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Legendary
Borley
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According to a legend, discredited in
1938, Borley Rectory was built on the site of a 13th-century
monastery, with a nunnery nearby at Bures. The legend told how
an eloping monk and nun were caught and put to death.
Apparitions of the nun, the coach in which they fled, and a headless
coachman figure in stories in the late 19th century. |
The Bull
Incumbencies
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1862-92
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The Rev. Henry D.E. Bull is rector of
Borley. |
1863
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He builds Borley Rectory and lives there
with his family of 14 children. |
1892
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Death of the Rev. H.D.E. Bull. His
son, the Rev. Harry F. Bull, succeeds him as rector and continues
living at the rectory with brothers and sisters. |
1900
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Four sisters, the Misses Bull, are said
to have seen a phantom of a nun on the rectory lawn on 28 July 1900.
Other phenomena of various kinds reported. |
1911
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The Rev. Harry Bull
marries, and moves across the road to Borley Place, his sisters
remaining at the rectory. In 1920 the Rev. Harry Bull once more
occupies Borley Rectory. |
1927
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The Rev. Harry Bull
dies on 9 June 1927. Borley Rectory empty until October 1928 |
The Smith
Incumbency
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2 October 1928
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The Rev. G. Eric
Smith inducted to living of Borley. |
1929
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He and his wife are
disturbed by the rumours that the rectory is haunted and consult the
Editor of their paper, the Daily Mirror, about contacting a
psychical research society. |
p.x
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10 June 1929
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The Daily Mirror
sends down reporter V.C. Wall and contacts Harry Price
MR HARRY PRICE
(1881-1948), who was one of the best known and most prolific psychic
journalists of his generation, was both the Founder and the Honorary
Director of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research which
finally became the University of London Council for Psychical
Investigation, an organisation which had actually no official
connexion with the University. He was at one time the Foreign
Research Officer for the American Society for Psychical Research, and
during his life conducted experiments with mediums both in England and
on the continent of Europe. He published a number of books on
his investigations and activities, and towards the end of his life
undertook an enquiry into the alleged haunting of Borley Rectory,
issuing his results in two volumes, The Most Haunted House in
England (1940) and The End of Borley Rectory (1946).
At the time of his death he was preparing, with Mr. Upton Sinclair, a
scenario of the supposed hauntings. In 1950 a biography appeared
under the title of Harry Price: the Biography of a Ghost-hunter
from the pen of his literary executor, Dr Paul Tabori. |
12 June 1929
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Price visits Borley
for the first time. Immediately objective phenomena of a new
kind appear: the throwing of stones and other objects, 'spirit
messages' tapped out on a mirror, appearance of 'apports', etc.
The Smiths' maid, Mary Pearson, tells Price she has seen apparitions. |
14 July 1929
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The Smiths leave the
rectory owing to its lack of amenities and the nuisance created by the
publicity, move to nearby Long Melford, and run the parish from there.
Price receives letters from the Smiths reporting various happenings. |
p.xi
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April 1930-2
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The Rev. G. Eric
Smith leaves Borley and moves to Norfolk. No further reports of
manifestations reach Price for 17 months. Borley remains without
a rector for 6 months. |
The Foyster
Incumbency
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16 October 1930
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The Rev. Lionel A.
Foyster (cousin to the Rev. Harry Bull), his young wife Marianne, and
a child Adelaide (aged 2½) take up residence at the rectory. |
1930-2
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The Rev. L. Foyster
reports a variety of phenomena commencing soon after their arrival.
These increase in violence, reaching their height in June 1931.
Neighbours, Sir George and Lady Whitehouse, with their nephew Edwin
Whitehouse (later Dom Richard, O.S.B.), constantly visit the Foysters
and testify to witnessing the phenomena. |
September 1931
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The Misses Bull call
on Harry Price in London and ask him to visit the rectory once more.
He visits the Foysters on 13 and 14 October, and accuses Mrs Foyster. |
January 1932
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Following a visit of exorcism by the
Marks Tey Spiritualist Group, accompanied by the medium Guy L'Estrange,
the phenomena, with a couple of slight exceptions, abruptly cease.
Price reported that up to this date at
least 2,000 alleged paranormal phenomena occurred during the Foyster
incumbency. |
October 1935
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The Foysters leave Borley.
Borley Rectory is not again occupied.
The new rector (March 1936), the Rev. A.C. Henning, asked the Bishop's
permission to reside elsewhere in view of the rectory's size and lack
of amenities. Later the livings of Borley and Liston were
combined and Mr Henning moved into Liston Rectory. |
The
Price Tenancy
and after
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May 1937
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Harry Price visits
Borley (an interval of 5½ years having elapsed since his last visit) |
p.xii
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and decides to rent
the empty rectory for a year. His tenancy began on 19 May 1937. |
25 May 1937
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Price inserts
advertisement in The Times inviting people to join a rota of
investigators. The keys of the rectory are entrusted to Mr and
Mrs Arbon who occupy the cottage adjoining. Visits are paid to
the rectory at weekends by the 48 investigators, chief among whom are
Mr S.H. Glanville and his son Roger Glanville, and Mr Mark
Kerr-Pearse. |
October-November
1937
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Mr S.H. Glanville's
daughter, Helen Glanville, using a planchette for the first time,
obtains scripts of considerable detail regarding the murdered nun.
Her name is now given as Mary or Marie Lairre, and the information
that she came from France. |
27 March 1938
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At a planchette
sitting in Streatham with Helen and Roger Glanville a communicator, 'Sunex
Amures', threatens to burn down the rectory that night. |
19 May 1938
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Price's tenancy ends
and he moves out from Borley Rectory. |
1 November 1938
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Price broadcasts the
story of Borley Rectory, and as a result becomes acquainted with the
rectory's new owner, Captain Gregson. (1) |
December 1938
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Captain Gregson takes
possession of the rectory, which he renames Borley Priory. He
reports experiencing various phenomena; various visitors also report
curious happenings. |
27 February 1939
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Borley Rectory destroyed by fire at
midnight.
'Phenomena' reported, strange figures
seen walking in the flames. Further happenings reported by
various visitors in ensuing months. |
1 Price
broadcast on Borley in 1935, 1937, 1938, and 1941, and again in 1946
and 1947 with several others taking part. Mr Guy L'Estrange
broadcast on Borley in December 1936; and Captain Gregson in April
1939.
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p.xiii
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Later Borley
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1940
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Price's first book on
Borley, The Most Haunted House in England, is published.
He receives voluminous correspondence and many theories regarding the
nun. Chief among these is that put forward in a lengthy analysis
of the case by Dr W.J. Pythian-Adams, Canon of Carlisle. |
1940-6
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Many people write to Price claiming
further unexplained experiences on the ruined site of the rectory.
Groups are formed to visit and
investigate the ruins. |
1943
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Price excavates the
wells in the cellars of the ruined rectory and discovers human bones
buried there. The bones were assumed to be the remains of the
Borley nun and were ultimately buried in Liston churchyard in May
1945. |
1944
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The ruins of the
rectory are finally demolished. Price suggests that a brick is
levitated paranormally during a visit by him with a photographer and a
researcher (Miss Cynthia Ledsham) on the staff of the American
magazine Life. |
19 October 1945
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Mrs G. Eric Smith
writes to the Church Times stating that neither she nor her
husband believed Borley Rectory to be haunted. |
1946
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The End of Borley
Rectory is published. |
1947-53
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'Phenomena' continue.
Scores of people still visit the site annually, hold séances in the
grounds, etc. Lectures are given; many newspaper articles
written. |
29 March 1948
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Death of Harry Price.
Later in the same year the Inky Way
Annual (Book 2) contains an article by Mr Charles Sutton, on the
staff of the Daily Mail, in which he accuses Harry Price of
fraudently producing 'phenomena' himself on the occasion of a joint
visit there in 1929. |
1949
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Mrs G. Eric Smith
writes to the Daily Mail (26 May) again asserting her disbelief
in the Borley haunting. |
p.xiv
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