The REAL Ghosts in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion

Hundreds of people visit the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland every day. In fact, it holds a record for being the most visited Dark ride and Disney Imagineers worked hard using old magician tricks to create these illusions. What they may not have known was that there are now several real ghosts haunting the place.

In the early 1950s Walt Disney and one of his top Imagineers Ken Anderson began working on the idea of a walk through haunted house. The inspiration came from a Disney cartoon about the Headless Horseman. The visitor was to enter a New England style house and follow the story through the attraction until it reached a climax in a graveyard scene.

Anyone who has visited the attraction knows that ideas changed and Disney and Anderson developed a New Orleans style house that the visitor rides through on a "Doombuggy". It does, however, retain the graveyard scene form the original plans.

Construction of the building was put on hold in 1962, but halted in 1966 when Walt Disney died. The designers were in a quandary as Walt had not finished the planning. For a few years the public could see the frame of the building poking over the construction fence. Urban legends surfaced about how the ride was being re-designed because it was so scary that it supposedly caused a man to have a heart attack. The attraction finially opened in 1969.

While the building was built on property that had no previous construction on it, it did manage to attract someone who had died nearby. In the 1940s a man who had been piloting a small plane crashed in a lake near where the park was to be built later. His ghost has settled into the Haunted Mansion. Referred to by Cast Members (employees) as "the man with the cane" he is often seen late at night, especially after closing.

"The man in a tuxedo" is another spirit, though no one really knows who he is. One day an employee was working in the area where passengers disembark. There is a mirror there, so the attendant can see when the riders come up behind her. She kept seeing a shadow in the mirror, and when she turned around no one was there. The figure seemed to be wearing a tuxedo. Then, she felt a chill and a hand placed on her shoulder. Of course, she turned to find no one there. The woman ran out of the Haunted Mansion and soon quit her job.

There is a legend concerning a woman who wanted to scatter her young son's ashes inside the Haunted Mansion, but was forbidden by Disney officials. She snuck the ashes inside and covertly scattered them. Apparently, this was NOT her son's last wish as since she did that people have sometimes seen the apparition of a crying boy sitting near the exit.

Though there have been many stories circulated, one person ever actually died in the Haunted Mansion. Each year Disneyland sponsors "Grad Night", which is for high school seniors. Two teenage boys were riding along in a Doombuggy when one of them decided that he wanted to see the room called "Séance Circle" up close.

The young man stepped out on to the black painted walkway that was next to the tracks. What he did not realize was that there was a gap between the walkway and the platform on which the display sat. He stepped off the walkway and plunged fifteen feet to the floor, breaking his neck.

"Séance Circle" has been odd since the beginning. A sound designer was setting up equipment in the area before the attraction was open to the public. He kept hearing music coming from behind one of the new walls. He surmised that a radio had been walled up accidentally. After several days the music had never ended and no radio announcer ever came on. The man could never find the source of the sound, so he arranged for a speaker to go in the area and drown it out.

There have been many legends associated with the Haunted mansion. If you ever visit, keep your eyes open. You may just spot a real ghost!

by catmz

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Bartonville State Hospital

Apparently Bartonville State Hospital was a nice place to visit and quite a few souls decided to stay. I say this because of the progressive medicine that Dr. Zeller was known for, and quite simply human kindness, which was something that you normally did not find in an insane asylum in the beginning of the 1900’s.

Construction began in 1885, and resulted in a large, foreboding castle –like building. Unfortunately, or fortunately, this original building was later torn down in 1897, having never been used because of structural flaws. It appears that this original building had been built on top of an abandoned coal mine and suffered much when the shafts began decaying and collapsing.

The hospital was then re-built and opened to the public in 1902. Gone was the foreboding castle and in its place was a more modern structure. In addition to the main building there were at least 33 cottages used for the housing of patients. Also there were no bar on the windows or restraints. This type of treatment for mental patients was practically unheard of that time.

In addition to the progressive treatment of patients, Dr. Zeller also instituted on site cemeteries for patients were unclaimed at the time of their death. In the end there were four cemeteries located behind the main building. It was in the oldest cemetery that the first documented haunting occurred. As a matter of fact, Dr. Zeller himself documented it.

Dr Zeller created a burial corps, composed of staff members and a few patients. It was one these patients that our tale is about. His name was simply Bookbinder, and whenever the corps buried someone he would mourn for that person, even if he didn’t know them. He would go to an old Elm tree, that had been in the midst of the graveyard for many years, and mourns the passing of the fellow patient, sobbing loudly.

Time passed and the Bookbinder eventually did too. Because he was so well liked by the staff and his fellow patients a large funeral was held. With close to four hundred witnesses in attendance, as they lowered the coffin into the open grave, a low moaning was heard. Many turned in the direction of the old Elm tree; there stood Bookbinder, mourning as he had also done. Astonished, Dr.Zeller, immediately had the coffin opened in front of those who had not run in fear. Inside, of course was the corpse of Bookbinder. Those who were still watching the tree observed as the apparition disappeared. Shortly thereafter, the old Elm tree began to try. Eventually it was decided to remove the tree, but as the axe was swung a low moan was heard. It was then decided to burn the remains of the tree, but once again the Bookbinder had his say. For as soon as the flames were set, the crying began. The flames were quickly extinguished. The old dead elm still stands in this graveyard.

In 1972 the asylum closed its doors for good a remained empty until 1980. At that time the prosperity was sold and the buildings were demolished. While the institution was empty it became a lure for vandals and ghost hunters alike.

In addition to Dr. Zeller’s documentation of the haunting, one can also look into the information provided by Rob Conover. Rob is a former Marine as well as a private investigator. He was actually able to videotape an apparition living within the walls of the old sanitarium.

One thing to consider in this case of haunting is that we are dealing with mental patients, People who were unstable to begin with. One has to ask the question, how much did these people understand about themselves and the world around them. One has to figure that in death they are just as confused as when they were living. There is no realism to begin with, so it stands to reason that in death they are still looking for the safe haven that they found in Dr. Zellers care.

I look forward to investigating more mental institutions in the future to see if there is a correlation between instability of the person’s mental health and the haunting exhibited.

by cat

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Shirley Plantation

Gracing the southern Virginian colony and commanding a view of the James River, Shirley Plantation began building in 1723 by Edward Hill III for his daughter, Elizabeth. Hill’s sister, Martha, had left for England to study, leaving behind an unsigned portrait of herself. A strong mouth and deep eyes dominated the painting, almost daring one to ignore its presence in the room. Martha later married an Englishman, Hugh Griffith, and remained in England. Though the portrait is known by the family as “Aunt Pratt,” no one seems to know the source of the name Pratt.

In 1858, long after Martha’s death, the family noticed the painting rocking violently against the wall above the mantel in a third story bedroom. Moving the noisy portrait to the attic only intensified its turbulent actions. Knocking was heard around the house and word got out that the plantation was infected with a rather boisterous picture. The Civil War soon surrounded the plantation and the residents of Shirley were caught up in the turmoil of having their home turned into a field hospital as General McClellan transported over 8,000 injured and dying men out of Virginia. With their access to the James River close by, injured men were transferred onto Union ships and the dead were buried in the family cemetery. There is no mention of Pratt’s activity during this time, they probably had more pressing matters to worry about.

After peace ensued, the portrait was taken out of storage in the attic and placed on the first floor in a place of honor for the old gal. Though happy for a while, it soon began its rocking and the hunt was on for someplace that the picture would remain quiet. Finally placing the picture in Martha’s second floor bedroom, it remained relatively quiet for the next few years.

In 1974, the Virginia Travel Council loaned the portrait with other items associated with psychic phenomena to an exhibit at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Once placed in a display window, the picture began to rock so vigorously that the seal of Virginia, which was placed beside it, began to swing from side to side in front of spectators. Aunt Pratt made her national television debut on NBC-TV as a reporter on his way to lunch stopped by to see what all the ruckus was about and caught the rocking on tape. It caused such a disturbance that it was removed from the exhibit and crated up. The night shift reported hearing crying and rocking in the storage room. One morning it was found on the floor outside the storage locker, some thought she was making a break for the exit…

After being returned to Virginia, the portrait was taken to Linden Galleries in Richmond, Virginia to help repair the damage to the frame. While there, workers would tell of bells ringing, though there were no bells on the property. The portrait was finally placed back at Shirley Plantation and is seemingly happy in it’s second floor bedroom. Tours are available of the mansion though you may have to pay more to see the rocking.

by Stacey Graham

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The Springville Inn - California

The Springville Inn caters to four very special and unique guests. They are
residents who have watched over the Inn for almost 100 years. They are not
demanding or critical, they never offer their opinion on how to run a
country inn, they are not malevolent, they do not disturb the quiet of night
and their enjoyment is not derived from scaring people. But, there is a
definite presence about them. These bodiless, ethereal and lustrous
creatures are The Ghosts of The Springville Inn.

For nearly 100 years, The Springville Inn has been a treasured part of local
history and has stood the test of time as she has lovingly watched over
Springville as one of the old guards to the High Sierra - newly proclaimed a
National Monument by Presidential order.

Our ghosts predominately inhabit the original 1911 main building formerly
known as the Wilkinson Hotel. They have never been seen or their presence
felt in the hotel which was added on in 1972. Nor, have there been any
experiences with them in the Grill Room which was added on to the main
building in 1979. They exist as they have throughout the
years in the main building, known as the Wilkinson Hotel in its heyday.

Local historian, Jeff Edwards, has told us that there was no coroner or
morgue in Springville, so upon ones untimely demise, their bodies were
placed in the upstairs rooms of the hotel on ice to await transport by
stagecoach or train to Porterville.

We can only speculate as to the true identity of our four ghosts as
historical records are vague and incomplete. We do not know their given
names but we refer to them lovingly as the Young Man who looks
to be a handsome logger in his twenties who was likely working in one of the
numerous mills of Mountain Home. The Little Girl who looks to
be near eight years of age is appropriately clothed in a turn-of-the-century
dress. The Woman, beautiful and elegant with flowing blonde
hair in a long dress is seen floating on the balcony surrounding the
Penthouse or wandering the second floor hallways in the main building. The
Old Man, who seems to keep to himself in the kitchen with a watchful
eye has the most frequent contact with past and present employees. He
generally only appears in the main kitchen of the Inn or the upstairs
service kitchen. He is usually seen staring up or down into the dumbwaiter
joining the two kitchens. He is not shy as he frequently makes himself seen
by our chefs and kitchen staff.

According to sightings throughout the past and present, the Young Man moves
fluidly with purpose around the bar and up what was the original grand
staircase which brought guests from the lobby straight upstairs as you
entered the building. He is known to be a flirt with a habit of
brushing up against women to make his presence known. He is said to be a
logger who was shot outside the Inn, in the streets of Springville.
According to legend, guests carried him into the Hotel where he bled to
death. Occasionally he has been seen walking hand-in hand with the
Little Girl, but not recently or by any current staff members.

Numerous employees and guests of the Inn have experienced the ghosts - some
of whom appreciate their wanderings and some whom would rather not have an
encounter with them. A past employee washing dishes in the kitchen quit
after witnessing the Little Girl watching her in the
mirror which hung in the dishwashing area. The owners quickly removed the
mirror. The Little Girl has not been seen since.

Do you believe in Ghosts? Spend some time at the Inn and you just might meet
one of our eternal guests...

by CarMKem

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Chillingham Castle - North Umbria, England

It has not been many years that Chillingham Castle has been reopened to the public. Since then, the neglected building and grounds have been improved considerably.

In the castle there are several interesting rooms : the Great Hall, the Torture Chamber (some of the instruments shown there have once been in use). You'll readily be told about the history of the castle - including many
spooky stories. There are even displays with both old and relatively new newspaper articles about the haunted castle.

The castle garden has been restored and although it is quite small it has been laid out very neatly.

It was Chillingham Castle that started the famous False Alarm that made the entire army leap to its feet, because someone had mistaken some charcoal fire for signs of the attacking enemy.

There can be few buildings in England with more ghosts than Chillingham Castle at least two of which, the Radiant Boy and the Grey Lady, are based on historic facts. The Radiant Boy is said to come from the fireplace
in the Pink Bedroom at the castle, often in a blue flash, which people mistake for an electric fault. Years ago, when the fireplace was being enlarged, the bones of a young boy were discovered there. The Grey Lady is
said to be ghost of the wife of Lord Grey. He ran away with her sister and in despair she killed herself. Her ghost is believed to still walk the castle corridors looking for her husband return. There are frequent ghost
watches organized at the castle, especially at Halloween. Few people go more than once!

by hiroyui2000

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Baldoon Castle - Bladnoch, Scotland

In the wee small hours of the morning the tragic figure of Janet Dalrymple haunts the ruins of her death place. Her nightgown splashed in her bridegroom’s blood, she wanders the ancient castle, perhaps reliving the path to her insanity and trapped within its horror.

Janet had loved the penniless Archibald, third Lord Rutherford though her parents forbade a union. Forced by duty to her parents to marry David Dunbar, the heir to Sir David Dunbar of Baldoon, she acquiesced in a ceremony at Carsecleugh Castle, her family home.

The honeymoon couple didn't quite hit it off, though there are rumors of what actually happened that night the facts are that the door was broken down by relatives when hearing screams from the bridal chamber. Inside, they found Dunbar lying on the floor, blood streaming from his body from stab wounds and Janet huddled in a chimney corner. Her bedclothes had been drenched in blood and her mind tortured with madness. Did she stab her husband when he had forced his “rights as husband”? Did the lovelorn Archibald attack Dunbar after hiding in the shadows? Or is it possible that local tradition is correct when saying the Devil had stabbed Dunbar and drove Janet to insanity?

While Dunbar recovered from his wounds, Janet did not escape the shock of the night. She died shortly afterwards on September 12th, 1669. Dunbar refused to discuss the nights tragedy so we are left with a mystery and madness to walk the silent ruins of Baldoon Castle on soft summer nights.

by Stacey Graham

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De Haar Castle - The Netherlands

Outside the village of Haarzuilens in the province of Utrecht, in the middle of an enormous park stands the most famous castle of the Netherlands, De Haar Castle. In 1890 Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt inherited the ruins of the castle, which was originaly build in the thirteenth century. Although living in France he decided to rebuild the house. He was married to Hélène de Rothschild, the daughter of a very wealthy Paris banker, and she decided to pay the restoration as a wedding-gift.

They commissioned P.J.H. Cuijpers, the famous architect, to undertake the gigantic project. They thought it would take about two years to finish, it became twenty. The castle was rebuild in Neo-Gothic style in a very personal version.
A funny detail in the interior of the Knights' Hall is that they made hooks onto the ceiling. This was ment to capture ghosts, which were flying through the house. They got hooked up with their white sheets and couldn't free themselves anymore. Then the sun came in at morning, which made them disappear.

Originaly the house was build next to the village, but the baron wanted a huge garden and therefore the village had to move. They pulled down the whole village except for the church, which became the chapel of the castle, and rebuild it two kilometre further on. The baron also wanted a park with huge, grown-up trees, so they moved 4000 big trees from the Hillback of Utrecht to the park. Some of the houses in Utrecht had to be demolished otherwise the trees couldn't pass. No problem, money didn't matter. Nowadays they have a problem, because the new house is much too heavy for the old foundations and they can't keep it any longer. The castle is sagging and the restoration is going to cost 50 million guilders, that's a lot of money. But now the property is bought by the Union of Monuments of Nature and perhaps they can manage the restoration.

In the fifteenth century a knight called Coenraed was living at the castle. He was a very selfish man who didn't believe in God or anything and he didn't care for anyone. One day he came back riding on his horse in full armery when he heard a voice asking for food and a place for the night to stay. The knight shook his head and rode on. The beggar shouted at him: "I'm also a human being!" The knight went mad and wanted to hit the man, turning he gave his horse the spurs, but it misstepped and they ended up in the moat. The knight drowned because of his heavy armery. His ghost is still seen around the castle.

But ghost or no ghost, visiting the castle is worth while.

by p.j.vander.wielen

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Annie Palmer and Rose Hall

Annie Palmer is said to be of mixed English and Irish descent. There are no pictures of her, but she is rumored to have been rather short (under five feet) with dark hair. Some have said that she was pretty. Annie's parents were missionaries in Haiti, which is where she was raised. Annie spent a lot of her time with a native Hatian voodoo priestess who taught her the black arts.

Annie married John Palmer at 18 and moved to Jamaica with him. The house she became mistress of is one of the few surviving Great Houses. Apparently, Annie did not enjoy married life with John. Some accounts say that he beat her, and others say that he learned she had taken a slave as her lover. Regardless of the reason, Annie poisoned John Palmer. Annie later married two other men, both of whom died under mysterious circumstances. Annie claimed that they suffered from mortal illnesses, and quarantined the bodies. She later had them carried out and buried by slaves, who disappeared afterward. It is believed that she had the slaves killed so they couldn't tell anyone about the true cause of death. Interestingly, each husband lived and died in a different bedroom.

One of the most widely-held beliefs is the certainty that Annie enjoyed torturing her slaves. She had a small second-story balcony on the rear of the house, where she would stand and watch slaves being beaten or whipped, often to death. Naturally, the slaves were terrified of her and wished to be free from her. One story tells of a servant girl who tried to poison her. The attempt was unsuccessful. Annie was aware of her slaves' fear and often had a cat test the food before she ate. This seems to be what she did this time, and discovered the plot. Annie had the servant tried and executed, but requested that the girl's head be returned to her. She kept the head on a stick outside as a warning to the other slaves.

Annie is said to have enjoyed riding horseback at night. She often rode through the countryside and mercilessly whipped any slaves she found outside after dark. The native Jamaicans also claim that she used her voodoo powers to create monstrous apparitions, often in the form of menacing animals. The stories say that she would be seen in the area shortly before or after the apparitions. These apparitions often appeared when the slaves met for celebrations or to conspire against their mistress.

The most complete account of life at Rose Hall comes from the journal of a young bookkeeper who was sent to work at the plantation to learn the process before taking over one of his father's plantations. This young man was much admired by Annie, who desired to take him as her lover. Unfortunately for her, the bookkeeper fell in love with a servant who cleaned his house. When Annie learned why the bookkeeper discouraged her advances, she became very angry and put a curse on the servant girl. The servant girl became very afraid and told her uncle about the curse. Her uncle practiced the white magic side of voodoo, but was not powerful enough to life the curse. The servant girl died soon after. Her uncle became very upset and held a meeting with a group of Annie's slaves. One night, the group (led by the uncle) raided the house. They found Annie in her bedroom and killed her. The young bookkeeper heard of the plot and went along, trying to stop the slaves before they killed Annie, but he was unsuccessful. Afterward, the slaves burned some of Annie's belongings - particularly the pictures. They were careful not to burn everything, and not to destroy the entire house because they were afraid that Annie's spirit would put a curse on all of them. Although damaged, Rose Hall remained standing.

After her death, Annie's slaves refused to bury her. Annie's neighbors eventually ordered their own servants to go and bury Annie on the plantation grounds. Annie's grave is still there, next to the house. When they marked the grave, they put crosses on all sides except one. Apparently, they weren't sure if Annie's spirit was inside or outside of the grave, and they didn't want to make her angry by locking her out of her resting place

Rose Hall was left in ruins for many years. Local residents were afraid to move into the Great House, remembering Annie's declaration that it was her house, and no one else would ever have possession of it. After many years, a couple bought it and planned to restore it for themselves. While they were moving in, a servant woman fell from the observation balcony Annie used for witnessing whippings, and broke her neck. The fall was considered very mysterious due to the waist-high railing that encircles it. No one knows why the servant woman was on the balcony, but many believe that she was somehow lured there by Annie's spirit, and pushed over the railing.

Several years later, another couple bought the house. They carefully restored it and gave it to the Jamaican people as an historical landmark. It is now open for guided tours, and contains a gift shop. Jamaicans still believe it is haunted. Tours of the house end early so that all of the employees can leave before Annie's spirit comes out to wander.

Many visitors report strange images appearing in their developed photographs. Some report the appearance of woman's face in the mirror in Annie's bedroom. Others report glowing or foggy areas appearing on the bed in Annie's room and sometimes in other areas of the house. Visitors have also reported that the film they used in certain rooms of the house would not develop, while the rest of the roll was fine. Others say that all the pictures they shot inside to house develop with a misty look, while outdoor photos are clear. Some of these mysterious photographs have been sent to Rose Hall and are displayed in the gift shop.

by JemScout7

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The USS Constellation

The old sailing ship floating quietly in Baltimore's Inner Harbor has a
long and bloody history. Not surprisingly, the USS Constellation also has a
reputation of being one of the most haunted sites in America. It has been
rebuilt and refitted many times, but the ghosts still linger. The original
vessel, built as a 36 gun frigate, was first launched from Harris Creek,
Maryland on September 7, 1797. She was among a group of ships commissioned
for the US Navy that included Boston's Constitution.

Commodore Thomas Truxton was the first captain of the Constellation,
and he got her off to a bloody start. One day in 1799 the ship's crew scored
a major sea victory when they captured the French Frigate L'Insurgent while
in the West Indies. During the battle, seaman Neil Harvey fell asleep while
on watch. When Truxton learned of Harvey's lapse in duty he ordered a
lieutenant to run a sword through the man's gut. Later, after the battle was
over, Truxton had Harvey's body tied to a cannon and blown to pieces to
serve as a warning to other sailors. Neil Harvey has become one of the most
frequently seen ghosts aboard the Constellation. He has even been mistaken
for a costumed tour guide.

The ship in her many incarnations went on many missions, including
slave interdiction and providing support for land troops fighting against
the Seminole Indians. The Constellation distinguished herself in the War of
1812 and against the Barbary Pirates. She has sailed to such exotic places
as China, West Africa, and Hawaii.

In 1822 a boy was serving aboard as a surgeon's assistant. He was
stabbed to death by two other sailors, though it is not known why. Psychic
Sybil Leek once confirmed that the boy's spirit is still aboard the ship.

The USS Constellation entered the Norfolk, Virginia Navy yard in 1845.
The restructuring that she underwent there is still a source of argument
amoung historians. Some believe that the entire 1797 vessel was scrapped and
a completely new ship was erected. Other analysis has proved that timbers,
materials, and equipment were used from the original ship. It is very
unlikely that one hundred percent of the 1797 ship was intact, even in 1845.
She had received a new stern (back end) in 1829-30. Not to mention, the hull
of a wooden ship had to be rebuilt on an average of every 16 years.
Whatever was left of the original vessel, it's use in the new ship was
enough to keep the ghosts around.

In 1855 the Navy's modifications were completed. The Constellation had
been downgraded from a 36 gun frigate to a 22 gun sloop of war. She was
launched on July 28 of that year and is now considered the last all sail
powered vessel built for the US Navy. (Ship builders had begun to prefer
steam power.)

Late in the 19th century the Constellation outlived her uses and in
1893 was moved to the Naval station at Newport, Rhode Island. She served as
a stationary training ship until 1914 and for the first half of the
twentieth century she sat rotting. In 1940 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
recommissioned her as the Flagship of the US Atlantic Fleet. When the money
for that project ran out she was towed to Boston.

In 1953 a committee of Maryland citizens collected the money needed to
get the ship home to Baltimore. The Constellation arrived in that it in
September of 1955 and was docked at a local ship yard to await repairs. This
is when stories of ghosts began to surface. Sailors standing night watch on
nearby ships reported odd noises and unidentifiable shapes. The submarine
Pike was moored closest to the Constellation and the submariners frequently
saw ghosts walking on the old war ship.

By December 1955 Lieutenant Commander Allen R. Brougham had heard lots
of these stories. He set out to investigate them. He called a photographer
friend and asked him to come aboard one night with his camera. They set up
on a spot overlooking the ship's wheel. Very close to midnight the figure of
a nineteenth century US Navy Captain appeared and was captured on film. "It
was all over within the time he took to make a single stride." Brougham told
a reporter. The stunning photograph appeared in a local paper a few days
later. It shows a man in gold epaulets bending over slightly, reaching
across his waist with his right hand as if to draw his sword.

Some believe this figure was Captain Thomas Truxton, who is known to
haunt the ship. There are other spirits aboard as well. A seaman has been
seen running across the gun deck. Cries and moans have been heard in the
hold, and witnesses have heard the sound and felt the motion of unseen
people running about. An anonymous seaman has been spotted sadly wandering
around the gun deck. He is believed to be a sailor who became overwhelmed by
the harsh life at sea and hung himself. People have reported smelling gun
smoke before the appearance of some apparitions, especially of Captain
Truxton.

Carl Hansen, a mid-twentieth century night watchman, is believed to be
the only spirit that is actually happy aboard the ship. He cared for the
Constellation until an alarm system was installed in 1963. Hansen's spirit
has been seen playing cards on the lower decks. One day a priest came aboard
the ship and was given a tour by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide.
Before he left he praised the man's services to the staff. The guide didn't
fit the description of anyone working there-but it did fit Carl Hansen.

The Constellation has been restored several times since she returned to
Baltimore in 1955. She most recently came back from dry dock on July 2,
1999. The spirits are still there. Late one evening a night watchman was
inspecting the ship's orlop (storage) deck. It was late and he had only a
flashlight to lead him through this narrow area at the bottom of the ship. A
misty white light appeared out of nowhere and became a sailor in an outdated
uniform. He walked towards the watchman. The man stood still as the ghost
passed through him.

The USS Constellation is docked at Pier 1 in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
She is open to the public and for a fee you can visit her from 10AM to 4PM
in winter, or 10AM to 6PM in summer.

by catmz

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The Mary Celeste - Mystery at Sea

Originally named the Amazon, the Mary Celeste was built in 1860 at Nova Scotia. By the time she was registered in New York, she had gone through several owners.

On November 7, 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York bound for Genoa. Captain Benjamin Briggs was an experienced seaman, an abstainer from alcohol, and a devout Christian. He commanded a crew of seven. The captain's wife and young daughter also accompanied him on the trip. The Mary Celeste's hold contained 1700 barrels of raw alcohol.

On December 4, 1872, the Mary Celeste was found abandoned and adrift by the crew of the Dei Gratia, which was on her way to Gibraltar from New York. When members of the Dei Gratia's crew boarded her, they found the cargo intact but no sign of the 10 people on board. The ship's papers, sextant, and chronometer were missing. The forward hatch was off and below decks everything was soaked with water. The Mary Celeste's crew had left behind their oil skin boots, indicating that they had left in a hurry. A small boat (the "yawl boat") was missing and a rope was found hanging over the side of the ship. When the Mary Celeste's cargo was unloaded at Gibraltar, nine barrels of alcohol were empty.

There are several theories about the fate of the 10 souls on board. An investigator looking into the matter at the time concluded that the crew got drunk, murdered the captain and his family, and escaped in the yawl boat. This theory doesn't hold water (so to speak) because there were no signs of a struggle and the pure alcohol of the ship's cargo could not be consumed - it was poisonous.

This would also discount the theory that the Mary Celeste was set-upon by pirates - why would they murder everyone on board and leave the cargo intact?

Another theory comes from the "Fosdyk papers". In 1913, an article was published in Strand magazine alleging that a man named Abel Fosdyk had been a secret passenger on the fateful voyage. Fosdyk alleged that Captain Briggs had the ship's carpenter build a special deck in the ship's bow for his daughter. Captain Briggs and several sailors were swimming off the ship when one of them was attacked by a shark. In response to the sailor's cries, everyone on board (including the Captain's wife and daughter) rushed on to the newly-built deck to see what was happening. The deck then collapsed under their combined weight and they all fell in and were also attacked. Fosdyk landed on top of the decking and floated at sea for days before washing up on the African coast. If this account is accurate, why didn't Fosdyk come forward at the time? It also doesn't make sense for crew members to go swimming from a ship that was probably travelling at several knots at the time.

Even the famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a take on the Mary Celeste mystery. In 1884 he wrote a story about the "Marie Celeste" called "J. Habaruk Jepson's Statement".

The most reasonable explanation is that Captain Briggs, his family, and the crew abandoned ship. This could have been due to a small explosion caused by alcohol fumes igniting or a rumbling of the cargo. They were likely trailing behind the ship in the yawl boat, waiting to see if the Mary Celeste exploded, when the wind snapped the rope. The occupants of the small craft were either swept into the sea or died of thirst and exposure.

After the incident, not surprisingly, the Mary Celeste was known as an unlucky ship. She changed hands frequently, and was wrecked off the coast of Haiti 12 years later.

So there you have it. This nautical mystery remains unsolved. The only entity that knows what really happened is the Mary Celeste herselfSand she's not talking.

by CurlyJoe

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Bladensburg Dueling Grounds

When the hotheaded politicians of Washington, DC wanted to fight each
other, they all knew that the Bladensburg Dueling Grounds, just over the
Maryland line,was the best place to meet their adversary. On the day of a
duel, the men would set out in the wee hours of the early morning. They had
to travel down a dirt road and over a small bridge to an area about one mile
from the town of Bladensburg. The bridge ran over a stream nicknamed "Blood
Run. Narrow paths ran through waist high weeds. Dense willows and sycamores
crowded out the sky. Many prominent men met their deaths there, and others
were mentally crippled for life.
Over fifty known duels were fought. The earliest seem to be the one
that occured in February of 1819 between former Virginia senator Armistead
T. Mason and his cousin Colonel John M. Mcarty. It is believed that Mcarty
challenged Mason either over a woman or over Mcarty's right to vote in a
Virginia election. Mcarty had all kinds of crazy challenges for Mason. He
wanted to fight with daggers or jump from a lighted keg of powder. The two
finally settled on dueling with muskets.
The opposing factors met at Bladensburg, each bringing their own
supporters. Soon Mcarty and Mason were set up at twelve paces apart. When
the shots were fired, Mason was killed instantly. Mcarty was shot in the
hand, and in a bizarre twist of fate the bullet traveled up his arm and out
his shoulder.
Mcarty lost the ability to use his right arm. He also lost his mind. He
never recovered from murdering his cousin. Mcarty stopped shaving, cutting
his hair, and even bathing. After he died, people reported his disheveled
ghost wandering around the weed choked area where he killed Armistead Mason.
Stephen Decatur was a Naval hero who had distinguished himself in three
different wars, but he too was murdered on the fields of Bladensburg. In
1820 Decatur was living the quiet life. He settled on Lafayette Square in
Washington, DC with his wife. This was the worst time for Commodore James
Barron to challenge him to a duel.
There had been bad blood between Decatur and Barron for a long time.
Barron had been put on trial to be court-martialed after an incident at sea.
A British ship commander had insisted that Barron turn over some Americans
that he believed were British deserters. Barron refused, and the British
ship fired on Barron's, killing three men and wounding eight. The British
then seized the suspected deserters. This led not only to Barron's
suspension for five years, but to the War of 1812.
When Barron applied for reinstatement in the Navy Decatur was
outspokenly opposed, and he had the power to keep Barron out. The two men
corresponded for several years, with Barron growing increasingly bitter.
Finally, with Decatur in the same town as he, Barron challenger Decatur to a
duel at eight paces with pistols.
The night before the fight Decatur shut himself in his bedroom and
spent hours at the window gazing at his property. When dawn came the next
morning Decatur slipped out of the house with the black box containing his
dueling pistols. It was March 18, 1820.
According to the rules, no man could fire before the count of one, or
after the count of three. Two shots were fired at the count of three. Barron
took a bullet in his hip. Decatur was struck in the right side. His
supporters carried him back to his home on Lafayette Square, where he died.
Some believe that Decatur is one of the ghosts lurking around the old
dueling area, but he has been spotted more frequently at his home. One year
after he was killed he was seen gazing mournfully out of his window, just as
he did on the night before he died. His wife was so upset that she ordered
the window walled up, but he still appears.
Another spirit known to wander underneath the overgrown trees is Daniel
Key, one of the sons of Francis Scott Key. In June of 1836 Key and his
friend John Sherborne were returning home aboard a ship. All the way home
the two young men argued about the speed of two steam boats. When they
arrived in DC, they met at Bladensburg. Key was killed at age 20.
During the period when Key was killed the public began to get upset
over the bloodshed at Bladensburg. Unless they had a fight to go to, people
avoided the area. tales of ghostly moans and groans circulated. Others saw
apparitions wandering around. Dueling was outlawed in Maryland, but this did
not affect residents of DC. Washington lawmakers did not want an antidueling
law because so many of them believed in the codes associated with it.
Congress had no choice but to act after February 1838 when Maine
representative John Cilley was killed by Congressman William Graves. Graves
was a stand in for James W. Webb, a New York newspaper editor. Webb was
offended by some of the remarks Cilley made in the House. He assigned the
duel to Graves, who was his friend as well as a noted marksman. Cilley was a
hard working man who preferred to spend time with his family. He didn't even
really know the men who were challenging him. Cilley quietly went about his
business while Graves practiced his shooting.
At dawn on the appointed day Graves showed up with a more powerful
rifle that Cilley, but he was allowed to use it. When ready, the men fired.
No one was hit. They fired at each other a second time, but still no one was
hit. The seconds and spectators tried to end the confrontation but Graves
wouldn't consent. The third time Cilley was hit in the leg. Because a main
artery was severed he quickly bled to death in front of some of Washington's
most prominent citizens and politicians. Cilley's confused ghost still
wanders around the area when he died.
Cilley's death finally led to the outlawing of dueling in Washington,
DC. Men didn't heed the regulations and they still murdered each other in
the fields after dark. Finally, the Civil War put an end to dueling in the
area. Everyone had had enough of the bloodshed and violence.
People avoided the area because of the history and the ghosts. One day
a boy saw a figure among the trees. The spirit had his head down and was
dressed in black. When the boy approached the figure, it disappeared. The
ghost could have been anyone of the hundreds of men whose lives were changed
there. Not much of the old dueling fields are left now. There are some
trees, many weeds, and a lot of ghost stories.

by catmz

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Drury Lane Theatre

Sometimes you just can’t pull yourself away from good theater…

The Drury Lane, Theatre Royal, is the oldest theatre in London (save the rebuilt Globe), having been built in 1663. Its walls have a long history full of intrigue, romance and murder. The most famous ghost to inhabit the audience is the Man in Gray, so named for his long gray coat accompanying his tricorn hat, powdered wig and sword. His dress has been identified as common to the 18th century. He’s more apt to shush patrons rather than scare them, he comes to watch the play from the balcony where he slowly walks from one end to the other only to disappear into the wall. Who said ghosts only appear at night, his favorite haunting time seems to be between 9am and 6pm, time enough for the tour groups to get a good peek… He is often seen at rehearsals and his presence is considered very lucky. Of course, these are the people that want you to break a leg before any performance too so I think they’re just looking for something to hold onto.

King Charles II, who gave the theater it’s Royal Charter, also likes to pop in now and again with his retinue. His love of the theater also extended to a young actress/orange seller, Nell Gwynn, who got her start at Drury Lane. She went on to become one of the most popular and infamous figures of that century, as both a comedian and Charles’s mistress. Perhaps Chuck is wandering backstage to find his lost lover? He probably didn’t find her at the performance of Oklahoma but it did help Curly hit the high note in his solo…”OOOOOOOOOOOOOOklahoma!”

Sweet young things are often “helped” along in their performances by the unseen hands of Joe Grimaldi, a popular comic and singer who was often seen at Drury Lane (before his death, duh). He apparently guides them around the stage and gives actresses a little pat on the back after a good job. Not a bad gig for a dirty old man.

Something wicked walked through the theater about 200 years ago and left a rotting corpse behind. Around 100 years ago, workmen broke through a wall containing the skeleton of a man complete with a knife poking out of his ribcage. Now call me crazy but I’m thinking he didn’t do this on accident, at least not the bricking himself up bit. The remaining bits and pieces were gathered up and buried in a nearby churchyard. Perhaps this would’ve been the same churchyard that reburied the coffins left exposed in the Drury Lane graveyard in the 1830s. It’s hard to imagine a more peaceful scene, you, the birds and someone’s foot poking out of the ground…

By Stacey Graham

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Glamis Castle

Secret rooms, bloodstained stones and pacts with the Devil have shrouded Scotland’s Glamis Castle in mystery and hauntings. Shakepeare’s Macbeth is rumored to have murdered King Duncan within its walls and Malcom II’s bloody death had stained the floor so violently that the room was bricked up. Did the echoes of these events leave a residue that walks at night?

Glamis’s brutal history may have partly stemmed from its own lords misdeeds with the Devil. One legend tells of a secret room. The second lord of Glamis, in the fifteenth century, was well known for his debauched lifestyle. Famous for gambling, wenching and drinking, he earned the nickname “Earl Beardie” or “the Wicked Lord.” One evening, after failing to find someone to play cards with him on Sunday, he announced that he would play cards with the Devil himself. The knock on the door immediately afterwards was too much of a coincidence but he opened it anyway to admit a tall bearded man wearing all black.

When asked if he would still like a partner in which to play cards, Earl Beardie welcomed him into a small room and closed the door. Servants outside could hear shouting and furniture flying as the men gambled away the evening and into the dark night. At one point, the stranger made a suggestion to which Earl Beardie agreed. One of the servants crept close to the door to see what was happening, at which point the Lord discovered he was being spied upon through the keyhole. He burst from the room to yell at the servant and when he returned, the stranger had left and taken Earl Beardie’s soul with him. Beardie died five years later, his ghost still drunkenly roaming the halls trapped for eternity to return to the room to play cards with the Devil.

Other rooms exist to taunt the curious. During the eighteenth century, a legend started saying that a room held secret so horrible that only the earl of Strathmore, his heir and the steward of the castle would be allowed to view it. The secret so changed the manner of the lords after seeing it on their 21st birthday, some refused to acknowledge the room fearing their sanity would be lost. The most popular theory today is that the room held the remains of a rightful heir born deformed and locked away. The subsequent heirs of his brother, who assumed the title, were shown the man who grew to adulthood within the tiny room, their earldom resting on the belief that they were the true inheritors of the title. Ghost rumors were brought in as a distraction away from the truth of the room, they were more palatable than what was locked inside. In order to find that hidden room, towels were once hung in every window of the castle only to find one that had no towel. No amount of searching has produced a secret entrance to that room.

Glamis has its own white or gray lady. She is believed to be the ghost of Janet Douglas, the wife of the sixth lord of Glamis, James. After his death one morning, she was suspected of killing him but in the absence of evidence, the charges were dropped. She, however, had gained the reputation of being a witch. There was no evidence needed for a trial of that kind, so when she came under suspicion for plotting the murder of the King of Scotland, she was tried, condemned and executed in Edinburgh in 1537. Her ghost returned home and now wanders the halls of Glamis, looking for justice. She is often seen praying in the small chapel she took refuge in those many years ago.

By Stacey Graham

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Waugoshance Lightship - Located in Lake Michigan

Lighthouses and lightships have been around for

probably as long as man has sailed the oceans to warn

sailors of their closeness to shores and shoals as

well as ports of call. In the 19th century before

electricity and automation candles and large mirrors

(called a Fresnel Lens) at night, to announce ports

during clear weather, and bells during foggy weather,

as well as jagged rocks.

Such was the case of Captain James Davenport who, for

a whopping wage of $400 and seven months after being

hired to man the lightship called Waugoshance

Lightship located in Lake Michigan, the Chicago fire

broke out. There are two stories of what happened

during the fire and no one, to this day, is sure which

is true or just exactly what happened.

The first tale states that smoke from the Chicago

fire, blown in by severe winds, caused a dense fog

over Lake Michigan. Now the differences in the

stories are in Captain Davenport's actions during this

time. The first story says that he sat in a rocking

chair for three days and three nights ringing the

bell. He kept himself awake by holding pots and pans

in his lap--every time he would doze off, the pots and

pans would clatter to the ground waking him.

The other account is that while this dense fog was

over Lake Michigan a schooner ran aground on the

Waugoshance Reef and the crew swam ashore. For three

long and tiresome weeks they ate beans as Captain

Davenport played his violin with the sounds of Lake

Michigan for background.

One fact remains, thanks to the valiant efforts of

Captain Davenport, only seven ships ran aground during

the whole ordeal. To this day no one is sure whether

it was three days or three weeks or even if it was the

violin or the pots and pans and the bell that saved

the ships. Although, sometimes if you listen closely,

you might hear the faint music of a lone violin mixed

in with the sound of the waves on a foggy night or the

faint sound of pots, pans and a lone bell to the

backdrop of the lapping of the waves on the sides of

the lightship.

Yet there is one other story of the Waugoshance

Lightship .... After Captain Davenport retired in 1885

one other lightship keeper was hired. His name is

John Herman. At this time, the information on Mr.

Herman's exact start date or the date of his early

demise is not known. The only known fact is that his

employment as Waugoshance Lightship keeper was cut

short. It seems that one night Mr. Herman stumbled

out of the lightship in a drunken stooper and fell off

of the short pier and drowned. His ghost is said to

wander the the lightship, Waugoshance, on Lake

Michigan.

by catcrazylady

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The King House - Ocean Street, Mayport, Florida

The King House was originally built on an old Spanish grave yard and was used as a boarding house for travelers and sailors. The first house fell to fire and was rebuilt sometime after April 25, 1881. It still stands in Mayport, Florida to this day.

The house was purchased , owned and occupied by John King until after his death in the late 1970's . It was during his years at the house that John King made it the celebrated Haunted House of the area. Mr. King told ghost stories to the children of Mayport on a scheduled weekly basis and soon was telling his stories to many, many visitors from all over the county. A master storyteller, Mr. King was able to use his gift and the number of strange happenings which occurred to make the house come alive with the ghosts who had decided to roam the rooms and halls of the old boarding house. A number of University studies have been conducted at the King House and it was concluded that the atmosphere at the house was perfect for haunting and there was some kind of presence in the house.

Ghosts and Hauntings:

A distant aunt of Mr. King’s was pitch-forked to death as she sat in a green rocking chair by her jealous sailor ex-boyfriend. Mr. King claimed he still had the chair and it was used for selected visitors to sit in while he told his stories. Many, including Mr. King, have claimed the chair rocked with no one sitting in it. The death of the aunt is a great and tragic story and her ghost roams the halls of the house to this day.

The “Little Man in Red” was a ghost who had a sense of humor and who would play games and tricks on Mr. King and his guests. Mr. King told of the times he would go down the stairs at the house and there would be strangers sitting in his living room. When he would question them about being in his house they would say they came for ghost stories and that his butler, a little man dressed in a red uniform, answered the door and let them in. He told them to wait in the living room and he would get Mr. King. Mr. King never knew where the little man came from but he was one of the first ghosts. There was one time when a young couple gave Mr. King’s ghost butler a ride from outside Parnell’s Restaurant when it was raining. When Mr King questioned the couple how they got into the house they told him the little man in red had asked them for a ride because of the rain and he had told them to wait in the living room for Mr. King. Sometimes a couple would be surprised to find him sitting in the back seat of their car as it was parked by the King House.

The “Lady in White” was a young woman who was killed on her wedding night in a car wreck near the Little Jetty rocks near the King House. Being so near by, the house was the perfect place for her ghost to settle. Mr. King heard her crying the night of the accident and a few days later he encountered her in his kitchen where she would spend most of her haunting time. She would be seen at the sink doing the dishes, or cleaning off the table or opening the stove. She even put away things Mr. King left out. She wanted to be a good wife and house keeper. She was also territorial and didn’t like other women in her kitchen. It was hard to be a female cook in Mr. King’s House. The “Lady in White” would make sure her cake fell. She also followed some of Mr. King’s guests home. It was consistently the young girls who would see her away from the house but she would always return the same night.

The ghosts would pull the covers off of Mr. King and guests at night. They would open the doors when a door knob was reached for. Mr. King had a niece who would not go into the house because she could always smell her dead husband’s cologne when she did.

For more about Mr. King, the Haunted House, the era, and Mayport, visit the web site:
. This site is one that has a map of Mayport and shows the location of the house. It features the novels of the author, G. W. Reynolds III and cover art and illustrations of the house and area by artist, Steve Robertson. “Jetty Man” and “Mullet Run” are two of the novels and a third, “Oak Baby” should come out by September, 2000. These are adult reading material and they contain many references to the Mr. King and the house plus intriguing scenarios of superstition, violence and rites of passage set in fictional plots.

by G. W. Reynolds III

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Ft. Monroe, Virginia

Does stone absorb memories? Ask anyone who lives near a castle.

Many times the residue of misdeeds and human drama are imprinted upon the stone face, making it possible to playback visions of the past, what we know as hauntings. Such is the case for Ft. Monroe, Virginia, where the infamous and the innocent are found. This moated heptagonal stone fort faces the Chesapeake Bay on three sides, the water making escape remote and the isolation of its prisoners complete. It’s lonely casemates held one of the most illustrious prisoners of the Civil War, the President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis. Brought here in shackles after the war, Davis slowly grew weak within its walls. His wife, Varina, followed him here and pleaded to have him removed from the cell to a private apartment to die in peace. Both of their ghosts can be found at Ft. Monroe still, Davis in his cell and Varina is sometimes found gazing from a bedroom window
towards her husband’s cell. Their imprints of dreams unrealized and the reality of war make their shades constant companions to the grief left behind. Other political figures make appearances too; the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant roam Old Quarters No. 1. Edgar Allen Poe, known as Edgar A. Perry before selling his enlistment in 1829, served four months at Ft. Monroe. While here, he wrote, “The Cask of Amontillado,” based on a ghost story of a Virginian military man walled up inside an empty stone building (see, I told you stone had long memories.) Visiting the area a month before his death, Poe read poetry on the veranda of a nearby hotel. After his death, he has been believed to have been seen in his former barracks, which is now located at Building #5.

What’s a good haunting without a good love story? Camille Kirtz, or the “Light Lady,” was murdered by her husband on Matthew Lane within the fort. While meeting her French lover, Camille’s secret was discovered by her much older husband. Hot-blooded and fast-acting, Camille’s husband shot at the pair, intending to wound the man but killing his wife instead. The Frenchman ran off and Camille now wanders “Ghost Alley” and a nearby copse of oak trees searching for her lover in vain. She has been seen many times since the Civil War as a radiant mist in the form of a woman. Children have also found a home within these walls, serious illness was a fact of life in the early days of our nation, and many children did not live to see their tenth birthdays. Their innocent spirits are often trapped within the walls that sheltered them in life, as they unknowingly continue their journey after death. Two small boys have been reported at the fort, one in the upstairs of an old house next to the moat wall and the other in the basement of an enlisted man’s home. The latter child sometimes seeks out other children to play with when they visit the house, ghosts get lonely too…

By Stacey Graham

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Baylor’s Massacre Site, River Vale NJ

Imagine walking through the old Baylor’s Massacre site in River Vale NJ, where in 1778 members of the local militia known as Baylor’s Dragoons were slaughtered by German Hessians. These men were just like any other men with at least one exception. They left their homes and families to fight for the independence of a fledgling nation and gave their lives to the spirit of liberty.
As they slept, the German mercenaries crept upon the camp and butchered the patriots. This event went unnoticed until development unearthed the graves. But there is more than a simple fence cordoning off the area that outlines the grounds consecrated by their ultimate sacrifice. The event itself seems to replay from time to time.
Local stories abound concerning strange happenings in the massacre site while the author experienced it for himself on a warm summer’s eve. The sighting was corroborated by two others present that night. What was witnessed were numerous apparitions moving through the woods as if to stealthily creep upon some unseen prey. Although dark and shadowy, the attire could be ascertained as that of the era of the revolution, particularly that of the Hessians.
As these apparitions moved from tree to tree, some crouching as if to hide, no sound was made. As the three individuals stared incredulously at these men, they began to make their way toward the woodline, only to feel a marked drop in temperature and a sudden feeling of foreboding. The sensation of knowing if they continued, very bad things would happen. Without saying a word, they stared at these men of another time only to watch them fade away as the temperature regained it’s summer comfort.
Although somewhat unnerving, I later came to the realization of what I had truly witnessed. Yes, I feel we saw numerous ghosts, but the revelation was more than that. We had witnessed a part of an event that had taken place 217 years prior. Not only had I read the little sign erected to commemorate the site, not only had I read about the militia in my area from the war for independence; I had actually witnessed the preface of the massacre.
Many people feel the best way to learn about history is to talk to those who lived it. My grandmother was a wealth of information concerning stories from the ‘Old Country’ and stories about my grandfather’s involvement in the first world war. Given our biological frailty, it becomes impossible to speak with those from an era long passed. Or is it?
Think about a ghostly apparition witnessed on a battlefield of your choosing. What are you seeing? Perhaps you are discomforted in seeing what shouldn’t be, but keep in mind that you are also seeing someone’s father, brother, or son who lost their life upon such a field. Tears were shed for their loss, or perhaps their sweetheart went to her death never knowing what happened to her love.
Of course you can’t sit and have tea with these spirits while discussing firsthand accounts of their struggle, but with a little after thought, the sighting becomes more than just a great tale to spin around a campfire. You may have seen a ghost, but you also have briefly seen firsthand something that you were only able to read about prior.

by phil

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Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace was once the home of the kings and queens of England. Just a few examples would be Charles the I, Elizabeth the I and, the most famous, Henry the VIII. (Of course one must include his six wives as well.) The Palace has had many owners, and the owners have found themselves with many unusual tenants sharing the Palace with them. As it turns out they were sharing their home with the specters of the past. At one point in time even King Henry, himself, had reported seeing ghosts walking the halls of his home. (No doubt due to large amount of people that he had put to death.

Thomas Wolsey, (later titled Cardinal Wolsey), built the Palace itself, as a summer home during the reign of Henry the VIII. The mansion did not become a palace until after Henry VII took over ownership and began to add onto the original building. The mansion became Henry’s home when Wolsey mistakenly told Henry, that anything he owned belonged to Henry. Apparently Thomas Wolsey was not expecting Henry to take him up on his sentiment, but the king assumed that Wolsey had made a gift of Hampton House.

The actual building of Hampton Court Palace began in 1514, and was almost completed in 1925. The King eventually promoted Sir Thomas Wolsey to the station of Cardinal. For a while all was fine between the two men. Unfortunately for Wolsey, he was unable to obtain a legal divorce for Henry from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, because of this he was charged with treason and stripped of all his possessions. Thomas Wolsey died penniless in 1530, before Henry could take the once prominent Cardinal Wolsey to trial and execute him.

Many Kings and Queens have inhabited Hampton Court Palace, starting with Henry the VIII, Edward the VI, Elizabeth I and continuing on through to George III. Just as the Kings and Queens filled this palace so do it’s ghosts. The specters of the past reliving their history.

Many of the ghosts seen at Hampton Court are thought to be those of Henry, his wives and others connected to him. One explanation of the haunting is related to the fact that Henry focused all of his love, hate, rage and fears on the great halls of the palace and the people surrounding it.

As mentioned in the first paragraph, Henry experienced some haunting of his own. He reported seeing Herne the Hunter, of local legend, however, some historians believe that he spoke of this specter to convince himself and others that his conniving actions were understood by those of the other world and that Herne should be seen as the protector of the king. Henry was also haunted by a few of the clergy that he had killed during his violent reformation of the church. He also claimed to be the first person to see the beheaded ghost of his second wife, Anne Bolelyn.

King Henry, however, is not the only person to be haunted in the palace. Other residents and visitors have reported seeing shades and haunts while in the palace. The most persistent sightings are those of Anne Bolelyn and Jane Seymour.

In descriptions of sightings related to Anne Bolelyn one finds accounts of her both with and without her head. There have even been accounts of sightings where Anne is carrying her own head. Those who have seen Anne Boleyn in the palace describe her as walking slowly, looking bitter, but at the same time mortified by her unfair fate. Also many of the people who have seen her apparition describe feeling her age-old anger, grief, dread and fear of dying and being forgotten.

The other most popular sighting at the palace is that of Lady Jane Seymour, and her story is quite sad. She was the third wife of Henry the VIII. They were betrothed within 24 hours of the beheading of Queen Anne. Unlike previous queens she did not have a formal coronation. In 1537 Jane became pregnant with her first and only child by the king. In early October the only son the Henry would ever have was born. Unfortunately his mother, Jane Seymour, died on October 24th, from complications of his birth. Her ghost has been seen roam in the Clock Court and in the Silver Stick Gallery wearing a white robe and carrying a lit candle, perhaps she is searching for her son. An interesting note to this story is that Jane Seymour was the only Queen to be buried with Henry in his burial vault.

Another of Henry’s wives is also said to be seen in the palace. This would the King’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Catherine is not really believed to be a ghost, but rather more of a psychic impression. A psychic impression is a reenactment of a particularly traumatic event, described as an echo in time. In Catherine’s case this would be her reaction to hearing the news of her sentence of death by beheading, for committing acts of high treason against the king. (In other words having affairs with younger men and getting caught.) Catherine has been reported seen running through the gallery and corridors, apparently she is still pleading and screaming for her life to be spared.

Kings, Queens and Clergy are not the only ones to be seen walking the palace halls, there are others who visit those remaining in the corporeal world. There is the story of the Grey Lady; this woman is believed to be Sybil Penn, the nurse of Henry’s children, died of Small Pox in 1632. She has been seen wandering the halls of this palace, and often felt or seen watching over the children residing there. She has been described by those who have witnessed her countenance as a smiling personage, and completely inoffensive. Apparently her spirit was quiet until the removal of her remains from St Mary’s Church, which had been badly damaged during a storm in 1892. Suddenly her voice was heard in the hallways and once again those residing in the palace could hear the whirring of her spinning wheel. When Mrs. Penn first began haunting the palace, the owners where dumbfounded by the source of the sound of the spinning wheel. Upon further investigation a secret room was found sealed off behind one of the corridor walls, and in this room they found what is believed to be Mrs. Penn’s spinning wheel. One thing that I found odd about this story was that in all the accounts that I have read no one mentions why the room was sealed off, nor did anyone question why the spinning wheel was there, nor was there any mention of any other objects occupying the room.

Other specters inhabiting the palace that deserve honorable mention are two soldiers who had haunted the main courtyard. At some point of the English Civil War, a small skirmish was fought at the castle and unfortunately a good amount of the troops were injured or killed. The two soldiers in the courtyard are believed to have been part of that skirmish. During some of the repairs and renovations on the castle two skeletons were found in the courtyard. The remains of the unknown men were removed from the courtyard and given a proper burial. There have been no further reports of the soldiers in the courtyard since then. Hopefully these two men have finally found their peace.

Another ghost reported in the palace is that of a young boy dressed in 17th century garb. The brother of the owner of the castle saw him at that time, and a friend. The child appeared before the men in broad daylight during a garden party. He pushed past the gentlemen standing on the stairs, who quickly followed him only to find the child nowhere in sight by the time they had reached the top of the stairs. The gentlemen described the child’s behavior as that of a person who lived in the palace and was used to being in charge.

I also found a brief mention of a tourist who had seen a young woman in what the tourist had described as, old fashioned dress, walking along with the crowds touring the palace. The tourist did not think much of this young woman until she noticed her walk through a young soldier on crutches. The young woman apparently passed through the young man without his even noticing. Upon reporting what she had seen to the constable stationed on the grounds, she was told that many other tourists had reported this specter over the years.

By Cat

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The LaLaurie House - New Orleans, Louisiana

The LaLaurie House is a lavish building at 1140 Royal Street, New

Orleans, Louisiana. Most accounts agree that it was built in 1832 by Madame

Delphine Macarty LaLaurie, a wealthy New Orleans socialite.

The ghosts in the house are of some of her many slaves. While living,

these people attended to her every whim and helped to keep up her stylish

lifestyle. LaLaurie's friends often joked that she had one slave for every

little task.

In 1833 LaLaurie's slaves began disappearing frequently. One day a young

servant girl, Lia, ran from LaLaurie up to a roof top. She was trying to

escape and screamed for help. Witnesses on the street watched LaLaurie beat

the girl. Then Lia plunged to her death as she jumped from the roof trying

to get away. LaLaurie had the body concealed in a well, but police soon

found it. She was soon forced to sell her slaves at auction, but her friends

bought them and retuned them to their former life.

On April 10, 1834, a fire brigade reported to a call from 1140 Royal

Street. Entering the kitchen, they found an elderly cook chained to the

floor. She claimed to have lit the fire to draw attention to the goings on

at the house. The woman directed them to the attic.

The fire brigade could hardly believe what they saw. The attic had been

turned into a torture chamber with naked victims chained to the wall.

Corpses were rotting where they had expired. Worse still were the torture

victims, many of whom were still living. One woman had been gutted and tied

up with her own intestines. Another woman had her mouth sewn shut. When

rescuers cut the stitches, they found her mouth filled with feces. A man had

a hole cut in his head with a stick inserted to "stir" his brains. Some

people had been chained up just to starve to death. Many men were missing

eyes, ears, fingers, and other small parts of their bodies. Obviously,

despite the rescue, these people didn't live for very long.

This time, even LaLaurie's friends turned on her. She was run out of

town and she went to Paris. Some reports claim that she died after being

gored by a wild bull while there. Others believe that she returned to New

Orleans to covertly live under the name "Widow Blanque". Her murder count

has never been accurately tabulated. During renovations, skeletons dating to

LaLaurie's time have been found, and there may be more.

The house went through many functions, including a girl's school, a

tenement, an antique shop, an bar, and now apartments. Many of the people

living in the house over the years have witnessed apparitions, noises, and

screams.

During the 19th century, a Black servant was awakened by the ghost of

LaLaurie choking him. She is seen in all areas of the house. A large Black

man in chains has confronted people on the stairs before vanishing. Some of

LaLaurie's other servants have been seen. During the summer of 1999 a

tourist photographed balls of light floating in the area of the roof where

Lia jumped to her death.

The attic and staircase are among the most haunted. The building's

ghosts are still believed to be active though the current residents don't

speak about it. Ghost hunters insist that LaLaurie's spirit is evil and

still dangerous. The house is a stop on several New Orleans ghost tours.

Ghostly screams have been heard by people simply walking down the

street.Viewing the home from the outside seems to be the safest way for an

armchair ghost hunter to experience the LaLaurie house ghosts.

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Kilmarnok Castle - Kilmarnok, Ayshire Scotland

Like all castles in the British Isles, Dean Castle has its own ghosts. The land was given to the Boyd family by Robert The Bruce as a token of gratitude for the allegiance and support they gave at the Battle of Bannockburn and the great wars of independence. In 1350 work began on the keep, a solid defensive building and in the 1460's the palace was built, given its royal title due to it being the venue of Princess Mary's wedding to Thomas
Boyd. The Boyd family were associated with the Dean Castle Estates for about four hundred years, up until William Boyd the Fourth Earl of Kilmarnock.

The castle has its own 'obligatory ghost story' concerning the Fourth Earl. A few years prior to the 45' uprising William Boyd sat one evening alone in his study when he was 'treated' to the grisly sight of a head rolling along the floor which had appeared out of nowhere. The realization that it was his own head chilled him to the bone. True to the tradition of the Boyds the Earl was present at the battle of Culloden, as a Jacobite fighting for Scotland. After the confusion of the battle he became lost while looking for his own regiment, he was captured when he mistook the Royal Horse for those of his own.
Surrounding him they yelled for his sword. He was a proud man, tears rolled down his face; a tall Fusilier Officer rode up and offered him a hat to hide his tears. The officer was his own son. Lord Boyd had been helped to his execution by his own kith and kin.
The Earl was a calm man at his execution, he asked for men to catch his head in a large cloth, because he said he could face death but not the thought of his own head rolling in the dirt covered in blood......Since, the Earls head has said to have been seen on many occasions around the floor of the castle by some horrified witness.

The castle then fell into various hands through the centuries, the last private owner being Howard De Walden who in 1975 gave the castle and its contents as a gift to the people of Kilmarnock. In 1976 the then Kilmarnock District Council opened the building and its grounds as a museum. From Dean Castle leading to Craudfurdland Castle there is said to have once been a tunnel linking the two. This was supposedly why the defenders of Dean Castle were able to break a siege by the English in 1296. There is no evidence to
suggest that the tunnel ever existed, but the reason for it remaining so long as a local truth is a mystery. Today, the castle still has its extensive grounds with a nature reserve, walled gardens, (where it is said that witches once met on a moonlit night) nature trails and many other activities laid on by the rangers. It will make a pleasant day out should
you ever find yourself in Kilmarnock. Once again but in these pages I would like to thank Margaret, (pseudonym) for her most lively, enthusiastic and interesting tour of the castle Margaret had worked as a tour guide for over two years and around the castle she has often seen the figure of an old woman, especially on or near the walkway, she describes
her, "As an evil old biddy" dressed in a long black skirt reaching down to her ankles, a rough gray top, her head always covered in a shabby plaid shawl which reached down to
her shoulders where she wraps it tightly around her. Tatty brown boots on her feet which look a few sizes too big. While taking a guided tour one day Margaret was approached by a female tourist and asked who the old woman was outside on the walkway. The description she gave perfectly matched that of the woman Margaret herself has seen, only this time neither she or any other of the group had been aware of her presence. The last actual sighting of the woman that I am aware of took place in February 1995, also seen by a tourist but this time in the kitchen area.

August 1992 saw a jazz festival held in the courtyard. Margaret along with other members of staff attended, but as a social event and they were not on duty. The whole courtyard was lit making the castle look quite impressive as it cast its eerie shadow over the proceedings. During the evening Margaret again saw the old woman watching the festival from the walkway. She beckoned Margaret to follow and against her better judgment she foolishly did so. Margaret walked up the stairs and found a door to a colleagues room open. Stood next to the desk was the old biddy' smiling at her, she cannot remember much about the evening after that. Margaret was told that she returned to the festival looking deathly white and ill, she had to be helped into a car and taken to the near-by conservation offices. There she spent most of the time in the bathroom vomiting violently. It came out of her mouth with such speed that it reached the ceiling, everywhere was awash with vomit. Her friends told her that she had been whimpering like some kind of wild animal and all the time shouting, "Get out of me," Get away from me,
" "Leave me alone." Heather who stayed with her the whole time said that at one point the sickness just seemed to ooze out of every pore of Margaret's body, "The bathroom being awash." They eventually managed to get Margaret home a little later on, Heather
stayed with her all night to keep an eye. In the morning the doctor had to be called as Margaret began to "hyperventilate." The doctor could not explain the bluish black
marks all over her body, "Like water marks on silk," nor could he explain or
figure out what exactly was ailing Margaret. On another occasion just after the completion of another guided tour Margaret headed for the staff kitchen in the palace for
a well earned cup of coffee and a short rest. After her break she headed towards the door to leave, when she heard voices on the other side deep in conversation. Thinking it may be the janitors who she had seen in the courtyard previously, Margaret slowly opened the door in order to surprise them. Instead it was she herself who got the surprise as there was not a soul in sight and the voices had ceased the moment she had placed her hand on the door handle. Puzzled she thought nothing more of it until she had occasion to return to the palace later in the day. After putting the key into the lock Margaret found it would not move, struggling for a considerable amount of time the key then all of a sudden turned with ease. But to her consternation she found that it would only open several inches before stopping against some immovable object, in fact it felt as though the door was being pushed towards her. Again she blamed the janitors and called out, "All right very funny, jokes over." At that instant the door swung open and Margaret
stumbled onto the palace floor. The room was empty and there was nothing behind the door that could have caused an obstruction. There was also no other exit in the room which some person could have left by, namely one of the janitors, as she first thought.
It was then that Margaret felt a cold chill run down her spine and left as quickly as possible. Tour guide Michael has also experienced some odd moments whilst working in
the castle, often he has heard music drifting down from the minstrels gallery while alone. He has also experienced the same difficulty with the palace door as Margaret. One
day while taking a tour Michael stopped by a portrait of William Boyd in the study. As he gave a, "Flowery" description of the obligatory ghost story, the portrait suddenly jumped off its mountings and landed face up on the other side of the room at the feet of two sightseers. Everyone stood in shocked silence, the amazing coincidence being that the two who's feet the picture had landed at held the surnames of Markinck and Titchfield, the same as the two faithful friends of William Boyds who traveled down to London with him and gave their support at his execution. It was at this point in the narrative that
the painting had decided to leap off the wall. The castle has a dungeon but the prisoners who died there were sure to have been breakers of the law rather then prisoners of war. The dungeon is bottle necked, built purposefully so that there was no escape. Being fourteen feet from top to bottom the prisoners were literally thrown in, many suffering from broken bones in the fall. There are no windows down there so it was extremely dark and stuffy. When full, as it often was, the prisoners were barely able to move and were left to die in their own bodily wastes. Dug into the dungeons floor was an Oubliette, a
French word meaning to forget or cast aside. It was a small compartment roughly the size of an average human being, which afforded no room to stretch. No one survived for
long after the lid was placed into position. The prisoners were neither fed nor watered; what a horrible lingering death it must have been. The last person said to have died in the oubliette was an old woman who allegedly aided the Coventers. A woman visiting the castle and standing above the dungeon looking down into the murky blackness below was suddenly seized with a great feeling of terror. Her chest tightened and she felt as though
she was going to suffocate right there and then. The lady is convinced that she took on the condition of some one who had died in the hole. There are also tales of a big black cat haunting the area.

By: CatsEye013

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