The Borley Rectory Haunting

Borley Rectory, a Victorian Gothic house in Essex, England, was called “the most haunted house in England” after decades of reported phenomena. Ghost hunter Harry Price made it famous through his investigations in the 1930s. The building eventually burned in a mysterious fire.

The Building

Borley Rectory:

• Built in 1862 for Reverend Henry Bull
• Victorian Gothic architecture
• Located in a remote Essex village
• Served as the parish rectory

Early Phenomena

Even before publicity:

• Footsteps heard in empty rooms
• Servant bells ringing by themselves
• A ghostly nun reportedly seen walking
• Multiple rectors reported disturbances

The Nun

The most famous apparition:

• A nun seen walking the grounds
• Reported by multiple witnesses over decades
• Legend said she was walled up alive
• Possibly medieval in origin

The Smith Family

Reverend Guy Eric Smith (1928-1929):

• His family experienced intense phenomena
• Objects moved by themselves
• Mysterious lights appeared
• They contacted the Daily Mail for help

Harry Price Investigation

Ghost hunter Harry Price:

• Began investigating in 1929
• Brought scientific instruments
• Conducted séances
• Publicized the haunting extensively

Phenomena Reported

During Price’s tenure:

• Poltergeist activity
• Stones thrown
• Objects appearing and disappearing
• Temperature drops
• Written messages appearing on walls

The Wall Writings

Perhaps most remarkable:

• Messages appeared written on walls
• Seemingly addressed to “Marianne”
• Requesting prayers and help
• Appearing spontaneously before witnesses

The Foyster Period

Reverend Lionel Foyster (1930-1935):

• His wife Marianne was focus of activity
• Phenomena reached peak intensity
• Messages specifically addressed her
• Some suspect she caused them

The Séance Prediction

During a séance:

• A spirit allegedly predicted a fire
• Said the rectory would burn
• Bones would be found in the ruins
• Events seemed to confirm this

The Fire

On February 27, 1939:

• The rectory caught fire
• The blaze began mysteriously
• The building was destroyed
• Cause never determined

The Bones

After the fire:

• Human remains were found
• Possibly a young woman
• Buried with religious ceremony
• Allegedly matching the nun legend

Criticism

The case has been challenged:

• Price accused of exaggeration
• Some phenomena possibly faked
• The Foyster phenomena particularly questioned
• Later researchers found problems

Defense

Supporters note:

• Phenomena reported before Price
• Multiple families affected
• Some independent witness testimony
• Not all evidence tied to Price

Significance

Borley Rectory is significant for:

• Decades of reported phenomena
• Early systematic ghost investigation
• The wall writings mystery
• Fire prediction apparently fulfilled
• Bones discovery
• Defining British ghost hunting

Legacy

Whether genuinely haunted or an elaborate combination of fraud and misperception, Borley Rectory shaped modern ghost hunting. It demonstrated how haunting cases could capture public imagination and established templates for paranormal investigation.