Welcome to the forty first edition of the Borley Ghost Society Newsletter. Today marks the ninth anniversary of the passing of my mother. In our last weeks together, it was evident she wanted to explain our heritage - and Borley. Unfortunately, the opportunity never presented itself. Hence, this ongoing work.

With Society associates on six of the seven continents (we are missing Antartica), it is appropriate to wish each and every associate around the globe, "a prosperous and healthy 2002!"

Harry Potter...evil....Bah! Who ever said that, is the same people who think Halloween is devil worshiping. I watch and read mystery stories and have never been tempted to murder anyone (well maybe in the car sometimes :-) ). What about "The Wizard of Oz"???? Boo EVIL!!!!! The movie was a delight, the special effects were wonderful and I just loved Hagrid. My favorite special effect was the candles floating above the tables in the dining hall. I cannot wait for the next installment, and please you need to read them before you see the movie, just so you can see how well it was done.
Kathy Rageur

People who think Harry Potter is evil need to get a life. We lived in England for 4 years and came back to America the end of September. My son who is 8 now read started reading Harry Potter at age 7. The only thing Harry Potter books do is make kids better at reading. My son was supposed to be in 3rd grade this year, and we put him in 4th, because he scored 5th grade level on a reading test. Both of my children ages 6 and 8 saw the movie and really enjoyed it. The Hogwarts train station looked like the one in NorthYorks moors railway. The school looked a little like Edinburgh castle. I don't know if it was.
Cheers,
Carmen Hutchinson

In your list of ghost candidates, you recorded that two men who lived at Borley were poisoned, one by his wife. Were these poisonings accidental or criminal? If criminal, was Ivy Bull ever charged with this crime, and do you think she could have been influenced by the atmosphere of the rectory? Thank you for any information you can provide. I have been interested in the Rectory for many years, but can find relatively little concrete information on the non-haunted history of its inhabitants.
S.M. Elliott
[No one was ever charged, and the poisonings are listed only as part of the legend. James Turner kept some rather good records in his books, and one of the locals is working on a history as we speak. Associates of the BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY learn more during our studies.]

ive just been looking at youre borley website and must congratulate you on such a superb site. Im 31 yers old and have been investigating haunted sites for the last 15 years my two insperations are harry price and peter underwood. I used to work for a company in machester who sprayed suspended ceilings,our work took us all over the country so in november of 1999 we were doing some work in bury st edmunds, of course i took this oppertunity to visit borley church. On finishing our days work we whent back to our b+b after a lovely evening meal I asked the owners the best way to borley, with instructions in hand I set off on my journey filled with glee at the thought of finally seeing the place (like an elvis fan going to gracelands).
My arrival at borley was not what I expected, upon parking up the van and leaving it secure the first thing I noticed was the silence, the night was still yet borley was stiller, I didn't here any signs of animal life whatsoever, I thought i might have at least disturbed somthing in the night but nothing not even nocturnal wildlife. once i was upon the church the stillness left my thoughts, upon entering the cemetery something changed, I dont know what it was but all of a sudden I felt terrified in all the years ive spent in haunted houses ive never felt so afraid in my life, like I said I dont know what it was but it's as though something didn't want me there, I tried my best to surpress the feeling but to no avail all I could do was walk away and return to the van.
The feeling of fear stayed with me untill I was well clear of borley as if something was making sure i didn't turn back and try again. I havn't been back to borley yet as I have a couple of projects thats keeping me busy but when I do return I will let you know the out come.
STEFAN

My name is Louise and I’m looking for information. I was wondering if you could send me anything about ghosts, the spirits of the night and the living dead. I’m planning on writing a story that involves all of the above, an adventure and magic and was wondering if you could help. Thank you for your time,
Louise Bruce
Southend, Essex
[Sorry, but the living dead (zombies) are not part of my study. The only ghosts I study are the alleged ghosts of Borley Rectory - you will find a great deal on the subject within my web site. Be sure to check out my annotated binliography - it has lots of information, and will lead you to more complete reports in other documents. If you happen to mention Borley in your report, please let me know, as I should like to include that in the bibliography!]

What do you think of Tony Cornell's assertation in London's Sunday Express, that mobile (cell) phones with their electronic impulses are drowning out paranormal activites, and "killing off ghosts" in Britain? He says that ghost sightings started to decline when cell phones were introduced 15 years ago. Did Shirley Jackson really base part of her conception of Hill House on Borley Rectory?
Linda Cody
[The following is from my review in the annotated bibliography. Whether by coincidence or by design, the author weaves in several parts of the Borley Legend including: a psychic investigator who leases a house and recruits observers, writings on the wall including the word "help," planchette readings, and a cold spot. It is while mentioning the cold spot that the investigator is reminded of Borley: "A thermometer, dropped into the center of the cold spot, refused to register any change at all, causing the doctor to fume wildly against the statisticians of Borley Rectory, who had caught an eleven-degree drop." The heroine is also assigned to The Blue Room. No history of Borley is given, which assumes the reader will remember all the pertinent details merely by mentioning the name. Jackson has Merrill say, "No ghost in all the long histories of ghosts has ever hurt anyone physically. The only damage done is by the victim to himself. One cannot even say that the ghost attacks the mind, because the mind, the conscious, thinking mind, is invulnerable. . . . Poltergeists are another thing altogether. . . Mrs. Foyster at Borley Rectory was a long-suffering woman, but she finally lost her temper entirely when her best teapot was hurled through the window. . . poltergeists like to turn people out of bed violently. . . "]

Have bedroom assignments, both before and after the addition, been discussed with respect to Borley Rectory? Also, do you know which room was the nursery and which room was the classroom?
Scott Cunningham
[The only "assignment" we know for sure is No. 6 - the "Blue Room." It was the bedroom used by both Henry and Harry Bull, as well as Marianne Foyster, as described by Harry Price on pages 21 and 70 of The Most Haunted House in England. Price assigns the next largest room - No. 7 - as a bedroom. On page 37, Price reports a "number of the Bull family died in this room." That might preclude it from being a nursery or classroom? Number 7 was empty during the Smith tenancy. It was from this room that various witnesses - at different times - saw a mysterious light. In the same book on page 69, a maidservant occupied room No. 5 during the Foyster tenancy, but that can not be used as evidence for where any of the Bull children slept or studied. No mention of room assignments are made in Caroline's diary. Why do you ask?]

I found your website when I was doing a web search on Borley Rectory. For my college history seminar course I am writing a paper on Marianne Foyster using the Freudian perspective. I found her to be a fascinating character. :)
I have read Robert Wood's book 'The Widow of Borley' which presents a psychological view of Marianne, but I want to know how accurate it is. Since you are her son, any comments from you on the matter would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely
Kati Spinelli
Benedictine College
[Thank you for your interest. I would be greatful for a copy of your paper for my files, and to add it to the annotated bibliography. With proper credit and copyright attached, I should like to add it to the web site as well. Does that sound workable to you? As to Robert Wood - without getting too worked up over his errors, I should like to point out two major points. 1) He based his works on the research of Trevor Hall and his minions. Hall was obsessed with getting the "dirt" on anyone connected with paranormal activity. By tearing down the person, he assumed he could "debunk" the phenomena. In short, his research was extremely biased. 2) Duckworth Publishing contracted with Wood to put Hall's notes into a book. Wood believed it would be a "coffee table" effort with few sales. He wrote it BEFORE I discovered my mother's history. When I got in touch with him, he was rather embarrassed by the whole thing and agreed to share his research with me. He sent me one envelope - and then promptly disappeared! Duckworth then told me that after the Wood book, they were now going to focus soley on textbooks. Their is a lot more, but that is a start. I can answer your questions, and back up my research with evidence from other people.]

Regarding items in the last newsletter:
"What I would like to know is if there is anyway air entering the church in anyway could have caused [the organ to play] and if this has happened to anyone else."
Dave Osborne
Or maybe it was just a mischievous night watchman with a sense of humor. Wouldn't the church be likely to have such a person? Maybe Rev Sampson was doing a little late night studying and decided to scare the pants off a few guys, I know I would. LOL
Mr Saals meeting with the Psychic sounded like my first experience with a Hypnotist. I filled out a form stating what My goal was. He read it, shook his head and explained that this first session would be $35.00. and that it would take 3 more sessions at $35.00 each. Then while he had me "under" he said "And you will want to come to these next three sessions" It was hysterical . I didn't...by the way.
Kathy Rageur

I was interested to read Barbara Clements' enquiry about the "Monk's Head" fireplace from the dining room at Borley. Though my memory of my source is not pin-sharp, I certainly recall having read/possibly been told that the fireplace was broken up as the building was demolished, as was the drawing room example. From our 21st century perspective, I agree that these marble edicies are highly sought-after antiques, but in the 1940s they were, like most Victoriana, viewed as old-fashioned, cumbersome and decidely out-of-date. I have researched a 19th century country house in my locality which was demolished in the 1950s and fireplaces far more extravagant than the Rectory examples (though not as interesting from our point of view) fell prey to the demolition gang's sledgehammers. To aficionados of the Borley tale it is sacrilege, I know, but very possibly the actual, if disagreeable, outcome!
Richard Lee-Van den Daele

. . . . would you now, or have the address and post code, where the three homes are built. I am carrying out materialisation formats at present. It has a bearing on the site. . .I will be visiting the area. . . . Having the post code just makes it easier for my work. I would also be interested if there is an exact date of the first fire.
Daniel Hussey
www.paranormaloccultinvestigator.com
[I have been asked to keep that information confidential. If you will refer to the appeal I have made on the web site, I am sure you will understand. As stated on the web site, "The fire started at midnight, February 27, 1939..."]

I feel sure I'd have heard of a 'marwell manour' in Borley, especially as the murder would have happened whilst I was living here! Another 'Urban Myth', I fear.
Andrew Clarke

[The ABC PRIMETIME interview with Patricia Cornwell about Jack the Ripper] is making quite big news over here and the BBC sent a car to take me to London for an interview on the national news.
Stewart P Evans
[In addition to their interest in my mothers house, many associates of the Borley Ghost Society have two other traits in common. The vast majority of associates are writers - either professionally or hopefully - and a goodly number of associates are fascinated by Jack The Ripper. The following are just a couple of examples.....]

This is fascinating stuff. I find it interesting that Cornwall claims to have had access to documents that no other "Ripperologist" has seen. I look forward to reading her book when it is finished, and to seeing the reaction her work receives from others who have studied the case. Changing the subject to ghosts, I wonder how many of the Ripper's murder sites have become haunted? I know that the site of the first murder, which was committed out on the sidewalk, is rumored to be haunted by the shadowy form of Mary Ann Nichol's corpse. In a similar vein, assuming Cornwall's conclusions are true, would some of Sickert's paintings prove to be haunted? Especially if the theory about the blood being mixed in with the red paint is true.
Linda Cody

This business has attracted some attention in our press (naturally) but mainly for the "monstrous stupidity" of destroying one of Sickert's paintings in the course of her investigation. Sickert, regardless of whether or not he was a "diabolical psychopath", is considered to be national treasure - up there with the best of British artists. I suspect that we probably resent an American coming along and throwing money at one our most notorious unsolved mysteries and, ostensibly, solving it within a matter of months after God knows how many people have worked for years and years - and been unable to reach a conclusion. The Sickert theory is, of course, not new and a lot more is yet to be said on this subject, I think.
Best regards,
Peter Johnson

It all looks very unlikely and I have heard that a Sickert authority can show that he was in France on the day of one of the murders which seems like a good alibi!
Peter Birchwood

Underwood, Peter. Borley Postscript. 2002. (". . .a new volume on this unique haunting, Borley Postscript will comprise new and previously unpublished material and pictures. It will include the script of a BBC broadcast The Haunted Rectory (1947) with contributions from Harry Price, Ethel Bull, the Hennings, the Coopers, Sidney Glanville and Captain Gregson; the script of my lecture An Illustrated History of the Borley Haunting (presented at the Royal Photographic Society, the Society for Psychical Research, The Ghost Club Society and at Cambridge, Sheffield, Bedford and historic Essex Hall in the Strand). There will, also be the full text of an anonymous letter that so intrigued Harry Price (a new Versailles vision, he called it) together with personal recollections of such actors in the Borley drama as Ethel Bull, Guy L’Estrange, James and Cathy Turner and a visit to Price’s home. Borley Postscript is expected to be published early 2002.")
Information from the Peter Underwood Newsletter.
[A copy has kindly been sent to your editor by Mr. Underwood. It will take weeks to catalog all the new information. A review has been posted on the web site, and associates who have read the book are encouraged to send their reviews. The BGS is working with the publisher to obtain copies for those interested.]

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