tour.

I have forwarded [your message] to Debbie Watson, who should be in touch directly. . . . . it may amuse you to know that when we first ran the Borley Rectory story, and I put up the link to your site, I tried "borrowing" your animated graphic of the rectory going up in flames to illustrate our story: being foiled by your right-click "Copyright" script, I borrowed the script instead!
Best regards,
Semmens, Aidan
Editor/webmaster
http://www.suffolk-now.co.uk
http://www.eveningstar.co.uk
http://www.premierblues.co.uk
http://www.eadt.co.uk/
http://www.syllysuffolk.co.uk
[That is amusing! Thanks for sharing. When I started this endeavor, there was nothing about Borley on the Internet save a genealogy page and one other page since defunct. After I "gave it all away" dozens of pages cropped up - many stealing directly from my site - with no accreditation whatsoever. My security plans have developed as a result. Do you have any other stories posted on the Internet? I should very much like to add the URLs to my Bibliography.]

Fernando De Matos;
I read with a great deal of interest your review of "We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory" by Louis Mayerling. How do you feel personally about the book?
Cheers from Vincent O'Neil
RVONeil@aol.com
Rough English translation

The Skeptic (Volume 13 Nos. 3 & 4) has a review of We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory. If any associate would like to donate a copy, please let your editor know. Thank you.

Richard Hendricks has posted an online review of the Mayerling book.

Contact with Michael White is being attempted - can any associate help? There are a couple of questions surrounding his book, Weird Science. It explains away all types of paranormal phenomena, including ghosts, which "have no material form in the physical world." About Borley it says, "In recent times there have been some famous hoaxes. 'The most haunted house in England,' Borley Rectory in Essex, which burned to the ground in 1939, was supposed to be the site of some five thousand paranormal incidents during a period of a few years. It was made famous when the researcher into the paranormal, Harry Price, investigated the building and wrote a best-selling book about it called The Most Haunted House in England, published in 1940. During the 1950s the SPR investigated Price's claims and revealed that they were entirely faked." No mention of Hasting rebuttal. Source for claiming 5000 incidents not cited.

The following book has been deleted from the Bibliography. A copy was obtained, and although it is an excellent resource, it does NOT mention. Borley. Norman, Diana. Stately Ghosts of England. England: Fredrick Muller, 1963. Revised: Robin Clark Ltd., 1977. New York: Dorset Press, 1993.

Is any associate familiar with the following book? Does it mention Borley?
"Best Evidence: An Investigative Reporter's Three-Year Quest to Uncover the Best Scientific Evidence for Esp, Psychokinesis, Mental Healing, Ghosts and Poltergeists, Dowsing, Mediums, Near Death Experiences, Reincarnation and Other Impossible Phenomena That Refuse to Disappear" by Michael Schmicker.

If you would like a profile page made especially for you, just tell me a little about yourself and attach a JPG photo to an e-mail.