#borley rectory

Scream King - Reece Shearsmith

This week in 1900, the ghost of a nun was first seen at Borley Rectory in Essex, England.

Borley Rectory’s claim to fame is a years-long investigation by professional parapsychologists: the Society for Psychical Research. The SPR, which still exists, performs scientific studies of paranormal phenomena. The family living in the rectory was also put in contact with another paranormal researcher, who would give Borley Rectory its fame: Harry Price. Price, among other things, was an expert in sleight of hand and conjuring. How coincidental that when Price showed up, Borley Rectory went wild.

Haunted or hoax? Visit the blog for the whole story and some ghostly writing prompts, such as:

Pious fraud. Pious fraud is when a believer in a paranormal phenomenon is engaged in faking that phenomenon. The classic example is that of a church with a weeping statue of a saint: a certain congregant truly believes the statue miraculously weeps, but when observers come to test it, the statue remains dry. The believer is thus tempted to fake the crying, just this once, if it’s necessary to make others believe. So in a haunted house, this would be someone who believes there is a ghost, but fakes the haunting when the researchers are around, in order to prove what they think is the truth. As author, you get to decide: is there a ghost or not? If there is, why does the ghost not perform for the researchers? If not, what (or who) convinced your pious fraudster so completely?

People have been fascinated and perplexed by the claim that Borley Rectory is "the most haunted house in England" for decades. Reverend Henry Dawson Ellis Bull constructed this rectory in the Gothic style in 1862 and located it in the remote community of Borley, Essex, which became notorious for its purported paranormal activity. There is a complicated mixture of historical events, eyewitness testimonies, and sensationalized legends that have led to the legendary status of Borley Rectory as a place of hauntings. The location known as Borley Rectory has been the subject of these stories. Beginning in the latter half of the 19th century, the Bull family, who had resided there up until the year 1892, provided the first detailed accounts of the eerie story. They described a number of unexplained incidents, including ghostly apparitions, disembodied voices, and footsteps that seemed to echo through the corridors under mysterious circumstances. The story of the nun's apparition has endured and continues to enthrall people. According to local folklore, she became involved in a sorrowful romantic relationship with a monk from a nearby monastery. The monk's execution and the nun's rumored burial alive within the monastery walls marked the tragic end to their illicit love affair. Her ghost is believed to roam the grounds of Borley Rectory, searching for the person she lost her love to forever.

Essex, England

Formerly dubbed “the most haunted house in England” by paranormal investigators.