Extraordinary incidents at the Rectory.
Domestic’s experience Matter for Psychic investigation
The district has been thrown into a considerable state of excitement by the announcement that a ghost has been seen at Borley Rectory and the peaceful little village has this week, by the notoriety it has gained, become quite ‘the hub of the universe’. It is a fact that, both inside and outside the rectory, there seems to have been certain strange happenings, strange enough for those engaged in psychic research to cause investigations to be made. What the eventual findings will be remains to be seen, but from our enquiries, the matter is worthy of the closest possible scrutiny.
Borley is certainly just the district where interesting legends should survive, and its history has been sufficient in it to make it the background for tales, not only of ghosts, but all the chivalry of the middle ages and crusades.
The name is compounded of the Saxon words ‘Bab’ and ‘ley’ and means Boar’s Pasture. In the reign of Edward the confessor a freeman called Lewin held the lands of the parish, which at the time of the survey belonged to Adeliza, countess Albermarle, half-sister of William the Conqueror. Her daughter was Judith, and her son was Stephen who attended Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy, to the Holy Land, and distinguished himself in a great battle at Antioch. He had one son and four daughters and the son in turn was the father of two daughters one of whom, Amica, married Easton, a family whose surname was derived from the manor of Easton in Walter Belcham. The family practically died out in 1293 when the heiress to the estate was married by Henry 3rd to his second son in 1269. This lady gave up her castles and land to Edward 1st who gave her 20,000 marks. The estate then passed to Christchurch Canterbury and then in 1545 we find the manor of Borley granted to Edward Waldegrave. Sir Edward dies in the tower of London in 1561 and is buried in Borley Church. His lady was also interred in the same grave having enjoyed the estate of Borley until 1599. When she died at the age of 80, Nicholas Waldegrave, a second son, succeeded to Borley and in 1621 his son Philip made Borley Hall his permanent residence. The manor was held by the descendents of the Waldegraves until recent times. In Wright’s History of Essex, there is no mention of a monastery or Convent at Borley but there is a definite tradition that there is one near the site of the old rectory. With the district ancient in tradition the family of Bull was connected for hundreds of years until the death in June 1927 of the Rev H.F. Bull MA who had been 35 years rector. His father had been Rector before him and there is a long line of ancestors resting in the little parish churchyard of Pentlow. The present rector, the Rev G.E. Smith came to Borley in September 1929.
Ghostly Tradition
Now for the ghostly part of the history of Borley. Tradition has it and, it is generally accepted by the inhabitants, although with a certain amount of scepticism that, in the middle ages, there was a great monastery or convent where the rectory still stands. Once upon a time, a nun became acquainted with a coachman. The acquaintance ripened into romance, and they went to meet in secret amongst the trees near the convent. Eventually, they decided to elope, and the coachman called to his aid another who prepared a coach drawn by two bay horses. This intended elopement was, however, discovered, the coachman was seized, and the nun taken back to the convent from which she never again appeared. As for the coachmen, they were tried and beheaded. Since, at long intervals, it has been reported that the nun has been seen walking in the shadow of the trees and that two headless coachmen together with an old-time coach drawn by two bay horses have been observed riding through the parish. It is an extraordinary fact that the late H F Bull often spoke of the remarkable experience he had one night when walking along the road outside the rectory he heard the sound of horses hooves. Upon looking round, he saw an old-time coach driven by two headless men.
First Apparition The Rev H E And Mrs Smith, on taking up residence at the rectory were told of the legend and the reputation of the place for ghostly visitation but, like practical people, they were more amused than otherwise by the story. Nothing untoward occurred for a period, then a maid who they had brought from London suddenly declined to stay in the house any longer. Asked for her reasons, she was quite emphatic that she had seen a nun walking amidst the trees near the house. Nothing would persuade her otherwise. The next incident was last month when the Rev G E Smith heard sound as of dragging footsteps in slippered feet across one of the rooms. He decided upon an investigation and, armed with a hockey stick sat in the room at night and waited. Again, the sound of someone shuffling across the boards. He struck out with the stick, but nothing happened and the noise continued. Miss Mary Pearson, who is at present a maid at the rectory, told our representative quite confidently that she had seen the ghost. There was, at dusk, what appeared to be an old-fashioned coach on the lawn ‘drawn by brown horses’. Miss Pearson is certain she has seen the figure as of a nun apparently leaning over a gate near the house.
An Inexplicable light.
In addition to this, the Rector states that on two or three occasions, a curious light had been seen by himself in a disused wing of the house, and the light at the moment is quite inexplicable. He has investigated this wing and it has been ascertained that there is no light inside, although the watchers outside could see it shining through the window. It was suggested that somebody should go into the empty wing and place a light in another window for comparison. This the rector did and, sure enough, the second light appeared and was visible next to the other. Although on approaching close to the building this disappeared whilst the rector’s lamp still burned
The Rector, who is not in the least bit disturbed by the mysteries, in conversation with our representative at the rectory on Tuesday, said he did not believe in ghosts. He had been warned against the evil reputation of the house before moving in, but, being townspeople, they took no notice of the country rumours. This is the first summer that the Rev Smith has been at Borley and he understands that at this season of the year, the rectory is ‘haunted by the ghosts’. Having seen for himself the apparitions, Mr Smith is causing investigations to be made by Psychic experts.
Sceptics
The gardener at the rectory was inclined to smile at the idea of the ghosts, telling our representative that he had never seen anything, and that although there was a great deal of talk about ghosts there many years ago, he believed that it was ‘only couples sweethearting’. The rector believes that some of the folk in the village are frightened to pass the spot at night. Other residents, however, told our representative that they had ridiculed the whole affair. What has been seen recently by the present occupants is nothing additional to what was seen by previous residents at the rectory. Other people who have had a close association with the rectory in past years agree ythat there has been periodically strange happenings there, which they do not consider it desirable to talk about.