Tom had no idea what a storm that one simple sentence was going to cause! In my original review of the article, I congratulated the author for being clever enough to find information reserved for associates of the Borley Ghost Society. At the time, I was in the heart of a running battle to protect six years worth of effort from being "borrowed" by anyone who cared to copy it from my Internet web site.
Not wanting to appear commercial, I started piling everything into my web site, allowing access to first the general public, and then certain areas to only BGS associates. Not being savvy with computers, I first had to learn that anyone with a mouse can copy anything off the Internet they can view on their monitor. Dr. William Vicars gave me some javascript to include in my HTML code to try and slow down the flood. Later, Jamas Enright discovered his search engines were also picking up those pages I had "put aside" only for associates. Dr. Vicars found more code for me to insert in my documents to foil the "robots" looking for key words. Better to close the gate after some of the horses had escaped than to allow all the livestock to leave! I assumed the author of the above-mentioned article had found the exclusive pages quite innocently while doing an Internet search BEFORE I had installed safeguards. I was shocked - and extremely agitated - as the full story came to light.
Hi Vincent:
Stan Allen of Magic magazine sent me a copy of your [review]. Many thanks for your comments on the article.
There is one point which may be of interest. . . . . Actually it's not quite the magic trick appears. I haven't had access to the members area of your site. What I did find was a copy of the leather bound volume on Marianne Foyster. And it contained transcriptions of the detective's interviews with Marianne. I didn't mention it in the article because I'm not entirely sure of the facts. But I think that there are only supposed to be two copies of this leather bound volume. One was presumably held by Eileen Garrett and the other by Trevor Hall. However, the volume I have seen was given by Hall to another magician as a gift (there was a note inside the volume along with a tipped in photograph of an older Marianne). I presume this is therefore a third copy. It is now in the collection of Barry Murray, a television producer and student of magic. The scan I have attached [did not come through] is of the cover of his copy. I think . . . . Barry . . . . bought the book in auction. As mentioned, it contained a letter from Hall. I'll ask him for a copy of the Hall letter. As I recall it was addressed to Tom Morely, a noted magic collector and (and this is where it continues to become intriguing) it thanked him for his part in getting possession of The Locked Book. By that, I presume he meant the original Borley notes. I'm talking from memory so forgive me if I am confusing some details. However, I'll get hold of the book again and find out what I can for you. It's possible that Barry may have no objection to you posting a scan on your site.
Yet another mystery to add to Harry's files!
How did you get your story?
Best Wishes
David Britland
Mr. Britland;
Here is what I think I know. Trevor Hall made TWO copies of my mother's notes. One he gave to Eileen Garrett. One he stored for a time at the Harry Price Library at the University of London. While they had the notes, the HPL made a microfilm. I was lucky enough to obtain photocopies made from the microfilm - which I believe is also how Robert Wood got his information for WIDOW OF BORLEY. The HPL no longer has the original, so I have to assume Trevor Hall retrieved it. From your response, it may be he gave it to Tom Morely - who's estate then put it up for auction which Barry Murray "lucked" into? If the book(s) you saw had original photographs in it (them), it is plausible you have touched one of the TWO originals!
It has been my daily dream since hearing about these notes to one day hold them in my hands and have a good, long, private cry. Whilst Trevor Hall was relentless in his pursuit of us into the heart of the United States, nevertheless, I owe him a debt of gratitude for keeping such a fastidious record. His personality may have been one to frighten my mother to almost committing suicide, but the research he left behind is invaluable. Those five books hold my heritage, and I would be most grateful to all concerned to be able to hold them. I became very emotional when you first told me about your experience with these books, and that deep emotion carries through right now as I write this. I have been unable to think of anything else since receiving your message. The best way to thank you for your help in all this is to grant you honorable membership in the BORLEY GHOST SOCIETY. Welcome!
Vincent O'Neil
Subj: Re: Continuing Adventures of Harry Price
Date: 11/21/2000 10:30:19 AM Mountain Standard Time
From: David Britland
To: RVONeil
Hi Vince
The copy of the Hall book I saw is Volume V and has Marianne Foyster's name embossed in gold on its red leather cover. It is typescript, possibly one of a couple of carbons although thinking about it now it didn't seem to be a carbon in that it wasn't blurred as you might expect.
It had only one photograph in it. This was of your mother, possibly the age she was when interviewed by Swanson. And it was, I think, tipped into the inside cover. I'll check the details when I see the book again.
Yes, it is ironic that Hall's work has finally been of some use to Marianne or at least her family.
It was impossible to make a copy of the Hall book because of the way it is bound. Opening it up for copying risked damaging it, so I have no comprehensive notes on it other than those I made for the article. However, I do recall that the name of Martin Ebon came up. Ebon has been involved in parapsychology for a good many years. I have a book he wrote on the Uri Geller phenomenon. And I believe he recently wrote or edited a book on Hanussen, the German psychic.
Well I'm pretty sure that Ebon was another contact in the US who was party to the detective's reports on Marianne. I've been told that he is quite elderly and may not want to discuss the matter further, or may simply may not have the energy or interest to discuss these matters. I don't have any contact numbers for him or know where he resides but I'm sure a letter or call to a US parapsychology institution will lead you to him.
I've only seen the one volume of Hall's notebooks and have no real idea as to what the others may contain. It's possible that volume V is the crucial one as far as Marianne is concerned but this is just a guess.
. . . .I'm looking forward to becoming a member [of the Borley Ghost Society].
I've long considered writing something more about Harry Price, looking at his career from the perspective of a magician. The article in Magic magazine was an indication of how I'd approach the topic.
There was one other possible "trick" that Harry played when he met Marianne at the rectory. If you recall there was an incident with some wine. Marianne in her interview remembered it and blamed it on Harry. I wouldn't want to prosecute Harry without the evidence but it certainly wouldn't have been beyond him. Water and Wine tricks are the staple of the magician. It's unfortunate that there's not a good description of what happened otherwise I'd be able to make a better guess at what might have transpired, if, as Marianne suggested, it was indeed a bit of trickery on Harry's part.
But it certainly doesn't fit in with anything we know about the other phenomena at the house. It seems uniquely linked to Harry's visit.
I recall that Hall was trying to do a comparison between Marianne's handwriting and that found on the wall of the rectory. He seemed convinced that Marianne made the writing but he was only able to analyse a limited specimen. If you have samples of your mother's handwriting you would be able to make a much better analysis than that offered by Hall. Be careful where you go for such an analysis. In my opinion most graphologists are simply pseudoscientists. However, you might consider someone involved in police forensics.
If you have the samples and want to do an analysis I may be able to help. A friend of mine is a psychologist and parapsychological researcher at the University of Hertfordshire and if he took it on as a project, I'm sure he could persuade the right people to make the analysis. I know he's been doing some work with people who have being analysing suicide notes.
I'm kind of presuming that you want to know as much as you can about Marianne and that you're not being judgmental in this matter. I personally don't care who did what. Everyone has their reasons at the time, whether it's Marianne's adventure filled life, Hall's obsessional debunking of Price or Price's own publicity led quests. They're all people with their own problems and agendas and I can sympathise with every one of them. However, I do like to know the truth and I'm genuinely interested first in what that truth might be and secondly how that truth becomes distorted over time. But I refuse to judge people. As soon as you do that, you've already decided you only want to know half the story. And that says more about you than the people or events you're studying.
That's all for now.
David Britland
David;
It doesn't sound logical that a COPY would have such an elaborate cover.
That sounds right [to assume the photo was tipped into the inside cover]. There are no photos in that last volume, only in the other volumes.
The name of Martin Ebon is right. Hmmm, I never thought about tracking him down. Fascinating idea.
Marianne is my mother. Part of me is objective. Part of me is involved. The part I display to the public makes every effort to be objective. What happens in the privacy of my own room.......... I care a great deal.
Cheers,
Vince