BORLEY RECTORY BIBLIOGRAPHY
NEWSPAPERS

(annotated)

Alcock, Molly. "Plea for some peace, please." Suffolk Free Press. November 2, 2000. p. 7. ("With regard to your article published in last week's Free Press, The Borley Ghost - a confession. I was delighted that Louis Mayerling has, albeit rather belatedly, "come clean" regarding the origins of the alleged paranormal activity at Borley Rectory. I sincerely hope that his confession will, at last, bring peace and tranquility to Borley, whose inhabitants have suffered unmercifully and relentlessly from the ghost hunters for over 70 years, resulting in the desecration of the graves and tombstones of the Bulls in the churchyard and a complete disregard for the inhabitants living near the church and in the surrounding area. Whilst writing I would just like to point out two errors in your report. First of all, Harry Bull did not have a 'regiment of children.' He didn't have any, apart from a stepdaughter, Constance Brackenberry, who would have been 18 in 1919. It was Harry Bull's father, Henry, who had 14 children, 12 of whom, including Harry, survived. Secondly, the photograph entitled the 'small and gloomy' dining room, was in fact a photograph of the drawing room at Borley Rectory, which measured some 16 feet by 22 feet and had a large, full length, bay window - neither small or gloomy!") **

"As We See It: poltergeists and others." Unknown newspaper. April 18, 1939. (Scholarly review. Including rundown of Ghost Club meeting wherein Price claims "that they had the most complete authentication of anything of the kind recorded in the annals of Psychical Research, embracing written records extending over 50 years and the evidence of at least 50 credible witnesses." Predicts Borley will upstage vicarage in Epworth as the best authenticated example of poltergeists.)** photocopy

B-------, H. "Where the Ghost Threw the Toothbrush at the Headmaster." Essex County Standard. Colchester. September 14, 1945.

Babbs, Edward. "Never Mind the Ghosts, What About the Facts?" Suffolk Free Press. January 25, 2001. (Supports Vincent O'Neil against Louis Mayerling.) copy

Babbs, Edward. "Facts that go bump in the night." Suffolk Free Press. November 11, 2000. ( "I write further to your review of Louis Mayerling's book We Faked the Ghosts of Borley, and the ensuing correspondence. People decide for themselves as to whether or not they believe in the paranormal. Whatever their conclusions, they are entitled to expect that those who write on the subject will do so with care and accuracy. In his letter published last week, Andrew Clarke has made it clear that Mayerling's book does not meet this criteria, and it has to be asked if it is a hoax. Mayerling claims that he was born in Vienna on the fourth September, 1913, that he came to London and assumed the name George Carter, the surname being that of the family who adopted him and wh lived in Mayes Road, Wood Green, North London. A member of the Genealogical Society has ascertained that a George Carter was born at this address and on the same date that Mayerling says he was born in Vienna - an astonishing coincidence! Mayerling claims also to be a doctor of music and to have played London dance bands under the name of Lee Lennox. I have consulted two long-time professional musicians who have never heard of him under either name, and these names do not appear in the current edition of the directory issued by the Musicians Union. Nevertheless, in fairness it is possible that Mayerling-Carter-Lennox has a musical qualification. To return to psychical research, Peter Underwood, the author and broadcaster who has made a great study of the whole Borley affair, says that he has never heard of him. Readers will draw their own conclusions.") **

Barbanell, Maurice. "Spirit Message from Harry Price." Two Worlds. February 1956. Exact date unknown. (Shortly after release of The Haunting of Borley Rectory, recounts sitting by clairvoyant Lilian Bailey wherein Price said, "The rectory is definitely haunted. Borley will prove itself and I will be vindicated, even if I have to go there and manifest myself." Price "refuted the accusation he had done anything fraudulent." although "he admitted that much of the criticism [by Dingwall and Goldney] was true." Mrs. Bailey was told Price possessed "latent physical mediumship." Lucie Kay [Meeker] "repeatedly said that Price attracted poltergeist disturbances." Adds comment that "some might say that it would be poetic justice if Price were to haunt the authors of the book which attacks him!" Emphasis original.)

Barker, Felix. "The Haunting of Borley Rectory." Evening News. October 2, 1976, p. 5. Unique etching by John M. Burns of three Bull sisters and nun. (Recounts story of Mr. Williams, a retired engineer, who lived in the coachman's house and kept a chicken farm. "He admitted frankly and unemotionally, that he had experienced things which have 'no normal explanation,' [including a glow] hovering in his bedroom, and that once he distinctly heard footsteps following him across the courtyard." Williams also believed he may have seen the nun. Reviews basic history in full-page article, leaving out the Foysters. Details that the Bulls received 298 UK Pounds per year as rectors. Goes into a little detail about the Harry Price involvement and his critics. "Even so," Barker adds, "the ghosts of Borley won't lie down. There are too many stories spread over 75 years for some of them not to achieve credibility.") **

Barnard, George. "Ghosts at an Essex Rectory." The Universe. London. December 6, 1940. Author's initials only. Review of MHH. ("No haunted house was ever subjected to such searching enquiry by so many investigators." Since the fire, "further systematic observation would be difficult." Focuses on Price's lease and states, "it would be foolish to dismiss the evidence of this cloud of assorted witnesses." In discussing the tunnel, the reviewer writes, "It is a pity that this angle of the story was not more closely investigated. It is improbable that a seven-mile walk through a damp tunnel would have served any useful domestic purpose, and if it was supposed to have some secret use it is difficult to see how the thousands of tons of earth displaced in its construction could have been disposed of in secrecy." Barnard looked up Dom Richard Whitehouse and discovered his name "does not appear in the Catholic Directory," but does not indicate what issue he consulted. "Any reader who is not hide-bound against the possibility of such happenings must accept much of the evidence.") ** photocopy

Barron, Oswald. "The Most Haunted House." Evening News. London. September 12, 1938.

Basham, Mary. "Do the ghosts live on at Borley?" Midweek. Bury St. Edmunds. July 29, 1986. (Joined in her investigation by Malcom Rampling, former member of the East Anglian Psychical Research Unit. Colorful retelling begins, "The mere mention of the paranormal attracts people like moths to a flame." Relates that after the fire, "Whatever had been, had only gone but a few yards, to the church. People, both locals and visitors alike, have heard singing an medieval chanting coming from the empty building.")**photocopy

Bates, H.E. "Most Haunted House in England." Books of the Month. London. October, 1940.

Becker, May L. "Whoo-Whoo, are These Ghosts?" New York Herald Tribune. New York. March 23, 1941.

"A Berwickshire Skeleton." Border Standard. Galashiels. October 25, 1940.

Bloodworth, Doris. "Cyberscene." Orlando Sentinel. Orlando. August 29, 1998. (Web site reviews. "SPOOKY SITE: Do you believe in ghosts? Well, hold your opinion until you visit the Borley Rectory home page. The rectory has the reputation of being the most haunted house in England. The site includes many interesting features, such as a photo of a floating brick taken by a Life magazine photographer in 1944. Another link connects you to a floor plan of the rectory where you can follow detailed accounts of unusual events. Address: http://www.borleyrectory.com") ** photocopy

"The Borley "Ghost" - Extraordinary Incidents at the Rectory." Suffolk and Essex Free Press. Sudbury. June 13, 1929. Article duplicated in Bury Free Press, King's Road, Bury-St. Edmunds. Probably the same date. Author unknown. (Perhaps the editor read the Daily Mail articles of June 10-11, and assigned a local reporter to investigate? Contains rather complete history of site back to the middle ages. Recounts legend of nun, but has her falling in love with a coachman. It is the coachman and his accomplice who were beheaded. Mary Pearson recounts seeing coach and nun. "The rector, who is not the least bit disturbed at the mysteries. . . . said he did not believe in ghosts. They had been warned against the evil reputation of the house before moving in. Having seen for himself the apparitions, Mr. Smith is causing investigations to be made by psychic experts." Emphasis mine, as many reports indicate they were not appraised of the haunting. "The gardener at the rectory was inclined to smile at the idea of ghosts, telling our representative that he had never seen anything.") Complete text courtesy of Andrew Clarke **photocopy

"The Borley Ghost." Bury Press. Bury St. Edmunds. June 15, 1929.

"Borley Psychic Fete." Newmarket Journal. May 20, 1939. (Photo of burned out Rectory by E. Crisp. Describes plans of the Ghost Club to bring 60 to 80 members in June. Gregson recounts story recently related for BBC of two disappearing dogs. Gregson goes on to relate tale told him by a "local worthy," who was "disturbed by loud rushing noises." Upon investigation inside Borley Cottage where he lived with his wife, the resident "found lying in front of the sitting room fire. . . . what looked like a huge black dog." When he tried to touch it, "it vanished away.")** photocopy

"Borley Rectory Fire." Suffolk and Essex Free Press. Sudbury. March 2, 1939. ("The Sudbury Fire Brigade was called about 12:15 a.m. and . . . .arrived at 12:30 with several fireman and the Merryweather pump. On arrival they found that the roof had collapsed immediately over the room in which ghosts had been reputed to appear. . . . A plentiful supply of water was obtained from a pond about fifty yards away.")**photocopy

"Borley Rectory Hauntings." Observer. London. August 14, 1938.

"The Borley Rectory Mystery." Nottingham Journal. Nottingham. October 11, 1940.

"Borley Summed Up." East Anglican Daily Times. Ipswich. November 27, 1940.

"Bottle Ghost of Rectory." Daily Sketch. (?) January, 1932. Exact date unknown. ("Psychic experts baffled." Foysters not identified. Location described as standing "over the crypt of a 13th century monastery. Close by are the ruins of an old nunnery." Story twisted in many respects - "One rector was thrown violently out of bed on several occasions. . . .many families have been driven from the rectory in sheer fright." Recounts how on "several occasions a bottle has whizzed past the head of one of the occupants." The wine into ink report is "vouched for by the best-known English investigators of psychic mysteries, Mr. Harry Price." Wine was provided by Price.)**photocopy

"Bricking Up of Nuns." The Times. London. April 22 - May 9, 1939. (Various correspondence.)

"Britain's Most Haunted House; Warning of a Fire." Observer. London. April 30, 1939. (Quotes Lionel's diary for two separate entries - how did the paper get them? Price is quoted throughout; did he show the diary to the newspaper? Recounts one incident of Gregson tenancy not commonly reported - "A glass, left in the Rectory overnight was found next morning broken into four or five pieces. It had been full of water, but the pieces were quite dry, and not a trace of moisture remained on the polished mahogany table or the floor." Also recounts how the cover to the well had been "removed and thrown on the floor" of the locked cellar.")**photocopy

Broad, C.D. The Cambridge Review. March 10, 1956. (Marianne "seems to have vanished without a trace.")

"Builders unearth human remains." Sudbury Mercury. Friday March 5th, 2004. (Skeleton found next to church.) clipping courtesy of Andrew Clarke

"Burning of Borley Rectory." East Anglican Times. Ipswich. March 1, 1939.

Byford, Mrs. E. Interview in Saffron Walden Independent News and Chronicle. November 9, 1951. (Contradicts story that while nursemaid, she left Borley in 1886 because she heard "ghostly footsteps," the apparent first recorded paranormal event at Borley.)

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

Cannell, J.C. "Violent Rectory Ghost." Daily Sketch. London. February 9, 1932. (Second of three articles. "Never before in the history of ghosts has a spook been so violent." Recounts many incidents from Lionel's diary such as Marianne being struck under her eye, and having a piece of metal strike her. Relates that a "brick was thrown on to the table and missed the rector's plate by a few inches." Lionel's record says the brick "dropped." Repeats earlier mistake that "several other families who have occupied the house have been driven to leave it in 'shear desperation.'" Does not identify source of the last quote.")**photocopy

Cannell, J.C. "Visit to Haunted House." Daily Sketch. London. February 10, 1932. (Third of three articles. "When the rector's wife found her Christian name written mysteriously on slips of paper in unexpected places she or her husband wrote on one of the, 'What do you want?' The ghost's answer, found some time afterward was: 'rest.' Some queer sort of pencil seems to have been used in the ghost-writing." Cannell relates story of his visit under the heading "Difference in Ages," but no further allusion to the heading is made. He writes, "A cold wind was blowing when I stepped from my taxi and rang the bell. The rector's wife opened the door to me. I found the rector and his wife reluctant to talk about the mysterious things that have happened in the house. 'Things are quiet here now, and will, I think, remain so,' said the rector in a low voice. His wife, in a pretty frock, puffed at a cigarette in front of the fire. There was a long pause and then she said, 'Do you know that people are saying that I am the victim of hysteria and cause things to happen?' I looked at her in astonishment, and asked, 'Are there people who seriously suggest that you throw bricks at yourself and throw pepper in your own eyes?' She shrugged her shoulders and answered, 'It has been hinted at.' When I offered my services as a vice president of the Magician's Club, and an investigator of the mysterious, they were refused. I bade the rector and his wife good-night, and then left them, with the mystery of the rectory unsolved.")**photocopy

Carter, Julia (sub-editor) "Truth About Haunted House." Thetford and Watton Times. 2nd Nov 2000. p. 20. (Review of We Faked The Ghosts of Borley Rectory by Louis Mayerling.) ** photocopy

Catton, Frank. "Spooks Rout a Rector." 1938. (Mishmash, getting names twisted in circles, but presents unique tale of nun in the hosue - the one and only such description - which is questionable, bearing in mind the other mistakes throughout the article.) ** photocopy courtesy of Barbara Clements

"Chapter in Ghost Hunting." Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland. May 10, 1941.

Chisolm, A.H. "Eerie No-Man's Land Beyond our Knowledge." Melbourne Herald. Melbourne. December 14, 1940. (Short review of "The Book of the Week," The Most Haunted House in England. Calls the book "a detailed and well-written discussion" of a "weird story.")**photocopy

Chinery, Colin. "Haunting hoax. . . . or was it?" Eastern Daily Press, October 21, 2000. Front page promotion, centerfold. (Review of Louis Mayerling book, We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory. Hugh reproduction of Underwood model photograph, one of Mayerling, and one each of T.E. Lawrence and G.B. Shaw. Although the caption under the photo claims Mayerling "does not have explanations for everything that happened," the interview supports his claim "It was all a fake." Describes the information provided by Mayerling as factual, including the seance attended by Shaw and Lawrence. No confirmation of the claims is explored, nor are they questioned.) ** photocopy

Clarke, Andrew. "Louis Was There, Like Forest Gump." Suffolk Free Press. November 2, 2000. p.7 (Response to publicity in the previous edition - October 26 - reviewing We Faked The Ghosts of Borley Rectory by Louis Mayerling.) ** photocopy

Combes, Alan. "The Chance of a Ghost." The Guardian. October 27, 1988. (Large photo of rectory, and a rare photo of Henry Bull. An entire page dedicated to "The Chance of a Ghost" bringing out the worst in visitors. As the churchwarden told the reporter, "The people of this village are absolutely fed up of the story. In all the time we've lived here, the only disturbances have been human ones." Simon Marsden is referred to as Simon Marshall. Implies Henning promoted the haunting to attract tourists and their donations. Complete text.) **

"Cottage Next to 'ghost' site sold." East Anglain Daily Times. February 23, 1984. (Previous owner was Mike Martin. Sold for "over 70,000 UKP" to Col. and Mrs. Dorey.) ** photocopy

Crane, Harvey. "Can the Ghost of Borley be Buried?" News Chronicle. April 11, 1959. (Calls the authors of The Haunting of Borley Rectory, "the scoffers who accused Harry Price, the greatest of ghost seekers, of rigging the whole legend.")

Crick, Reverend Walter. "Vestals and Nuns." The Times. May, 1939. (In response to discussion precipitated by the running commentary on "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." Offers historical evidence for being buried alive dating back to Roman times.) **photocopy

Crisp, Clement. "Streets of whimsy BALLET:" Financial Times. London. Sep 26, 2001. Review of "A Streetcar Named Desire" production by Northern Ballet Theatre. ("The production is more tediously equipped with ectoplasm than anything since Borley Rectory, celebrated in the annals of poltergeists as "the most haunted house in Britain".) Internet version.

The Daily Mirror. June 17, 1929. (One of five articles regarding Borley.)

Daniel, Reverend Ivor. "Bricking Up of Nuns." The Times. May, 1939. (In response to discussion precipitated by the running commentary on "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." Specifically aimed at letter from B. N. Gould, he writes, "There was no nunnery in the neighborhood. . . . The story about the 'nun' is quite modern.") **photocopy

Dark, Sidney. "Psychical Research." Church Times. London. October 25, 1940.

"The Deemster: Most Haunted House." Essex Weekly News. Chelmsford. September 27, 1940. (Review of MHH says it is "most entertaining.")

"Dromio: Can These Things Be?" Huddersfield Weekly Examiner. Huddersfield. December 7, 1940.

Dujardin, Richard C. "Sister 'Found' After 45 Years." The Evening Bulletin Providence, Rhode Island, December 23, 1974. p. B-1. (Group photo of Adelaide and her five brothers and sisters. How Adelaide was reunited with her remaining family with the help of Alan Roper and William and Della Burton. Marianne had not told Adelaide - born Barbara Tower - that she had any immediate family, and had asked her sister Edna Tower to pretend she was a cousin when she wrote letters to Borley. The communications continued after leaving the rectory, but stopped after Lionel died in 1945. The 29 year absence bothered the Tower children - by then living in Rhode Island - and finally they tried to locate their sister. "For three weeks, Wallace Tower traveled about the English countryside, placing ads in newspapers and tracking down leads. On his last day, he was approached by a man [unnamed] who told him that the minister's wife had remarried and moved to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Wallace went to Wisconsin, found the former Mrs. Foyster, who, after some reluctance, provided him with his sister's last known address. He wrote to the address and learned it had been demolished." Their friends the Burtons entered the hunt, and they in turn contacted Roper. Roper poured through voting lists and finally found Adelaide - now married but still living in England. Adelaide, "a slender woman with fair skin and twinkling eyes, admitted . . . . that since the call [from Wallace] she hadn't been able to sleep or eat." At the time, Adelaide was a nursery school teacher, married to an engineer.) **

East Anglian Daily Times. July, 1955. (Combines appointment of new rector, Reverend Edward Lanfrane Morgan Mathias, with resumption of digging by Philip Paul. Mathias replaced the late Reverend Alfred Henning. Installation was to be on anniversary of the nun's appearance, July 28. In Some Unseen Power, Paul quotes from the article "Big day for Borley. Rector comes; 'nun' expected." The bishop was "not amused," recalls Paul.)

The Economist. April 7, 956. (Mostly negative review of The Ghosts of Borley by Tabori and Underwood. "The record of cumulative suggestion, embroidery, misrepresentation, practical joking and downright fraud painstakingly analysed by the authors of this book, is as good in its way as the ghost story itself. . . .the authors' level-headed and patient unraveling of incident after incident, discrepancy after discrepancy, does the subject full justice. Entertaining as the book is, it leaves a slightly nasty taste in the mouth. . . . because the whole long drawn-out Borley affair at once constituted a debasement of popular opinion and thought. Everything that was shoddy, muzzy, slipshod and anti-rational in the public mind responded to and throve on, the Borley sensation. It will take more than this antidote to counter so massive and thoroughly assimilated a dose of dope." )

The Economist. Exact date unknown, 1956 (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. In part it says, "The record of cumulative suggestion, embroidery, misinterpretation, practical joking and downright fraud, painstakingly analyzed by the authors of this book, is as good in its way as the ghost story itself.")

Editorial in the Church Times. September 28, 1945. Review of Poltergeist Over England.

Edwards, A.T.G. "Ghost and a Poet." Western Mail. Cardiff. October 22, 1940.

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

Eeles, Barbara. "Borley bids to beat churchyard vandals." Suffolk Free Press. July 2003. (Cable television monitors installed to cope with damage, rowdy visitors.) ** reprint

Eeles, Barbara. "The Borley Ghost: a confession." Suffolk Free Press. October 26, 2000. p. 20. Photo of Mayerling reading his book, of Price, of Marianne with champagne bottle, of the Peter Underwood model, of the burned out rectory, and of the "small and gloomy dining room" which is challenged the next week in a letter from Molly Alcock. (Full page review of We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory by Louis Mayerling. Does not challenge or substantiate information provided by Mayerling.) **

Elrington, Aidan. "England's Most Haunted House." Catholic Herald. London. November 22, 1940.

Evening Standard London. Summer of 1955. (Asked BBC reporter Michael Henderson whether he believed in ghosts after filming "Panorama" segment with Philip Paul, Ethel Bull, etc. His reply was, "I do now.")

Everitt, Brian. (No title) Daily Mail, January 9, 2001. p. 69. (Letter to the editor, probably inspired by Colin Wilson article of January 3. "I was born in Sudbury in 1932, and my father was the telephonist on duty at Sudbury Exchange on the day the Borley Rectory - Britain's 'most haunted house' - burned down. A local person phoned the exchange shouting 'Quick! Send the fire brigade,' but failed to say where to. My father traced the call and alerted the fire brigade, receiving a commendation for his prompt action. I also recall how, in the early Fifties, Rev Kiplin from Sudbury was standing outside Borley Church awaiting the funeral of a Mrs Scrivener when he saw the figure of a nun pass from one tree to another.") **

Fairfield, Dr. Letitia. "Exit Mr. Price and the Poltergeist." The New Statesman and Nation. January 28, 1956. (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. In New Light on Old Ghosts, Hall says the review mentions "the dissolution of the Borley ghost had not been unexpected." Fairfield says, "Their adverse report, to which it is difficult to see an answer, is all the more devastating for its judicial temper and tactful handling of tricky personal issues." This lengthy 20 inch column continues to praise the trio and attack Price: "How far was Price ready to go in the actual manufacture of evidence to support a hoax?" Suggests Marianne used Amherst as a pattern. Fairfield also wrote a letter to the editor of The Times debunking coaches and walled up nuns. Claims that for the first time anywhere, she is explaining how Price wrote to Eric Dingwall that the flying brick photo involved "no trickery," with that phrase underlined four times. "The fact was that to the knowledge of all three observers [Price, reporter from LIFE, and photographer] the bricks were being thrown across the yard by a bricklayer engaged in demolishing a wall." Quotes an excerpt from a letter by Mrs. Smith although there is no indication to whom the missive is addressed: "I believe Mr. Price must now [since his death] recognise the harm he produced by adding to all the absurd rumours and getting so much publicity for silly takes, and I feel I must now want ti to stop, and that I may bring rest to him by helping to bring this about.")**

Fairfield, Dr. Letitia. "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." The Times. April 22, 1939. (Reaction to article of April 20. "Like many of your readers, I am constantly on the look-out for a ghost in whom I can believe, but Mr. Harry Price's account of the haunted house in Essex has not helped me in the least. . . .Coaches were unknown in England until after 1550. . . . If [the lay brother] was in fact hanged, it must have been for the apportation of the horses and not of the lady. Not is it clear how the novice could have been 'bricked up,' as this punishment has been shown over and over again to be mythical.") **photocopy

Fairfield, Dr. Letitia. "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." The Times. May 3, 1939. (Answer to Price's reply of April 29. "I am greatly relieved to hear that [Mr. Price] does not believe in the legend of the runaway monk and nun. . . .I bitterly regret that I am too late to meet the Borley poltergeist, in whom I do not need a black eye to make me believe. These strange happenings are too well established to be doubted. . . . but the 'walled-up nun' is more likely to elude the inquiring mind.") **photocopy

"Fire at a Haunted House." Two Worlds." March 10, 1939. ("Captain Gregson says, 'There is no accounting for the bursting of the lamp,' and the villagers are convinced that it was due to the discarnate action of the monk.")**photocopy

"Fire in Most Haunted House in England." Evening Standard. London. February 28, 1939. ("For 50 years it has had a reputation for ghosts. About 1929 the manifestations became so serious that the tenants left.")**photocopy

"Firemen fight to save church after passer-by spots smoke." East Anglian Daily Times. December 1, 1986. p. 9 (Two distressing photos showing burned items lying outside. "Three engines attended, and firemen had to use breathing apparatus. . . . The fire is thought to have started in the vestry and quickly spread to the belfry, burning the timber floor of the bell tower. . . .[which] was quite seriously damaged. Vestments and old church documents were also lost in the blaze." Rector Christopher Cook and residents "strongly deny any question of the church being haunted.")** dark photocopy

Flew, Antony G.N. The Spectator, January 27, 1956. (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. In New Light, and The Skeptics Handbook by Kurtz, Hall says the article calls Borley a " house of cards which Harry Price built out of little more than a pack of lies.")

Floyd, Randall. "MANSION BOASTS IT'S MOST HAUNTED." The Augusta Chronicle August 30, 1998. ("Borley Rectory, a handsome, twin-gabled Victorian mansion perched atop a gently sloping hill overlooking the Stour River in Essex, has been described as one of the most beautiful houses in England. Some say it is also one of the most haunted." The only reference ever made describing the rectory as "beautiful." Present tense makes it appear the rectory is still standing.)

"Get Hunting For a Prize." Essex Chronicle. November 20, 1998. (Borley comes up as part of a contest. Pertinent paragraph posted.) ** photocopy

Ghent. Percy. "Most Haunted House in England and its Tenant From Canada." Toronto Evening Telegram. Toronto. July 20, 1941. (Not sure about publication data on this one.)

"Ghost Fete at Rectory." Daily Herald. London. May 1, 1939. (Preview of meeting to which the Ghost Club planned to meet on site. "By a special correspondent." Price? "Even the fire could not smoke out the ghostly lodgers." Price relates he has "solemn testimony of two people from Long Melford who saw [the White Lady] in the light of the full moon. . . .leaning out of the window of the Blue Room.")**photocopy

"Ghost of a Nun." Calvalcade. London. September 28, 1940.

"Ghost organist is heard again." Evening Standard. October 30, 1947. (Reverend Henning and novelist Norah Burke were approaching to inspect the altar and heard music. "We hurried to the church, but found it empty, and the music had stopped.")** photocopy

"Ghosts at the Rectory." Glasgow Herald. Glasgow. October 5, 1940.

"Ghosts Live in Burned House." Sunday Graphic. London. March 5, 1939. (Gregson quoted extensively. "And the most haunted room of all was unscathed either by the flames or the deluge from the fire brigade hoses." He relates story of broken glass full of water that left no trace of moisture. "Many things have been upset or moved, and usually we have had family arguments as to who had been 'mucking about.'")

"Ghosts." Medical Press. London. December 25, 1940.

Goulds, B.N. "Bricking Up of Nuns." The Times. April 27, 1939. (In response to discussion precipitated by the running commentary on "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." Writes that a monastery and nunnery were located at Pembroke. "The skeleton of a woman kneeling," was found on a staircase.) **photocopy

Gray, Howard A. "The Riddle of Borley." Observer. London. October 13, 1940.

Gregson, W.H. Account of the rectory fire. Sunday Graphic. London. March 5, 1939.

Grimley, Terry. "Ghosts in the video machine." Birmingham Post May 18, 1999. p. 15. (Review of exhibit at Ikon Gallery of the Birminghan Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibit includes a 75-minute video demonstrating Harry Price's investigation into Gef the mongoose. The introduction of the article describes Borley. "The 1920s and 30s were a golden age for ghosts and supernatural happenings in Britain, and my theory is that this is somehow linked to the trauma of living through the First World War. Turn over any of the celebrated cases of the time - like Borley Rectory, the "Most Haunted House in England", with its spectral nun, automatic writing, hovering bricks and destruction by fire - and out scuttles Harry Price, Britain's leading, but ultimately discredited, ghostbuster.") ** photocopy

Harley, J. East Anglican Daily Times. March 15, 1956. (Describes being watched while at Borley as "a curious sensation impossible to explain but not in the least frightening.")

"Haunted House." Manchester Guardian. October 4, 1940. (Review of MHH calls it "a conscientious and well-written record.")

"Haunted House." News Review. London. October 3, 1940.

"Haunted House." Public Opinion. October 4, 1940. (Review of MHH calls it a "well-documented book.")

"Haunted House." Scottish Guardian. Dundee. October 25, 1940.

"Haunted Rooms Escaped [Fire]." Daily Sketch. London. March 1, 1939. p. 3. ("England's oldest ghost, that of a monk. . . .is thought by villagers to have caused the fire which yesterday destroyed the building. Only the haunted rooms in this most haunted house of 26 rooms escaped. In one of them writing appeared on the wall. In another unearthly lights have been seen. . . . Exactly ten years ago a mysterious fire occurred and this, following on other unexplained happenings, made the occupants leave." Small fire in unused room actually occurred in May of 1931, and was not instrumental in making Foysters leave. Explains how the "London Council of Psychical Investigation [Harry Price] once rented the rectory for several months and conducted an investigation. But the ghostly lovers eluded them.")**photocopy

"Hauntings for free at local store." Standard-Examiner. Ogden Utah. Friday, May 18, 2001. p. 25 "go!" insert. ("An allegedly haunted local bookstore will be the site of a presentation about another, more well-known spooky place this weekend. Vincent O'Neil, president of the Borley Ghost Society, will talk about Borley Rectory -- known around the world as the "most haunted house in England" -- at 3 p.m. Saturday at The Bookshelf. O'Neil is the son of Marianne Foyster, considered the most famous resident of the rectory after alleged spirits wrote messages to her, asking "Marianne, please get help" and "Get light, mass, prayers." Foyster and her husband were apparently not frightened away from the home, even though 2,000 paranormal events were said to have occurred during their five-year stay. Most events involved pebbles or other objects being thrown, but some included the sounds of footsteps and appearance or disappearance of various objects. Borley Rectory was built in 1863 as a home for the Rev. Henry Bull and his family. His son, Harry, was suspected of being one of the ghosts. Researchers say there are 19 other possible sources for the spirits, including a nun and monk who were killed there. The rectory mysteriously burned down in 1939. O'Neil has a background in radio and television and in public relations. In 1995, he created an Internet Web site to learn all he could about Borley. He formed the ghost society in 1998 as a central organization to collect and share the information he receives. The Bookshelf has, itself, become somewhat known for its ghostly encounters, according to several employees. The shop has been investigated by several ghost hunters who claim to have photographed or experienced unusual phenomena. Admission is free. For more information, visit the Web site.") Internet version.

"He was recording nightingales And Heard Ghostly Tappings at Borley Rectory." Suffolk and Essex Free Press. May 29, 1947. (Front and back page spread with six photos - the Ambrose etching, Rev. Henning, the Turners, interior of the church, Price, and the uncovered altar stone. Written on the eve of gathering material for BBC documentary with focus on Turners. Appeal to visitors to "stand and stare" but not to "intrude upon [their] privacy." Only a brief review of the haunting is included, as if the residents were quite aware of its history. Complete text.) **

Henning, Mrs. A.C. "Most Haunted House in England." Cambridge Daily News. Cambridge. April 19, 1945. (Report of her lecture to the Women's Luncheon Club.)

Hill, Amelia. "Hoaxer's confession lays the famed ghosts of Borley." Observer. Sunday December 31, 2000. (Review of We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory by Louis Mayerling.) ** Internet version

"Internet Search - ghosts." Daily Mail. October 27, 1998. ("Some spooky sites for Halloween......BORLEY RECTORY: Chilly goings-on at ‘the most haunted house in England,' in East Anglia, recalled by the man whose mother lived there for five hair-raising years in the Thirties. It burned down in 1939. Wonder why?" The brief blurb that resulted in Ian's daughter Maureen contacting Vincent O'Neil.) ** clipping

Jackson, J.H. "Ghost Hunt in the Most Haunted House in England." San Francisco Chronicle. California. January 8, 1941.

Jeffrey, P. Shaw. "Mysteries of Borley Rectory." Cape Times. Cape Town. January 1941. ("I saw [the ghostly nun] several times. The ghostly coach-and-four I heard sweep down the much-too-narrow lane beside the Rectory so often that I used to sleep through the noise.")

Jenkins, Rachel. "Silent village shuns the TV ghost hunters." East Anglian Daily Times. November 25, 1994. (Short article previews showing of "Strange But True" to air on television that evening. "Residents. . . . cold-shouldered television researchers as they tried to compile footage for tonight's episode. . . . The reason behind the silence is the plague of late-night visitors, drunken youths, and dedicated ghost hunters who are drawn by such publicity and make villager's lives a living hell. Resident Ben Bousquet told the paper, "I do not believe that there is or ever has been a ghost in the village. You cannot find a villager who has seen it." He criticizes the "intrusion of my privacy," and asks, "How would these people feel if we went to their homes screaming, shouting, and behaving in an appalling manner?" Refers to the Robert Wood book The Widow of Borley, by reporting, "Marianne Foyster . . . was guilty of 'fraud on a truly incredible scale,' according to [Wood].")**

Joad, C.E.M. "Ghosts." Sunday Dispatch. London. December 24, 1944.

---- "The Ghosts of Borley." Indian Express. Bombay. April 28, 1941.

Joad, C.E.M. "The Ghosts of Borley." Spectator. London. October 18, 1940. (Book review of The Most Haunted House in England. "Thank God, I say, for ghosts! . . . . a generation grows up with nothing to revere and precious little to wonder at.. . . . thank God for Mr. Price, who seeks them so successfully, pursues them so indefatigably, and writes about them so excitingly." Quite a long review, which teases at some of the phenomena without re-telling the entire legend. "Explanations are not Mr. Price's job, which is to draw up a statement of the evidence, to prepare a brief, for the jury of readers, and to leave the verdict to them. . . . he [does] offer some tentative suggestions." Joad was one of the observers during the Price lease. He witnessed new pencil marks during one visit.) ** photocopy

---- "What I Think About Ghosts." Star. London. October 21, 1940.

Keane, Gary; Randall, Neville. "Focus on Fact." The Daily Sketch, December 17,1964. (Describes Price as reporting on "a long line of supernatural manifestations.")

King, Richard. "Strange Case of Borley Rectory." Tatler. London. October 23, 1940. No. 2052. Book review of MHH. ("If a ghost blackened my eye, locked me in my own room, threw stones at me in my own house, and tried to set that house in fire - well, honestly, I should feel compelled to believe in something.. . . .Consequently, when [Price] hints that he disbelieves the supernatural, I begin to wonder what would convince him!" This book "is just about the most convincing account of a Poltergeist I have ever read." Incorrectly mixes the appearance of the old coat with the Bull tenancy, when it was actually discovered during Price's lease. Of the lease it indicates Price invited his investigators "to live there" when in reality they were only observers. Correctly points out the Bulls left "for pressing reasons unconnected with [the disturbances]." They both died there.) ** photocopy

The Londoner. "The Most Haunted House." Unknown. (Probably about 1940, as it anticipates publication of the first Price book. Humorous, almost sarcastic look. "This land knew naught of [such a coach] and would know no more for at least a generation." He wonders if even the plague pit might "seem a false pit." Mistakenly refers to tenure of un-named Smiths as "a few weeks.") **partial photocopy

Lowman, Patrick. "Rectory's ghostly tales 'were just high spirits.'" East Anglian Daily Times. Tuesday, October 21, 2000. pp. 22-3. Three complimentary photos of Louis Mayerling, one with his book, and two outside some ruins. (Review of We Faked the Ghosts of Borley by Louis Mayerling. Assumes what Mayerling has written is factual, both about his personal history and that of the rectory. Prints Mayerling's assertion "Price knew there were no ghosts at Borley.") ** photocopy

Lowman, Patrick. "Author's book on haunted rectory fails to lay ghosts." East Anglian Daily Times. Tuesday, January 2, 2001. p. 9. (Vincent O'Neil challenges How We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory by Louis Mayerling.) copy

L'Strange, Guy P. Yarmouth Independent. Great Yarmouth. July 7, 1934. (Wilson reports in Poltergeist that L'Strange wrote an account of his visit to the rectory. Underwood adds the initials "J.P." after his name, and talked to him for his Gazetteer. In America, J.P. stands for Justice of the Peace. Edsall provides date of newspaper publication.)

--------- "Haunted Houses." Yarmouth Mercury. Great Yarmouth. December 28, 1940.

--------- "The Haunted Rectory." Norwich Mercury. Norwich. December 24, 1942.

--------- "Visit to Haunted Rectory." Yarmouth Mercury. Great Yarmouth. January 16, 1937.

Loftus, Harry. "What is Secret of Haunted Rectory?" Reynolds News. London. September 30, 1945.

"Lounger." "Essex Haunted House Mystery." East Anglican Daily Times. Ipswich. September 23, 1940.

Marden, Gina. "Uncovering Borley's supernatural secrets." Essex Enquirer, Thusday 30 October 2003. p. 13. Photo of church by Eddie Brazil. (Visit by reporter and medium Sandy Wilkinson, who felt presence of a monk. "None of us could say we saw or felt anything untoward.") ** photocopy

Mayerling, Louis. "He's wrong and I stand by every word I wrote." Suffolk Free Press. January 18, 2001. (Defense of Vincent O'Neil article in the same issue.) ** photocopy

"Monk Saved Me From an Evil Strangler." The People. September 22, 1996. (Article draws on several exploits of Peter Underwood. Near the end, it reports, "Borley Church is across the road from the site of Borley Rectory in Essex. It was the most haunted house in England until it burned down almost 60 years ago. Many investigators have measured and scientifically recorded incidents there which have no rational explanation. Ghostly activities include a phantom nun, shadowy and veiled figures, the smell of incense, ghostly bells, organ music, invisible footsteps, abnormal coldness, and the sounds of doors opening and closing.") ** photocopy

McCulloch, Joseph. "Ghosthunting fraud." Times. London. November ?? 1978. (Reviews the Trevor Hall book, The Search for Harry Price. Hall "leaves the unfortunate Harry Price naked to posterity, without a rag of integrity, and with utterly nothing to his credit except a final grudging admission that in collecting a large library of books on his subject and leaving it to the University of London, he rated one useful achievement.")

McKenna, Andrew. "Journey Into The Unknown." Inside TV, London: unknown. p. 49. (Reviews program about Kevin Taylor finding Astrid in Perth, Australia.)

"A Most Haunted House." Aberdeen Press and Journal. Aberdeen. October 2, 1940.

"The Most Haunted House in England is Investigated." Star. London. September 23, 1940. (Review of MHH calls it "a lively record.")

"The Most Haunted House in England." Sunday Dispatch. London. September 22, 1940.

"The Most Haunted House in England: Borley Rectory and its Ghosts." Irish Times. Dublin. November 11, 1940.

"Most Haunted Rectory." Reading Standard. Reading. October 8, 1940.

"Mr. Harry Price." The Times. Tuesday, March 30, 1948. Obituary, "Psychical Research." (photocopy)

Murphy, Reverend B. P. "The Walled-Up Nun." The Times. May, 1939. (In response to discussion precipitated by the running commentary on "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." Offers humorous evidence for being buried alive by quoting a question given to Sir William Butler, "Isn't it true that your Church entices young girls into convents and then if they want to escape you wall them up alive?" The reply; "Yes, madam, it is perfectly true. In fact, we have a special religious order in the Church for that very purpose. We call them Trappists.") **photocopy

"Mystery of a Rectory." The Times Literary Supplement. London. October 5, 1940. Author unnamed. (Review of MHH calls it "another valuable piece of evidence." Brief synopsis of legend. "Mr. Price with his usual thoroughness has set out the evidence for the story of this haunting at great length, and claims that it is of the kind that would be acceptable in a court of law, involving, as it does, the testimony of a hundred different witnesses, a large number of whom could not be charged with prejudice." Without naming Marianne, the reviewer writes, "while she was innocent of any intention to produce phenomena, her emanations (?teleplasmic) could be used by the Poltergeister.") ** photocopy

"The Mystery of Borley Rectory in Essex." Essex County Standard. Colchester. September 3, 1943.

Noble, Freda, I. "The Borley Ghosts." Suffolk and Essex Free Press. 14 June 1929. Letter to the Editor. ("Sir, I have read with interest the account of the Borley Ghosts and also the traditional story relating to them. With regard to the latter, I would point out a small historical discrepancy. Somewhere between 1529 and 1547, Henry 8th surpressed all the smaller monasteries and nunneries in the land, seizing their money and scattering their communities. Had there been a monastery or convent on the site of Borley Rectory at the time, which is extremely doubtful though there may have been one there much earlier in history, there certainly would have been no resident monks or nuns after 1547. The first coach to be seen in England according to Chambers Encyclopaedia vol 3 was made by Walter Rippon for the Earl of Rutland in 1599, during the reign of Mary Tudor. Later, a more elaborate coach was made by the same man for Queen Elizabeth. The coaches were very primitive affairs, without glass and having broad wheels suited to the wretchedness of the roads at the time. Except for the more expensive kinds, many of the first coaches were roofless too. So it would seem that the nun of Borley and the coachman could never have met during life on this earth, their only appearance being a ghostly one. This does not discredit their separate appearances in the vicinity, but one belongs to an earlier period then the other two and this history would disprove the traditional ghost story. I think there must be two legends but time has interwoven them as the story has been handed down. Freda I. Noble, Bridge house, Lyston, Long Melford, Suffolk.") Courtesy Foxearth Historical Society.

North, Rex. Title unknown. The Sunday Pictorial. October 13, 1946. (Two pages, with photo of Liston burial, and wood cutting of fire. Probably in reaction to publication of The End of Borley. Reviews history and legend. Events become telescoped, thus causing inaccuracies. Mistakenly says, "It wasn't long [after they moved in] before the Foysters were pleading with Mr. Price to go once more to Borley Rectory." Errors when it states that after Price put an ad in The Times, "the house was kept under constant surveillance night and day, inside and out." Sub-headline and article mistakenly relate, "nothing ever happened on a Sunday.") **photocopy

The Observer September, 1979 [approximate]. (Belated review of Search for Harry Price by Trevor Hall. Describes Price as an "impresario of the Borley spoof. . . . who played on the susceptibilities of the public as on a stringed instrument." While Hall was compelled to attack Price, the reviewer felt Price had the last laugh because "He has succeeded in goading the good Dr. Hall from beyond the veil into something like the symptoms of mild possession.")

The Observer. Exact date unknown, 1956. (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. Says, "not one brick in the whole extraordinary fabric of suggestion, muddle-mindedness, gullibility and publicity-hunting remains on another.")

O'Neil. Vincent. "Chapter and verse: why his Borley book just doesn't add up to me." Suffolk Free Press. January 18, 2001. Photo of author, and Peter Underwood model of the rectory. ("Researcher Vincent O'Neil, whose mother lived at the Rectory, takes author Louis Mayerling to task over [We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory]." Mayerling replies, "He's wrong and I stand by every word I wrote." ) text

Page, Philip. "Story of a Peace Time Ghost Hunt." Daily Mail. London. September 26, 1940. (Review of MHH says, "It would be stupid. . . to be skeptical.")

Pannifer, Bill. "Websites - Jihads, poltergeists, and how to avoid aging." Network. Newspaper Publishing. August 31, 1998. p. 13. ("Borley Rectory - the most haunted house in England. http://www.borleyrectory.com/ These intriguing pages teem with ghosts, poltergeists, and phantoms, but are also about a search for roots. Ipswich born, Utah-based Vincent O'Neil is is an actor and broadcaster whose account of a notorious haunted house in Suffolk also involves discoveries about his own adoption and the colourful past of his foster-mother. Trouble at the Rectory-- including an inexplicable flying brick photographed by LIFE magazine in 1948 -- seems to have been caused by a mediaeval nun walled up nearby for an adulterous liaison. When O'Neil's mum stayed there in the 'thirties she witnessed hundreds of putatively paranormal goings-on, though she herself seems not to have been convinced. Her son still insists there's something to explore in the long, spooky history of the place. Much of the ectoplasm is commercial-grade: there are ghost tours in the offing, and chapter-by-chapter links to his books which, once the reader is hooked, finish half way with the URLs of subsequent instalments available at ten dollars each. An audio clip of Mother's favourite movie is also included-- *Psycho*, inevitably.") ** photocopy

Paul, Phlip. "Ghosts Still Walk at Borley - the most haunted spot in England." Publishing data not available. Post 1948. (Paul conducted various digging operations between 1954 and 56, so this article may fall in that time frame. Reproduction of "Well look bottom me" wall writing. "Here Mr. Philip Paul, who is continuing Mr. Price's work, describes strange events which have happened and are still happening at the site of the Rectory." In an attempt to summarize the complete legend, Paul slips up when he writes, "The ghosts certainly concentrated on [Marianne]. For she and her husband were frequently thrown out of bed." Lionel was not a victim of this phenomena. The number of rooms escalates to 35 instead of the 26 shown by the graphics in both of the Price books. Four of those rooms are fuel/storage rooms, so the habitable number of rooms was really 22, including the chapel, pantries, and bathrooms. Misleading when Paul says, "Price and Foyster knelt outside the door while Price recited a prayer," to free Marianne from a locked room. Foyster said the first prayer, whereupon all three recited The Lord's Prayer. Another misleading paragraph indicates Marianne "was confronted by a menacing shape [and] when she attempted to pass it she was truck in the face. The wound bled profusely." Profuse bleeding was never a part of the record. Ends with quote from Waldegrave tomb, "As we are, so shall you be.")** pasted inside The End of Borley Rectory.

Piney, Dr. A. "Bricking Up of Nuns." The Times. May, 1939. (In response to discussion precipitated by the running commentary on "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." Writes, "Skeletons, unless specially prepared and arranged by experts, do not and cannot kneel. . . . Kneeling skeletons and walled-up nuns are more fun than sea-serpents, but are even less likely ever to have existed.") **photocopy

Pope, Kyle. "London Ghost Clubs Just Can't Summon Spirit of Conciliation." The Wall Street Journal. August 25, 1994. pp. 1, 6. (In discussing schism between The Ghost Club and The Ghost Club Society, Borley is mentioned in passing. "The Ghost Club of Britain," Pope writes, ". . . .tracked a ghost nun said to appear every July 28 at Borley Rectory in Essex.") ** photocopy

Price, Harry. [?] "Confessions of a Ghost Hunter; Further Confessions of a Ghost Hunter." Series of 12 articles in the Sunday Sun. Newcastle. November 24, 1929 - March 2, 1930.

Price, Harry [?]"The Devil Comes to London." Sunday Dispatch. April 16, 1933. (Goss lists this as a Borley reference, then says it talks about Eleanore Zugun?)

Price, Harry [?] No title - filler. The Observer. March 5, 1939. ("Borley Rectory, which has been burned down, was perhaps the most notorious of to-day's 'haunted houses.' It had received careful attention from Mr. Harry Price and other investigators. Its ghost, a nun, was said to have had a record of several centuries. But what happens to a ghost when its house is burned down? All the evidence available seems to show that a reverent wants a roof over its head as much as its original did. One never hears of a ghost haunting a heap of stones or a scorched patch of grass, any more than one hears of the Psychical Research Society advertising, 'Lost - a ghost....'")** photocopy

----- "Haunted House." Advertisement for observers. The Times. London. May 25, 1937. ----- "Ten Years Investigation of Borley Rectory." The Times. London. April 20, 1939. (Report of his slide presentation or "lantern lecture.")

-----. "Strange Happenings at the Rectory." The Times. April 29, 1939. (Answer to criticism of Dr. Letitia Fairchild printed April 22. "There is no word in my paper that suggests that I think [the phenomena] were caused by spirits, or that I believe in the legends. On the contrary, in my opening remarks, I said the Borley mystery is 'the most remarkable alleged haunting in the annals of psychical research' which it is. . . . I disclaim any ownership [of the legend] as the story has been current for at least 50 years.") **photocopy

"Properties of the Week - Haunted Houses" Sunday Times 10/29/00 UK: - Property. (No 1 School Road is a semi-detached house in Borley, near Sudbury, Suffolk, which is considered to be one of the most haunted villages in England, writes Mary Wilson. The site of Borley Rectory is regularly visited by ghost hunters and there have been sightings of an eloping nun and a groom, a French maid who was murdered and another nun. On the ground floor there are a dining room, sitting room, conservatory with underfloor heating, kitchen and bathroom. On the first floor there are three bedrooms. There is a garden, summer house and views across the countryside. Mullucks Wells (phone number) is selling it for £167,500.)

"Queer." Suffolk Free Press. Sudbury. May 24, 1944. (Strange events during demolition.)

R-----, N. "Examination of the Rectory That Was Haunted." Rand Daily Mail. Johannesburg. November 16, 1940.

"Rectory Ghost Goes West in Flames." Daily Mail. London. March 1, 1939. ("In 1929, during a series of hauntings, a fire broke out in an unused locked room.")**photocopy

"Rectory of Legend on Fire." News Chronicle. London. March 1, 1939. ("Captain Gregson said, 'I have had no alarming experience [except] peculiar noises.' Compare to comments in The Observer of April 30, 1939, wherein Gregson relates a couple of "unaccountable" things, as well as to claim in the Sunday Graphic of March 5, 1939 wherein he said, "Many things have been upset or moved.")**photocopy

Rendall, Rev. Canon G.H. "The Haunted Rectory House at Borley." Essex County Standard. Colchester. January 18, 1941.

Rennie, Mark. "The ghost story that just refuses to die." Suffolk Free Press. November 24, 1994. Centerfold. (Three related articles. Five photos, including newspaper advertisement for June 13, 1929 stating "The Borley Ghost returns. Eat DOVE'S Gold Medal Bread, and you will return for more." Aerial photo after cottages were built. Contemporary photo of church. Rectory photo with caption, "The rectory may be gone and the research by Harry Price. . . . is nowadays called into question - leaving villagers exasperated and angry that the area is still a target for ghost hunters, vandals, and noisy louts." Lead article quickly summarizes legend, with photo from June 13, 1929 issue about "The Borley Ghost." Sidebar reviews "Strange But True" television episode to show the following day. Article points out the rector in office during the filming - Father Aquinas - refused access to the church. Villagers also refused to cooperate. "We are not frightened of the ghosts," one villager said. "It's the people who come here at all hours of the day and night who frighten us." Free Press editor since 1958, Geoff Brown, did participate on the program, and said, "Most people around here believe something has happened down there and they all seem to have their own stories." One of those stories is retold in the third article. Reverend Leslie Pennel and his wife Ursula recall a rainy night when "A shadowy figure in grey loomed up in front of us," as they were driving past the rectory. Pennel was rector at the time. "The couple got out and looked around, but mysteriously there was no one there.")**

Sayers, John. "Eye witness account." Suffolk Free Press. November 2, 2000. p. 7. ("At least last week's story on the mysterious occurrences surrounding the old Borley Rectory did not entirely discount certain unexplainable incidents, including the falling door-bell! Perhaps Louis Mayerling's sweeping statement [in We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory] that the continuing Borley saga is nothing more than an episode of linked hoaxes falls short of some folk's real-life experiences. I can recall many occasions when members of my family would be tempted into the Borley area in anticipation of seeing the Borley Ghost, and of course, a sighting of the Coach and Horses would have been a bonus. For me, just cycling up the road towards Borley church was enough to generate tense spooky feelings. However, I have a living witness to a particular occasion when as teenagers we cycled to Borley, and whilst visiting the church, a couple of elderly visitors to this area asked us questions about the neighborhood, which included the subject of the Borley Ghost. I remember that one of them said that the ghost business was a lot of nonsense, and this remark prompted a sudden rumbling noise like falling masonry which disrupted the atmosphere within the church, just as though the air was laden with particles of fine dust, and it may sound incredible to say that immediately after the impact of the incident, we found that the couple had gone, and that everything inside and outside the church was quite normal; it was a pleasant day and no explanation was forthcoming. Despite his age, perhaps Mr Mayerling will reconsider his verdict, especially if other local residents write in with accounts of their experiences at Borley.") **

Smith, Godfrey. Title and exact date unknown. Article in The Sunday Times, 1956. (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. In New Light, Hall says the article demolished the legend of Borley.)

Smith, Joan. "Troubled Spirits." Times Literary Supplement, June 10, 1992. Issue 4658, p. 32. Review of The Widow of Borley by Robert Wood. Photo of Marianne with infant in front of Rectory. (Takes many of the incidents reported by Wood and concludes, "Wood has done a great deal of detective work and, since so much time has elapsed, it is not his fault that huge gaps remain in the story. He has plugged these with speculation, some of it more plausible than the rest. His observation that Marianne Foyster's disturbed behaviour is characteristic of adults who have been sexually abused as children seems a sensible one; he is uncertain ground when he hints that the abuser was Lionel Foyster. . . . there is no evidence for Wood's conviction that Marianne bumped off Foyster when he stood in the way of a final bigamous marriage to a GI in 1945." As with the original book, there is more on personalities than there is on the haunting, even though the sub-title of the book is a psychical investigation. "Whatever the truth of Robert Wood's wilder allegations, Borley Rectory appears, in its short history, to have attracted an unusually high proportion of suggestible, sensation-seeking, or fraudulently inclined occupants.") ** photocopy

Smith, Mrs. Mabel. Letter published in the Church Times, October 19, 1945. (States that "neither my husband nor myself believed the house haunted by anything but rats and local superstition.")

Spraggett, Allen. "Most Haunted House in England." Zest The News American. February 26, 1978. p. 4. Publishing data unknown. (As part of his running column, "The Unexplained," which was turned into a book by the same name. Not able to get more information on newspaper.) ** clipping only

"Story of a Much Haunted House." Northern Whig. Belfast. October 26, 1940.

"Story of Borley Rectory." Bury Free Press. Bury St. Edmunds. October 5, 1940.

"The Story of Borley Rectory." Essex County Standard. Colchester. December 28, 1940.

"Strange Doings in a Rectory." Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. October 13, 1940.

"Strange Happenings at a Rectory." The Times. London. April 20, 1939. (Recounts visit of Price to the Ghost Club, wherein he relates testimony of 50 witnesses. "The members of the club are to visit the scene of the ghostly occurrences on June 21, when a psychic fete is to be held. The principal event of the fete is to be a procession of famous ghosts." Explains that Price "illustrated his talk with lantern slides.") **photocopy

"Strange Happenings at a Rectory." The Times. London. April 22 - May 3, 1939. See Fairfield, Letitia; Crick, Goulds, B.N.; Rev. Walter; Tarry, H..J.; Murphy, Rev. B.P., Piney, Dr. A.; Daniel, Rev. Ivor. (Correspondence from various readers referring to April 20 article.)

"Strange Tale of Borley." Truth. London. September 27, 1940. (Review of MHH says searchers "will be engrossed by the book.)

Suffolk and Essex Free Press, June 13, 1929. (Story of a domestic seeing a nun.)

Suffolk Chronicle & Mercury. June 4th, 1937. History of village and church. Six pictures. Reprinted as Pocket Histories of Essex Parishes, No. 73.-Borley

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. See Visit to Pentlow for picture.

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

Thomas, Ray. "Did Nun's Spirit Haunt Rectory?" Western Morning News. October 30, 1998. p. 34. (Several paragraphs condense entire history of Marie Lairre.) ** photocopy

The Times Literary Supplement. Exact date unknown, 1956. (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. Hall reports in New Light the review said "the evidence produced of culpable negligence, adroit evasion or actual bad faith in Price's story was overwhelming.")

Tindal, Martin. "Curious but True." Time and Tide. London. October 5, 1940.

The T.V. Guide, Edinburgh: February 8, 1962. (Review of television show, About Religion.)

"2,500 Miles To See A Ghost!" Daily Herald. Date unknown. (Winifred Poe, claiming "to be a direct descendant of . . . .Edgar Allan Poe," states her intent to disprove haunting. Probably late 1930's as subject intended to visit, and the house was occupied. She said, "I am firmly convinced that every so- called supernatural manifestation that ever made itself felt has been the product of human agency. The tale of the nun who was so cruelly put to death may be, and very likely is, true. But the stories of her 'ghost?' Nonsense, I call it. And I am going to prove it. I have not come all this way from my home in New York only to lay that ghost. I have come to lecture to people who need instruction in matters like these - people who are inclined to be led away by tales of weird or horrible happenings, and to call everything that moves in the night a 'ghost.'" Writer of the story was apparently not so cynical as his last paragraph reads, "So far the occupants of the haunted rectory do not know of Miss Poe's projected visit. When she arrives, they may allow her to look for the ghost. And if all the tales of this strange building be true, she may change her mind about ghosts!" Emphasis original. No other history of this visit available.)**photocopy

"UK: ON THIS DAY." The Herald Evening Times. 2/27/2001. ("1939 Britain's most haunted house, Borley Rectory, was bruned down.") ** photocopy

"UK: THE WORLD ONLINE." The Times. 6/9/2000. ("With the Church of England declaring that ghosts and demons exist, there will no doubt be many more sightings of spooks and nasties. The Web is full of pages dedicated to the paranormal and these are among the best. . . . The most haunted house in Britain was Borley Rectory, which burnt down in 1939. Plagued by ghosts, it became famous thanks to the researches of Harry Price in the 1930s. The photographs will have your spine tingling. www.borleyrectory.com")

"An Unearthly Nun Returns to Prayer." Leicester Mercury. Leicester. February 24, 2000. (One line in passing. The story is about visits of a nun, which are compared to those at Borley. Sister Claire returned from the grave to worship at daily services in 1912. "The convent of St. Morwena's in the western tip of Dorset, became one of the most celebrated venues for psychic researchers until the celebrated goings-on at Borley Rectory.") ** photocopy

Ure, Philip S. "A Psychic Fete: Ghost Club Excursion to a Haunted House." The Times. London. June 22, 1939. (Placed in several publications. This rendition - as many others - is credited "from our special correspondent," with no author named. Price gives author credit in the bibliography of End of Borley Rectory. Is "Ure" a real person, or a pseudonym for Price?) ** photocopy

"Visions About." Birmingham Post. Birmingham. September 24, 1940.

W-----, M.M. "The Most Haunted House in England." Sunday Times. Johannesburg. December 15, 1940.

Wall, V.C. "Ghost Visits to a Rectory." Daily Mirror. London. June 10, 1929. (First of six reports that continued through 17th. This article describes first visit. Author not credited in any piece. Photos of maid "pointing out the bushes where she believes she saw the ghost of a nun," and of the summer house with Smith and another man standing close by.) **photocopy

Wall, V.C. "Mystery Light In Haunted Wood." Daily Mirror. London. June 11, 1929. (Second of six reports.) **photocopy

Wall, V.C. "Haunted Room In A Rectory." Daily Mirror. London. June 12, 1929. (Third of six reports.) **photocopy

Wall, V.C. "Weird Night In 'Haunted' House." Daily Mirror. London. June 14, 1929. (Fourth of six reports. Snapshots of Reverend Smith and Mary Pearsons (sic).) **photocopy

Wall, V.C. "Seance Held in Haunted House." Daily Mirror. London. June 15, 1929. (Fifth of six reports.) **photocopy

Wall, V.C. "Shy 'ghost' of Borley Rectory." Daily Mail. London. June 17, 1929. (Sixth of six reports.) **photocopy

Watson, Debbie. "Knock-knock: is anybody there?" Evening Star. January 31, 2001. Photo of Sue Knock used by permission. ("The challenge to investigate some of the county’s spookiest locations had offered a timely chance to prove, disprove, or simply look into the bizarre story surrounding Borley Rectory. Located just beyond the Suffolk border, the ageing house has been the subject of dark and eerie tales for some 200 years. Back in the 1930s it was investigated by psychic researcher Harry Price, and it became known as one of Britain’s most haunted buildings. Today the rectory site barely resembles its former glory. In fact, the house burned to the ground in 1938, destroying an attraction for enthusiastic ghost seekers. Yet Borley is still as much a source of mystery as ever. Now, following a revelation by a local author, the tales surrounding it have taken a new and intriguing twist which has captured the attention of spiritualists. Former resident of the Rectory, Dr Louis Mayerling, finally tried to expose the story of Borley as a complete fabrication, in a book entitled "We faked the ghosts of Borley Rectory". He claimed that he and a former lady of the house had dressed up to play pranks and to scare visitors, effectively rubbishing the centuries-old rumour about the hauntings. However, early this year researchers hit out as his story, arguing that the book itself was the only fabrication in connection with the well-documented home. They say that Mayerling’s account is highly flawed, and that the rectory is indeed haunted. Hot on the heels of this argument, Sue Knock agreed to accompany me to the site of the speculation. She claims that she has ‘the gift’ which enables her to ‘see’ those who have passed on. Now practising in Ipswich, she has a strong following of people who regularly rely on her for personal readings, and attend her charity talks about clairvoyance. . . . . As we arrive in Borley, Sue’s first opportunity to share her ability becomes apparent. It is not possible for us to stand on the exact site of the rectory because public access is not now allowed. Besides, there is a distinct impression from a local resident that this ‘mystery’ is something that the community itself is tired of sharing with all and sundry. Instead, we approach the parish church. Walking along the weaving pathway through the graveyard, Sue remains silent. She pauses at the side of the ageing building and turns to me, wearing an expression of achievement. “There is a man in white. He is a large man and I think he is a vicar. I am getting the name Thompson.” Intrigued by the apparent success, I listen as we turn to walk from the church, and Sue added: “This is a good feeling. It is not making me feel that I want to leave. I have got the names Sarah and Louise coming in to my head. It is not sinister here at all.” Almost sensing my determined desire to find out about the Borley hauntings, she goes on. “I can see a horse and cart, and I hear the sound of the horse’s hooves. A man, who lived in the rectory is telling me that this was a lot of nonsense. It was all nonsense, all of it.” Knowing that Sue is all too aware about the controversy surrounding Mayerling’s claims, I am somewhat cynical about the vision, but now suitably fired up for further ghostly investigations, we move on to another venue as part of our whirlwind tour. ") Internet version

Whichelow, Clive. "101 Ghostly Outings." The People. June 15, 1997. ("Planning a Father's Day out today?" A list of 101 places to visit - even though the rectory hasn't been standing since 1939. "Borley Rectory in Essex was once known as The Most Haunted House in England for its vast array of spooks.") ** photocopy

"Whiff of Evil at Borley" Daily Mail May 23, 1949. Reporter unnamed. ("BORLEY RECTORY, the most haunted house in England, has a new shade, and the Psychical Research Society will investigate. During a fire at the Essex rectory ten years ago a woman in grey and a man in a bowler hat strolled out of the flames and disappeared in full view of the fire brigade. They were the last of a long line of apparitions who, in their day, included such well-beloved characters as the Borley Parson, the Blue Nun, the Ghost Dog, and the Mystery Writer. Now two naval officers have reported the presence of "Old Stinker," who takes the form of an overpowering "wall of perfume." SWEET PERFUME Twenty-five-year old Miss Susanna Dudley, of Stradishall Manor, Newmarket, who was in a party of four with the naval officers, said yesterday: "The 'wall' was of some sickly, sweet perfume so powerful as to be absolutely revolting. "It was an evil smell. It extended in a circle, enclosing the scene of the previous hauntings, and it was exactly two paces deep. "We went away to breathe fresh air, but when we returned ten minutes later the 'wall' had not moved, although there was quite a stiff breeze." See also Mc Ewan, Graham J. Haunted Churches of England. London: Robert Hale, 1989. pp. 93-4.)

Wilson, Colin. "The Ghosts of Borley." Daily Mail, 3 January 2001. (Review of We Faked the Ghosts of Borley Rectory by Louis Mayerling. The article takes Mayerling to task for his book. Included is the Simon Marsden photograph taken behind the church, which is incorrectly labeled as the rectory. A stylized nun has also been added to the photo.) posted

Wortham, H.E. "London Day by Day." Daily Telegraph. London. October 2, 7, 1940. December 9, 1942. August 28, 1943. (Alias is "Peterborough." Calls MHH "A wonderful antidote to a night of Blitzkrieg.")

The Yorkshire Post. Exact date unknown, 1956. (Review of The Haunting of Borley Rectory by Hall, et. al. Calls the book "a gentle but firm exposure" of the supposed haunting.)

Wright, Will. "Haunting Tales From the Rectory." Leicester Mercury, 6 June 2003. Leicestershire. 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

Wright, Will. "Most Haunted Night." Suffolk Mercury, 1 August 2003. (Recounts annual problem with visitors July 28.) reprint

Wright, Will. "World-famous ghostly goings-on at Borley." The Sudbury Mercury, Friday October 29th 2004. p22. No photos. (Report of Ghost Club visit.) ** (photocopy, including Ghost Club itinerary.) Tour photos

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