The Black Monk of Pontefract

In 1966, the Pritchard family of 30 East Drive, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, began experiencing what would become one of the most documented and violent poltergeist cases in British history. For over three years, they endured physical attacks, objects hurling through the air, green foam pouring from taps, and the appearance of a terrifying figure in a black monk’s habit. The case has been investigated extensively and remains unexplained.

The Beginning

August 1966

It started when Joe and Jean Pritchard were away:

• Their son Philip, 15, was home with grandmother
• A fine white powder fell from the ceiling
• Puddles of water appeared on the floor
• The temperature dropped dramatically
• Something had arrived

The First Days

The phenomena escalated quickly:

• Pools of water with no source
• Crockery smashing
• Objects moving on their own
• Strange sounds throughout the house
• The grandmother fled in terror

The Pritchards Return

Joe and Jean came home to:

• Their house in chaos
• Their family traumatized
• An entity that wasn’t leaving
• The beginning of years of terror
• A presence that seemed focused on daughter Diane, 12

The Phenomena

Green Foam

One of the strangest effects:

• Green foam poured from taps
• Sometimes from walls
• No explanation found
• Plumbers were mystified
• It appeared and disappeared

Objects Flying

Throughout the case:

• Heavy furniture thrown across rooms
• Eggs pelted at witnesses
• Grandfather clock toppled
• Ornaments shattered
• Invisible force at work

Physical Attacks

The entity was violent:

• Family members pushed
• Hair pulled
• Scratches appeared on skin
• Diane was dragged up the stairs by an invisible force
• The attacks were terrifying

Diane’s Ordeal

The daughter seemed targeted:

• Scratches appeared on her body
• Her hair was pulled
• She was dragged by unseen hands
• Handprints found on her throat
• The entity seemed focused on her

The Black Monk

His Appearance

Eventually, the entity showed itself:

• A tall figure in black robes
• A monk’s cowl covering its face
• Appearing in corridors
• Standing at the foot of beds
• A terrifying presence

The Theory

Researchers suggested:

• The house was built over Pontefract gallows
• A Cluniac monk was hanged there
• In the 16th century
• For the rape and murder of a young girl
• The entity matched descriptions of medieval monks

His Name

The monk came to be known as:

• “The Black Monk of Pontefract”
• Or simply “Fred” by the traumatized family
• A way of coping with terror
• By giving the entity a mundane name
• Humor as defense

Key Incidents

The Egg Attack

During one visit:

• Investigators were pelted with eggs
• The eggs came from nowhere
• No one was throwing them
• They appeared in mid-air
• And struck witnesses

The Grandfather Clock

A heavy antique clock:

• Was found at the bottom of the stairs
• No one had touched it
• It had been carried down
• By unseen hands
• Impossible to move alone

The Painting

Religious items were targeted:

• A painting was slashed
• The slash formed an inverted cross
• Other religious items destroyed
• The entity seemed anti-religious
• Or mocking faith

The Dragging

The most terrifying incident:

• Diane was dragged up the stairs
• By invisible hands
• Witnessed by her family
• She screamed throughout
• Finger marks found on her

Witnesses

The Investigators

Many credible witnesses:

• Local vicar participated
• Paranormal researchers visited
• Neighbors witnessed phenomena
• Police were called multiple times
• All confirmed activity

The Neighbors

The O’Donald family:

• Lived next door
• Experienced phenomena themselves
• Witnessed events at the Pritchards’
• Corroborated the family’s accounts
• Were themselves terrorized

The Media

The case attracted:

• Local newspaper coverage
• Television interest
• Paranormal researchers
• Skeptics who left convinced
• Documentation throughout

The Aftermath

The Family

The Pritchards eventually:

• Learned to live with the entity
• Activity diminished over time
• They remained in the house
• The worst was the first three years
• It never fully stopped

30 East Drive Today

The house:

• Still stands
• Has become a paranormal tourism destination
• Overnight stays offered
• Investigators still visit
• Activity continues to be reported

The Film

In 2012:

• “When the Lights Went Out” was released
• A film based on the case
• Brought international attention
• The story became more widely known
• The house became more famous

Investigation and Theories

Poltergeist Focus

Classic poltergeist pattern:

• Activity centered on an adolescent
• Diane was 12-14 during the worst period
• Emotional energy theory
• Puberty connection
• But this doesn’t explain the monk

The Medieval Theory

The monk explanation:

• Genuine historical connection
• The gallows were real
• Monks were hanged there
• The entity matches the period
• A trapped soul?

Demonic Theory

Some investigators believe:

• Not a ghost but a demon
• The violence suggests malevolence
• The anti-religious aspects
• The targeting of a child
• Something inhuman

The Question

In 1966, something came to 30 East Drive.

It poured green foam from the taps. It threw furniture across rooms. It attacked a 12-year-old girl.

And it showed itself as a black-robed monk.

The Pritchards lived with it for years. They called it Fred. What else could they do?

The house was built over medieval gallows. A monk was hanged there for murder and rape. His spirit - or something calling itself a monk - came to the house.

Diane was dragged screaming up the stairs by invisible hands.

The grandfather clock moved on its own.

Paintings were slashed into inverted crosses.

This isn’t a story. This is documented history. Witnessed by neighbors, police, investigators, media.

The Pritchards didn’t want attention. They just wanted it to stop.

It didn’t stop.

30 East Drive still stands. The Black Monk may still walk there.

People stay overnight now, seeking thrills.

But the Pritchards weren’t seeking anything.

It found them.

And for three years, they lived in a haunted house where the haunting could hurt them.

The Black Monk of Pontefract.

Still in residence.

Still waiting.

What does he want?

After 500 years, he still hasn’t told anyone.