I find it a worthy cause which we in Britain could well do with. . . . there is something else which I did learn from the site. I knew of your mother from the Borley books but obviously never met her. Yet I always had, and still do, a wish that I could have talked with her. The years after Borley which saw her person accused for this and that, left me with the feeling that she had been misunderstood by everyone who ever wrote about Borley. Reading about the work your mum did with Harbour Lights opened up a new perspective on Marianne. For me at least, her humanity, her carring, her forsight, and the acknowledgement of her achievments by those held in high esteem point to a different Marrianne as that portrayed in the Borley books. The accusations, the lies, the pointed fingers and the means by which horrible people try to make a fast buck are at varriance with the person I read about as founder of Habour Lights. What does this tell me? It tells me that the Marianne who tried to reply to the wall writings, who was thrown many times out of bed by unseen entities, who loved her invalid husband, who shrugged off the whisperings and ridicules of the sceptics and stuck by her Lional for five years in the most haunted house in England, was a woman of great integrity and courage. Yet just as importantly for the history of the haunting of Borley Rectory it tells me she was telling the truth. A truly remarkable person. Now I know why you and your family are so proud. I wonder if in a quite moment of a busy Harbour Lights day, did she sit and think back to the quiet of an afternoon at Borley? To the stillness of the house, the calm of the garden and churchyard? It is fascinatihg to think that the people she met and helped did not know she was Marrianne of Borley. Two compleatly different lives seperated by time and the ocean. I have always regreted not knowing your mother, but now it feels, through you, I have got just that little bit closer to her. Now whenever I return to Borley I will know that for Marrianne, the road leading away from the most haunted house in England was just the begining.
Eddie Brazil

I loved the Marianne website. What a star she was, in everything she ever did! The more I study her, the more I admire her. Her life story is a 'heartwarmer' because it is about redemption.
Andrew Clarke

Thank you for the website. I like it.
Jon Walker

I was unable to comply with the their request . . . . it is not our policy to allow such activity at the church, as you are aware. With Edward Babb's book due out next week, the whole publicity thing is taking up too much time as it is.
Best wishes from Borley.
Brian Sampson, rector

[I no longer have any of the books or tapes. Contact Troy Taylor. To this particular project, I sent the following response, "The community is unanimous in respectfully declining your proposal. Even the offer of a remuneration is not enough to convince us we want yet another upset to our quiet village. As one of our neighbors put it, 'Borley Church is a place of worship, not a supernatural theme park. . . .What an insult! It is as personal a space as our living room.' We all agree. The rector has told your staff, 'It is not our policy to allow such activity at the church.' Thank you for your kind consideration with your enquiry. Vincent O'Neil, President, Borley Ghost Society." With the help of Andrew Clarke, I have made a "standard reply" for future queries. It is linked to my decade-old appeal that starts on this page. The link goes to the page written by Andrew. I feel like a resident and wish only the very best for all my neighbors. That is why I started the Borley Ghost Society Church Preservation Fund, which is still active. I am still endeavoring to find contributions whilst discouraging unwanted attention.]

Memo to The Ghost Club: "As you may recall from my application to The Ghost Club, I am a member of the Borley Ghost Society, a web based information group (www.borleyrectory.com) run by Marianne Foysters son Vincent O'Neil. We have recently heard about the Borley Project, a two year project supposedly run by mediums, paranormal investigators and scientists who will be undertaking a number of investigations in the village of Borley, with specific interest in the church and the site of the former rectory. They are asking for people to join in by sending them 30 for an invite to an investigation. This seems to be a media con, and aimed at making money. The church at Borley has not given permission for any such investigation and, as I am sure you know, the residents of the village are fed up with people walking all over their property and making a nusiance of themselves. I would urge any member of The Ghost Club to give this investigation a wide berth and on no account send them any money. They say that they have set up headquaters at the nearby Bull Inn at Long Melford where they plan to hold a sceance. The Bull Inn is not aware this. Here is a quote from the Borley Rectory Society web site.....[see below]"
Steve Rose

[After a great deal of traffic on this web site regarding The Borley Project, a notice was posted declaring, "Neither I, nor the Borley Ghost Society is associated in any way with "The Borley Project." It is not the purpose of the Borley Ghost Society or this web site 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." After some very severe editing, comments from various associates was included. Some time back, The Ghost Research Foundation International gave me an honorary membership. They send me their quarterly publication, which is how I found out about the project in the first place. I have NOT received any messages - updates - requests to join the project - requests to become involved in any way.]

Seeing as [certain] idiots may soon be violating the place we all love, I thought this sketch of the church might remind us and those who still want to come to north Essex of the peace and quiteness that one always hopes to find at Borley.
Eddie Brazil

This painting is gorgeous! Eddie is evidently very talented!
Barbara Clements

Bejabers. Thats good.
Andrew Clarke

Wow -- is he selling prints? It's lovely!
Linda Cody
[Watch this web site for news on how to obtain Eddie's work.]

The Smell of Fear and The Foyster Diaries essays have both been updated by Andrew Clarke.

I got Eddie Brazil's permission to submit what I regard as an unexpected little surprise. This concerns some of the pictures he took on his May 23, 2003 trip to Borley. Two of his pictures contained slightly different perspectives of the cottage which proved more than sufficient to build a stereogram of the cottage and its southeast exposure, the area where the Rectory used to stand. (Explanation of how to view stereograms included.)
Scott Cunningham

Here is Borley in 12 photos as taken by my digital camera earlier today.
Andrew Clarke

I send to you these recent photographs from Borley. My trip to Borley was set up as a surprise for me by my wife. I kept a low profile when I was down there, and from doing that, I learned a lot more than I thought I would. Interestingly enough, on Tuesday, 8 May, I was in a pub in Long Melford called the Swan, and a man and woman entered the bar. After they had consumed several "refreshments," they demanded from the bartender the exact location of Borley. I smiled to myself when he replied with "never heard of it."
Alexander MacDonald

I took this pic at Borley and there seems to be a face in the mat. Could this be Henry? It can't be my reflection as concrete doesn't reflect facial images, and the camera was in front of my face.
matt walsh

I am interested in a report of a sceance in Uruguay that Mr. O'Neil quotes in Chapter 30 of his book. I am particularly interested in what else Harriette Wilson says and wonder if any more of this part of the transcript is available. Thank you so much.
Liz Altieri
[The section in my book, Death: then what? is from Edge of the Unknown by Arthur Conan Doyle. I no longer have a copy of the book, but it is available in most libraries. On online search did not result in locating the text. You can buy one of the copies I used to have from Troy Taylor.]

I'm a freelance journalist writing a feature on the paranormal for the magazine FHM. The basic idea of the piece is to gather the best possible photographic evidence of paranormal activity, and I was hoping to include the attached photo. It's from the Mary Evans picture library, and shows graffiti which reportedly appeared spontaneously on the walls of Borley Rectory in 1931. The writing in block capitals is by ghost investigators. Trouble is, that's all I know about it. I was hoping you might be able to provide me with a few more details on the circumstances surrounding the picture, such as who took it and its likely authenticity. Ideally I was hoping to talk to you on the phone, but any attempt to answer my enquiry by email will of course be very much appreciated. I was also hoping to get a bit of background info on other disturbances at Borley Rectory. FHM is a lifestyle magazine aimed at men in their 20s. The paranormal isn't the kind of thing it covers regularly, but it does all sorts of things occasionally. I don't know for definite which issue the feature will appear in at the moment but it will probably be the November one. Let me know your address and I'll make sure you get a copy. I'll be writing it over the next couple of weeks, so I'll let you know if I've got any more questions. Don't hesitate to contact me if you would like clarification of the nature of the magazine or feature, or any part of this enquiry. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. Regards
Steve Farrell
[Thank you for getting in touch as a part of your research. It is a shame more authors do not go to the original source materials as mistakes continue to be repeated. Tell me more about your magazine. I should like a copy of the magazine in which your article appears - both for my collection, and for the Bibliography. As noted in the Locked Book, my mother wrote "I cannot understand. Tell me more." After a scribbled message was added, Kerr-Pearse wrote, "I still cannot understand. Please tell me more." It is unknown who wrote the originals. My mother denies she did. As Iris Owen wrote, "The wall writings were an example of phenomena that puzzled them. These would initially appear, apparently from nowhere, although she admits that she herself, and other members of the family "answered" the remarks by writing underneath them. But she denies responsibility for initiating them, and remarked that she was mad when they first appeared as the wall had been recently redecorated and it took her hours to clean it up. But she says the writings only appeared when Edwin Whitehouse was in the vicinity, and she felt he was in some way responsible, either deliberately or unconsciously." The subject comes up in over 50 pages of my web site, and are summarized in my Frequently Asked Questions. For more on the general history of the rectory, please refer to my short history, or the more complete version in my online book, The Ghosts That Will Not Die.]

Although you state the size of the overall framed image [of the mysery child], you don't tell what type of image it is. If it is a tintype, daguerreotype, ambrotype, or paper print--those would help in revealing the age of the image. Additionally, while the clothing might indicate period, they are not necessarily the boy's own. Many parents have dressed their children in father's or grandfather's clothing for portraits. Additionally, the furnishings can also not date the photo specifically since those furnishings may have been present for many years. It is interesting to note that the suit is ill-fitting. Perhaps it was a "loner" to have the portrait made. Lastly, I must agree with the other two that the ears and shape of the eyes are similar to the images of Mr. Bull. Is it possible to tell what type of image this actually is?
Cherie Yannone
[This is most likely a paper print made from an original. The paper is pasted on a piece of thicker paperboard. By looking at the right side, just inside the oval, the side of the original can be seen - perhaps the edge of a daguerreotype. The oval is not part of the matting, but part of the paper print, suggesting the oval overlay was placed on top of the original plate. The daguerreotype might date to the 1870s - 80s. (The Bulls moved in to Borley in 1863.) There are at least two people in the original photo. The piece of furniture behind the boy is probably larger than a single chair, perhaps a couch. That might suggest several people are in the original photo. The lady behind the boy does not rest her hand on the child, suggesting other children are in the original portrait and she is hesitant to favor one child over another. As the clothes on the child are too large, he may be dressed in costume, perhaps those found in a photographer's studio? We can see the original clothing underneath, just at the neck line. Is the "costume" a sailor suit or a calvary uniform? The headgear in his hand is too large for a sailor's cap, but might be the size of a soldier-type hat. Buffalo Bill Cody toured Britain starting in 1883, and through the turn of the century.]

The Bury Post. 20 June 20 1832. ("A shocking accident occurred last Thursday on the Sudbury road near Chapel Hill. The Rev Mr Bull of Pentlow, accompanied by the Rev Mr Huff of the Church Mission Society was on his way to this town [Bury?] in a gig when his mare began to kick and threw Mr Bull out. Mr Huff got out of the back, both gentlemen escaped injury. The mare ran off with the gig when it was met by a boy named William Bryant of Bury who was riding one horse and leading another. The horses began to plunge and the boy was pulled off as they ran towards Bury kicking and trampling him as they dragged him along by the halter which he had tied round his arm, for more than 50 rod before they came to a stop. On taking him up his head was so fractured he died immediately. At the inquest by Mr John Wayman, Gent, accidental death was returned with a deodand of 1s.") courtesy Foxearth Historical Society

Suffolk and Essex Free Press. 24 February 1859. ("A handsome memorial tower 90 feet high is to be erected in Pentlow. It is intended to perpetuate the memory of the late rector the Rev John Bull M. A. and will stand amidst the many trees he planted. The ascent will be by a spiral staircase in the centre of the shaft and the view from the top will be one of the most extensive in the Kingdom, including about 40 churches, whilst from the height of its position it will be seen for many miles around. The erection of the tower will be under the superintendance of Mr John Johnson, architect, of Bury St Edmunds. Mr Webb of Sudbury, whose satisfactory copmletion of the imporant works we are called upon to notice being selected as builder.") courtesy Foxearth Historical Society
[In addition to a new entry in the Bibliography, name of newspaper added to previous copy regarding my visit to Pentlow.]

Suffolk Free Press. 13 June 1929. Editorial. ("Myers, in Human Personality says: 'Whether through reason, instinct or superstition it has ever been commonly held that ghostly phenomena of one kind or another exist to testify to a life beyond the life we know'. This week we record certain strange experiences at Borley Rectory and, after weighing all the facts which are in our possession, we do not propose, as some no doubt will, to treat this matter with ridicule or turn it down as the phantasm of disordered mental processes. In view of all the circumstances and the mass of corroborative evidence there is in existence, we think the subject is one for thorough investigation from the scientific and spiritual points of view. If such an investigation is sincerely made there is no doubt that much valuable information for psychical research can be adduced. That there is phenomena that has shown itself at periods for years at Borley Rectory there is little doubt. What is it? It is remarkable that people who have seen it agree in essential details with what has been the experiences of others in years past, although one set of observers have not been connected in any way with the others. There is the London domestic who, two days after entering the rectory and knowing nothing of past legend, almost goes off in a dead faint as she informs her mistress that she has seen a nun dressed in black. The mistress makes light of it, yet later is convinced that years ago exactly a similar 'something' had been seen. This is not mere coincidence when there is an accumulation of evidence which all tends in the same direction, that something like a nun and a coach and horses passes. True, from many points of view, to the ordinary man or woman, the whole story seems preposterous, but we repeat, the whole circumstances, as we know them, warrant careful investigation over a considerable period of time . . . . It is an accepted fact that there is some phenomena, not understood, which for want of a better definition is called a 'ghost'. There is nothing extraordinary in it, the eeriness comes in our Jack of knowledge of what it is and the terror of the unknown and mysterious still grips us humans."

Suffolk and Essex Free Press. "Borley Rectory for Sale." September 26th 1950. ("Known as the most haunted house in England and a Mecca for ghost hunters, is to be sold. Mr James Turner, a poet, who has been living there the last four years has moved to Belchamp Walter and advertised the Rectory in a national newspaper. Only a low wall remains of the rectory which was burnt down in 1939. Mr Turner said that they were the first people to inhabit the spot since 1939. He said he was threatened 11 months ago by planchette board "entity" but it is not the ghost that is compelling them to move but the hundreds of sightseers and amateur investigators out for a cheap thrill. Arriving home late one night he opened the front gate only to be immediately spotlighted with a searchlight from a car in his garden. Americans are among his many visitors. He would not confirm reports that he had been offered £4500 for the property.") courtesy Foxearth Historical Society

Suffolk and Essex Free Press. 1 October 1950. ("The Rev A.C. Henning, rector of Liston and Borley said during a lecture to Colchester Y.M.C.A, that the last time the nun at Borley had been seen was last year when a local doctor who wishes to remain anonymous was driving up the hill to Borley when near the Rectory garden he saw the nun bending down by the rectory garden. He quickly backed his car and was just in time to see her disappear through the hedge.") courtesy Foxearth Historical Society

Suffolk and Essex Free Press. 7 November 1950. ("James Turner has published a novel entitled "My life at Borley Rectory" priced 10s 6d. With delightful humour he uses the ghostly site for a racy tale.") courtesy Foxearth Historical Society

Suffolk and Essex Free Press. 14 November 1950. ("The Rev A.G. Henning, the rector of Liston and Borley has expressed his annoyance at the continued publicity about Borley Rectory. 'Why can't you forget it, it only brings noisy people to Borley.' Yet posted in the church porch is a notice saying a book about the rectory can be obtained from a cottage near the pond. It is written by the Rev Henning.") courtesy Foxearth Historical Society

I came across another reference to Borley that I didn't see in your bibliography: Haunted Britian by Anthony D. Hippisley Coxe.
Jamas Enright
[Thanks for the reference, which is in the Bibliography, but which now has been modifed, thanks to your prompting. I've also added the photo Coxe used from the HPL taken after the fire.]

Just bought a copy of the fortnightly UK magazine "Webuser" and thought you might be interested to see the site listed at No 4 in their Top 10 Ghost websites. I enclose a copy of the page as an attachment. Their style is rather tongue-in-cheek, but what is it they say about bad publicity being better than none at all!! Should result in a few more visitors, anyway!
Regards
Richard Lee-Van den Daele

There is an episode of a BBC Radio 4 program called "Three Walks with Mike Harding." In one walk he strolls along the dissused railway line between Sudbury and Long Melford. At one point in the show he detours up to Borley with his companion, Chris Somerville, who retells the story of Borley.
Eddie Brazil

Eeles, Barbara. "Bed, books, and the naughty nun of Borley." Suffolk Free Press. 29 May 2003. p. 4 Full page review of Final Analysis by Edward Babbs and Claudine Mathias. Subhead reads, "Shedding new light on the ghostly goings on in an English country rectory." Photo of Babbs and Mathias, book cover. (Babbs was sick with the flu when he started reading about Borley, and became fascinated. Now lives in Long Melford, close to Borley. Review claims the book "includes three chapters of new material. It includes first-hand accounts by people who remember the rectory in the 1930s including some who worked there." Although Babbs believes the legend may have "been helped along a little," he told Eeles his is convinced some of the stories are genuine. Some of the phenomena were the result of ley lines. Babbs found one person who claims to be able to pinpoint the burial spot of the skull fragments buried in Liston Churchyard.) **photocopy

"What IS the Borley project?" Phantom. Ghost Research Foundation International, Summer, 2003. Cover, p. 12. Cover graphic of skull. (Cover promotion says, "The world's most famous ghost story is about to be dug up." Refers to web site - theborleyproject.com "It was during an everday recce of a Talisman Television location in Essex that TV psychic Diana Destiny felt a strange 'psychic pull' to pay a visit to the tiny Essex hamlet of Borley - the famous site of the former Borley Rectory - 'The Most Haunted House in England.' The talisma recce team consisted of Diana, Jason Karl and Norie Miles. It was a bright Spring afternoon, but while navigating the winding country lanes that lead to the village the sky turned an ominous shade of grey and a downpour of rain ensued, accompanied by a biting cold. Undeterred, the team explored the village, meeting a local man named Mr Crane. During a dowsing and EVP experiment in the graveyard, Norie Miles witnessed a strange and unusal happening. 'I was standing by the church door listening for any sounds within when suddenly the door latch twisted of its own accord! I was amazed, it was as if the ghost was signaling its interest to our investigation.' Diana Destiny felt that this was indeed a message from beyond - an indication from the spirit world that the enigma of Borley had not yet been solved. We decided at the moment to set out to solve the mystery of Borley once and for all. The Borley Project had begun. theborleyproject.com launches June 1st 2003.") **

According to my Texas spelling dictionary all of the words are spelled wrong. - Scott Cunningham

This thing reads like a junior high school student wrote it. The typos are bad enough, but some of the sentences don't even make sense as written. The grammar is nothing to write home about either (unless you want to amuse the folks at home!). Perhaps the writer's schooling wasn't up to snuff, but you'd think an editor would have caught *some* of the errors. I'm sure "Revd Ball" is spinning in his grave. ;)
Linda Cody

Wright, Will. "Haunting Tales From the Rectory." Mercury, 6 June 2003. Sudbury. Review of Borley Rectory, the Final Analysis by Babbs and Mathias. ("It dispels certain myths surrounding the case, but also provides a balanced conclusion that at least some of the phenomena were genuine." Typos include: "Doomsday" for Domesday Book - "the monks fete," instead of fate - [Harry] and his wife had "four daughters," confused with Henry's daughters - the Smiths wrote to the Daily Mail in 1929, not 1928 - two quotes from this web site gets twisted so that the reporter's initials were V.C. not "CV," and "the first published report of paranormal activity [at Borley]" becomes "the first ever published report of paranormal activity." - Wall first arrived June 10, and was accompanied by Price June 12 - the reported 2000 events took place during the first 15 months, not the entire five years of the Foyster tenancy - Harry Bull, not "Ball") reprint

[Paul Couch, editor Sudbury Mercury; I note with great interest the article by Will Wright in the 6 June edition of the Mercury. It was particularly flattering to have him use material from my web site in his review of the latest Borley book, "The Final Analysis." In the rush to make the story timely, a couple of typographical errors cropped up. If you, or Mr Wright have a continuing interest in Borley, you may want to keep an eye on the place, as it seems to be the subject of continuing unwanted attention. Though the alleged ghosts have long since retired from the scene, the villagers are constantly being bombarded by "investigators" and vandals. I have made a public appeal to visitors on my web site, which most people honour, but there are still those who insist on disturbing this peaceful hamlet. I understand one such project starting July 26 will last for two years! It would be wonderful if you could champion the cause of the villagers and assure people there really isn't anything to see, as the rectory burned down in 1939, and was completely razed in 1944. If casual visitors DO stop by, we appreciate their understanding that these are private homes and a sacred chruch. If you have any further questions, I will be more than happy to respond. Thank you very much for your help! Vincent O'Neil]

The "Ghostbooks" link does not work, and I'm really interested in obtaining a copy of The Ghosts that Will Not Die How may I get one? I'm really impressed with the amount of effort you've put into your site. It's too bad you don't have the whole story in book form (which I would much prefer to a CD). I've just ordered Peter Underwood's book from a bookshop in the UK, which I'm looking forward to receiving. I've been interested in the occult all my life and have had plenty of experiences. I was born on Halloween, which I think got the whole thing going. However, my mind remains open, which includes room for skepticism. The Borley case is quite well documented, and endlessly fascinating to me. I've no idea why Borley fascinates me so, except that it is so well documented, and a relatively "modern" haunting. I was happy to read your essay re: John Edward and James Van Praugh. I've been a subscriber to "The Sceptical Inquirer" since 1988. Carl Sagan & James Randi are two of my heroes. One of my favorite movies is "The Wizard of Oz." My Kevin Bacon number is 2 - I used to be a newspaper reporter and my editor, Tom Bacon, is Kevin Bacon's cousin!
Karen Zimmerman
[It will take a couple of days for me to organize the files. When I closed wwwghostbooks.com, I changed the coding on all my web pages. To make the CD, I will have to make a separate folder, and change the code back - several hundred pages!]

Congratulations on the fantastic website and keep up the good work! This place really fascinates me and you have done a wonderful job in keeping people informed. I can understand the residents must be displeased but this needs to be balanced with the need for people to know. I will be touring Europe and England later this year and hope to visit Borely in addition to Glastonbury, Stonehenge and other places of spiritual signifigance. My vist to Borley will be during the day and "low key" as a sign of respect for the residents. I have been interested in science form a young age. This led me to complete a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering Degree course. As part of my fasciantion for how things work, I have a deep interest in the unknown in general ranging from things in the scientific realm to the supernatural although I believe there is convergence at some point. As a result, I came across Harry Price's book many years ago and Borley Rectory has stuck in my mind. One day my 10 year old son questioned me about ghosts and we came across your website on the internet. This coupled with our visit to England later this year has re-kindled my interest.
Robert Vajna