INTRODUCTION

My mother never met a spirit she didn't like. From her early days in Ireland; through her five years at a haunted rectory in England; to her last days in the American west; she relished the thought of meeting the dead. That she actually ever met any spirits at all is the topic of debate around the world. My mother became famous as "Marianne Foyster of Borley Rectory." The rectory became famous as "the most haunted house in England."

Even though doubts still remain about her ever having met a real spirit, Marianne became the most haunted woman in England. The ghosts continued to haunt her when she moved to America. The ghosts that haunted her may not have been the traditional "white-sheet" variety, but were often much more troublesome. She was haunted by events from her own past.

How the investigation started

It took me almost fifty years to discover that my mother was famous. My life with her in America was very different, with no hint of what had gone before. It was only after her death that the secrets of Borley Rectory and her many adventures became known to me. Although I always suspected something suspicious, I wasn't able to find out the truth until after she died. If it hadn't been for the Internet and my continued curiosity, her fame and her reputation would probably still remain hidden from me.

While I was growing up, I was always faced with a stoney silence whenever certain details of my mother's previous life came up. "It's none of their damn business," she would explode whenever a school asked for my records. A request for my birth certificate created turmoil unseen since the wreck of the Hesperus. This confusion about my origins only created a keen desire in me to learn more. Whenever I got the chance, I would poke about my mother's belongings looking for clues to her past, and to my birth. Some of the clues meant nothing to me, but would have been a treasure to historians and to paranormal researchers. I was totally unaware that similar searches into my mothers past were being conducted in England and in Canada. If we had only been able to compare notes. . . .

"Now that name rings a bell"

The secrets were well hidden from me until after she died December 18, 1992. Two years later, I was attempting to resume work on my confusing genealogy when I posted a generic message on the Internet asking for help from England. A fellow by the name of Nick Rowland in Stowmarket, Suffolk, volunteered to help. In passing, I happened to mention a scrap of paper I had found buried in my mother's papers. It was a letter from a certain Peter Underwood requesting permission to publish something called Fifteen Months in a Haunted House by someone named "Reverend L.A. Foyster." There was also a reference to some place called "Borley Rectory." My newly found friend in England replied, "Now that name rings a bell. I'll find out where it is. I think it's famous for some reason."

When he discovered why the name was familiar, he told me to sit down before I read his reply any further. I was in shock as he rattled off facts about me and about my mother, including the fact I was adopted. He even told me about a car wreck my father had been in when I was very young - including the number of the highway where the accident occurred. I was shaking so badly I literally could not see straight. In the months that followed, I discovered how renowned my mother really was, and why. I ended up devoting two overflowing entire bookcases to my collection about Borley Rectory and the lady that made it famous - Marianne Foyster.

Her adventures had taken her from England to Ireland, from Canada back to England, and finally to the United States. In the process she had helped a struggling ghost hunter make a name for himself. She had been married a few times and had adopted a few children. She had also earned two distinct reputations: the first as a charlatan, and the second as a champion of the people. It was time I got to know who my mother really was. My own adventure into the unknown had just begun.

Books and even more books

As I opened the door to the past, the ghosts rushed out to greet me. There was more information than I could handle and I was literally overwhelmed by it all. I tired to catalogue the vast resources and eventually realized there was far more than could be contained in one volume. This is my first effort to chronicle the life of Marianne, but it only scratches the surface. There is so much more. In the future, I will detail the events at Borley, as well as my own experiences, in two additional books.

This volume deals primarily with the most haunted woman in England. A lady who started out looking for a little fun, but who got caught up in a landslide of publicity. Most of this attention turned negative. Mistakes Marianne made earlier came back to haunt her. In fact, so many "ghosts" pursued her in England, she sought release by moving to the United States. It didn't work. The ghosts found her, and even multiplied. She was haunted in America as well.

Literally scores of books have been written about Marianne and Borley Rectory. Periodicals have never lacked for filler as long as the tales of poltergeists and seances in a gloomy old house attract readers. Newspapers, radio stations, and television programs have all delved into this unique haunting and the possessed people who lived there. The annotated bibliography I created consumes hundreds of pages, and gives the reader only a brief glimpse of the popularity of this subject.

The Borley Legend

After reading a couple of short stories in an English newspaper, parapsychologist Harry Price investigated Borley Rectory from 1929 through 1945. Two best-selling books resulted, which were later vilified. Defenders of Price wrote additional volumes, and the onslaught began. Perhaps more has been written about Marilyn Monroe or Princess Di, but not much more. Why then, another volume?

Unique material revealed

In researching this book, I have discovered much material that has never been published before. I have found references that other authors ignored, only touched upon, or slanted to fit their own interpretation. Much of what is presented in the following pages is new information. It changes greatly the perceptions and conclusions drawn in other works.

Researchers and acquaintances have opened their long-buried files to me. They have presented me with information no other writer has been privileged to see. From my own private collection - and for the first time anywhere - I now share photographs, excerpts from her letters, several of her poems, and a wealth of her philosophy. In addition, I have the unique perspective of having known the principal subject of this mystery longer than anyone else - and my insights into her character and her moods are absolutely unique.

The most haunted woman in England

In this volume then, is the definitive picture of Marianne Foyster of Borley Rectory - the most haunted woman in England.