The Borley Rectory Poltergeist

Borley Rectory, a Victorian house in rural Essex, gained fame as “the most haunted house in England” through investigations by paranormal researcher Harry Price in the 1930s. Over a decade, the rectory produced reports of phantom footsteps, strange lights, poltergeist activity, and a ghostly nun, before burning to the ground under circumstances that some considered suspicious and others believed supernatural.

The Building

Borley Rectory was built in 1862 for the Reverend Henry Dawson Ellis Bull on a site with a longer history. Local legend held that a medieval monastery had once stood nearby, and that a nun from a neighboring convent had been executed for an illicit relationship with a monk. Whether this legend had any historical basis remains uncertain, but it would become central to the rectory’s mythology.

The rectory was a large, plain building, unremarkable in architecture but isolated in location. Successive rectors and their families lived there, and accounts of strange occurrences began accumulating over the decades.

Early Reports

The Bull family, who occupied the rectory from its construction until 1927, reported various phenomena over the years. A phantom coach drawn by ghostly horses was said to appear on the drive. A nun-like figure was seen walking in the garden. Unexplained footsteps echoed through the building.

These early reports were informal, shared within the family and the local community. It was not until the arrival of the Smith family in 1928 that the phenomena attracted wider attention.

The Smiths and the Investigation

Reverend Guy Eric Smith and his wife moved into Borley Rectory in 1928. Almost immediately, they experienced disturbances: servant bells ringing by themselves, strange sounds at night, the apparition of the nun in the garden. Mrs. Smith found a skull wrapped in paper in a cupboard.

The Smiths contacted the Daily Mirror, which sent a reporter and, more significantly, contacted Harry Price, a well-known psychic researcher. Price visited in June 1929 and was immediately fascinated.

Price documented extensive phenomena during his visits: stones thrown, keys flying out of locks, vases moving, and strange messages appearing on walls. He conducted séances at which a spirit claiming to be the murdered nun communicated through automatic writing.

The Foyster Period

The Smiths left in 1929, and the Reverend Lionel Foyster moved in with his wife Marianne and their young daughter. The phenomena intensified dramatically during the Foyster period (1930-1935).

Objects flew through the air with increasing frequency. Marianne Foyster was allegedly attacked by invisible hands, receiving scratches and bruises. Messages appeared on walls, many addressed directly to Marianne, pleading for help and making requests. Bells rang constantly. Objects disappeared and reappeared in impossible locations.

Lionel Foyster kept a diary of events, recording hundreds of incidents. His health declined under the stress, and the family eventually left in 1935.

Price’s Lease

Harry Price leased the rectory in 1937, conducting his own extended investigation. He recruited a team of observers who rotated through the building, documenting anything unusual. The results were mixed—some observers experienced phenomena, others found the house disappointingly quiet.

During a séance in March 1938, a spirit allegedly predicted that the rectory would burn down and that proof of the nun’s murder would be found in the ashes. On February 27, 1939, the rectory was destroyed by fire while occupied by Captain William Hart Gregson. The fire was officially attributed to an overturned oil lamp, though some found the timing suspicious given the séance prediction.

The Aftermath

Excavations in the ruins uncovered human bones, which Price and others believed might be the remains of the legendary nun. Scientific analysis was inconclusive, and the bones’ origin remains uncertain.

Price published two books about Borley Rectory: “The Most Haunted House in England” (1940) and “The End of Borley Rectory” (1946). These books cemented the rectory’s reputation in paranormal history.

After Price’s death in 1948, investigators from the Society for Psychical Research conducted a critical examination of his work. They found significant problems with his methodology and evidence, suggesting that some phenomena may have been exaggerated or even fabricated. Marianne Foyster, in particular, came under suspicion as a possible source of fraud during the most active period.

Assessment

Borley Rectory remains one of the most controversial cases in paranormal history. Supporters point to the sheer volume of reported phenomena, the multiple witnesses over decades, and the strange circumstances of the fire. Critics note Harry Price’s tendency toward sensationalism, the problems with evidence, and the possibility that much of the activity during the Foyster period was produced by Marianne herself.

The rectory no longer exists—only a portion of wall remains. But the legend persists, drawing visitors to the remote Essex village and inspiring continued debate about what, if anything, actually haunted Borley Rectory.