Paranormal case files

731 OCT 1926 Paranormal 1926 PAR 7 HOUDINI SEANCES HOUDINI SEANCES - TEN HALLOWEENS AND A SECRET CODE Detroit, 31 October 1926. Harry Houdini dies on Halloween after promising his wife Bess a coded message from beyond. She holds a séance every Halloween for ten years, ending on a Hollywood rooftop in 1936. No message has ever been accepted. Detroit, 31 October 1926. Harry Houdini dies on Halloween after promising his wife Bess a coded message from beyond. She holds a séance every Halloween for ten years, ending on a Hollywood rooftop in 1936. No message has ever been accepted. 71 JUL 1976 Paranormal 1976 PAR 7 ANNELIESE MICHEL ANNELIESE MICHEL - THE STUDENT, THE ILLNESS AND THE RITE Klingenberg am Main, Germany, 1976. Anneliese Michel, a 23-year-old student teacher with epilepsy, dies of starvation after ten months of Church-approved exorcisms. Her parents and two priests are convicted of negligent homicide. Her story inspired The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Klingenberg am Main, Germany, 1976. Anneliese Michel, a 23-year-old student teacher with epilepsy, dies of starvation after ten months of Church-approved exorcisms. Her parents and two priests are convicted of negligent homicide. Her story inspired The Exorcism of Emily Rose. 516 FEB 1981 Paranormal 1981 PAR 5 ARNE CHEYENNE JOHNSON ARNE CHEYENNE JOHNSON - THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT Brookfield, Connecticut, 1981. Arne Cheyenne Johnson kills his landlord, Alan Bono, months after Ed and Lorraine Warren declared his girlfriend's young brother possessed. His lawyer tries the first demonic possession defence in a US court. The judge refuses it. Brookfield, Connecticut, 1981. Arne Cheyenne Johnson kills his landlord, Alan Bono, months after Ed and Lorraine Warren declared his girlfriend's young brother possessed. His lawyer tries the first demonic possession defence in a US court. The judge refuses it. 42003 Paranormal 2003 PAR 4 DYBBUK BOX DYBBUK BOX - THE EBAY CURSE THAT WAS WRITTEN Portland, Oregon, 2003. Kevin Mannis sells a small wine cabinet on eBay with a story of a Holocaust survivor and a trapped spirit. It inspires the film The Possession and ends up in a Las Vegas haunted museum. In 2021 Mannis says he made the story up. Portland, Oregon, 2003. Kevin Mannis sells a small wine cabinet on eBay with a story of a Holocaust survivor and a trapped spirit. It inspires the film The Possession and ends up in a Las Vegas haunted museum. In 2021 Mannis says he made the story up. 56 OCT 1974 Paranormal 1974 PAR 5 OSSETT EXORCISM OSSETT EXORCISM - THE NIGHT AT GAWBER AND CHRISTINE TAYLOR West Yorkshire, October 1974. After an all-night exorcism at a church near Barnsley, Michael Taylor is sent home still said to carry the demon of murder. Within hours he kills his wife, Christine. He is found not guilty by reason of insanity, and the Church of England writes its first exorcism rules. West Yorkshire, October 1974. After an all-night exorcism at a church near Barnsley, Michael Taylor is sent home still said to carry the demon of murder. Within hours he kills his wife, Christine. He is found not guilty by reason of insanity, and the Church of England writes its first exorcism rules. 618 AUG 1634 Paranormal 1634 PAR 6 LOUDUN POSSESSIONS LOUDUN POSSESSIONS - THE NUNS, THE PRIEST AND THE PYRE Loudun, France, 1632 to 1637. Ursuline nuns say they are possessed and name the parish priest Urbain Grandier, a man they have never met. After public exorcisms and a devil's pact produced in court, Grandier is burned alive in 1634. The possessions continue without him. Loudun, France, 1632 to 1637. Ursuline nuns say they are possessed and name the parish priest Urbain Grandier, a man they have never met. After public exorcisms and a devil's pact produced in court, Grandier is burned alive in 1634. The possessions continue without him. 21906 Paranormal 1906 PAR 2 CLARA GERMANA CELE CLARA GERMANA CELE - THE MISSION GIRL OF NATAL St. Michael's Mission, Natal, 1906. Missionaries say a sixteen-year-old orphan, Clara Germana Cele, speaks unknown languages, throws nuns across rooms and levitates, until two priests exorcise her. The only witnesses are the mission's own, through later retellings. St. Michael's Mission, Natal, 1906. Missionaries say a sixteen-year-old orphan, Clara Germana Cele, speaks unknown languages, throws nuns across rooms and levitates, until two priests exorcise her. The only witnesses are the mission's own, through later retellings. 323 DEC 1928 Paranormal 1928 PAR 3 EARLING EXORCISM EARLING EXORCISM - BEGONE SATAN IN AN IOWA CONVENT Earling, Iowa, 1928. Over three sessions in a Franciscan convent, Father Theophilus Riesinger exorcises a woman the pamphlet Begone Satan! calls Anna Ecklund. The account of howling, levitation and strange languages comes entirely from the priests and nuns. Earling, Iowa, 1928. Over three sessions in a Franciscan convent, Father Theophilus Riesinger exorcises a woman the pamphlet Begone Satan! calls Anna Ecklund. The account of howling, levitation and strange languages comes entirely from the priests and nuns. 31971 Paranormal 1971 PAR 3 PERRON FARMHOUSE PERRON FARMHOUSE - THE REAL HOUSE BEHIND THE CONJURING Harrisville, Rhode Island, 1971 to about 1980. Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters say their old farmhouse was full of presences, and Ed and Lorraine Warren come to investigate. The film The Conjuring made it famous. The record from the time is thin. Harrisville, Rhode Island, 1971 to about 1980. Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters say their old farmhouse was full of presences, and Ed and Lorraine Warren come to investigate. The film The Conjuring made it famous. The record from the time is thin. 617 MAR 1892 Paranormal 1892 PAR 6 MERCY BROWN MERCY BROWN - THE LAST NEW ENGLAND VAMPIRE Exeter, Rhode Island, 1892. Nineteen-year-old Mercy Brown dies of tuberculosis, the third woman in her family to do so. Two months later neighbours dig her up, find blood in her heart, and burn it to save her dying brother. He dies in May. Exeter, Rhode Island, 1892. Nineteen-year-old Mercy Brown dies of tuberculosis, the third woman in her family to do so. Two months later neighbours dig her up, find blood in her heart, and burn it to save her dying brother. He dies in May. 420 AUG 1612 Paranormal 1612 PAR 4 PENDLE WITCHES PENDLE WITCHES - THE CHILD WITNESS OF LANCASTER Lancashire, 1612. A pedlar collapses after refusing Alizon Device some pins. Five months later ten people from around Pendle Hill have been hanged, most on the evidence of a nine-year-old girl, Jennet Device, testifying against her own family. Lancashire, 1612. A pedlar collapses after refusing Alizon Device some pins. Five months later ten people from around Pendle Hill have been hanged, most on the evidence of a nine-year-old girl, Jennet Device, testifying against her own family. 61 MAR 1692 Paranormal 1692 PAR 6 SALEM WITCH TRIALS SALEM WITCH TRIALS - SPECTRAL EVIDENCE AND TWENTY-FIVE DEATHS Salem Village, Massachusetts, 1692. Two girls in the minister's house fall into fits, and within months more than 200 people are accused of witchcraft. Nineteen are hanged, one is pressed to death and at least five die in jail. Within twenty years the colony admitted it was wrong. Salem Village, Massachusetts, 1692. Two girls in the minister's house fall into fits, and within months more than 200 people are accused of witchcraft. Nineteen are hanged, one is pressed to death and at least five die in jail. Within twenty years the colony admitted it was wrong. 41788 Paranormal 1788 PAR 4 EDINBURGH VAULTS EDINBURGH VAULTS - THE CHAMBERS UNDER THE SOUTH BRIDGE Edinburgh, 1788. The arches of the new South Bridge become taverns and workshops, then damp slums and whisky dens, then are sealed and forgotten. Reopened in the 1980s, they became famous for ghosts, and in 2001 a psychologist tested the hauntings with hundreds of volunteers. Edinburgh, 1788. The arches of the new South Bridge become taverns and workshops, then damp slums and whisky dens, then are sealed and forgotten. Reopened in the 1980s, they became famous for ghosts, and in 2001 a psychologist tested the hauntings with hundreds of volunteers. 21974 Paranormal 1974 PAR 2 STANLEY HOTEL STANLEY HOTEL - THE REAL OVERLOOK Colorado, 1974. Stephen King spends a night in an almost empty mountain hotel as it closes for winter and finds the Overlook of The Shining. The Stanley has been sold as one of America's most haunted hotels ever since, and its most famous ghost story stretches a real accident. Colorado, 1974. Stephen King spends a night in an almost empty mountain hotel as it closes for winter and finds the Overlook of The Shining. The Stanley has been sold as one of America's most haunted hotels ever since, and its most famous ghost story stretches a real accident. 31995 Paranormal 1995 PAR 3 POPOBAWA POPOBAWA - THE BAT-WING SPIRIT OF ZANZIBAR Zanzibar, since 1965. A shape-shifting night spirit called the Popobawa is said to attack people in their beds. In 1995 the fear swept the islands and reached the mainland, and families slept outside around fires. Doctors never treated a victim. The fear was real. Zanzibar, since 1965. A shape-shifting night spirit called the Popobawa is said to attack people in their beds. In 1995 the fear swept the islands and reached the mainland, and families slept outside around fires. Doctors never treated a victim. The fear was real. 21897 Paranormal 1897 PAR 2 BETTISCOMBE SKULL BETTISCOMBE SKULL - THE SCREAMING SKULL OF DORSET Bettiscombe Manor, Dorset. A skull said to scream if it is buried, and to belong to a servant brought from Nevis. A 1963 anatomical opinion reported in 1980 says it is a European woman's, aged 25 to 30. Bettiscombe Manor, Dorset. A skull said to scream if it is buried, and to belong to a servant brought from Nevis. A 1963 anatomical opinion reported in 1980 says it is a European woman's, aged 25 to 30. 21971 Paranormal 1971 PAR 2 HEXHAM HEADS HEXHAM HEADS - THE STONE HEADS AND THE WOLF-MAN Hexham, Northumberland, 1971. Children dug up two small stone heads, and two families reported poltergeist events and a wolf-like figure. A man said he made the heads in 1956, a professor judged them moulded, and the originals are lost. Hexham, Northumberland, 1971. Children dug up two small stone heads, and two families reported poltergeist events and a wolf-like figure. A man said he made the heads in 1956, a professor judged them moulded, and the originals are lost. 11872 Paranormal 1872 PAR 1 50 BERKELEY SQUARE 50 BERKELEY SQUARE - THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN LONDON A Mayfair townhouse said to be haunted by a girl in the attic who can frighten people to death. The stories grew from a decaying house and a reclusive tenant in the 1870s, and many were invented later. Nothing has been reported since a firm of booksellers moved in. A Mayfair townhouse said to be haunted by a girl in the attic who can frighten people to death. The stories grew from a decaying house and a reclusive tenant in the 1870s, and many were invented later. Nothing has been reported since a firm of booksellers moved in. 31892 Paranormal 1892 PAR 3 KATE MORGAN KATE MORGAN - THE GHOST OF THE HOTEL DEL CORONADO November 1892. A guest registered as Lottie Bernard is found shot dead on the Hotel del Coronado's beach staircase. The coroner calls it suicide, but a remark about the bullet fuels a murder theory. The hotel promotes her as its ghost, and the ghost stories rest on retellings. November 1892. A guest registered as Lottie Bernard is found shot dead on the Hotel del Coronado's beach staircase. The coroner calls it suicide, but a remark about the bullet fuels a murder theory. The hotel promotes her as its ghost, and the ghost stories rest on retellings. 229 DEC 1972 Paranormal 1972 PAR 2 EASTERN FLIGHT 401 EASTERN FLIGHT 401 - THE EVERGLADES CRASH AND THE GHOSTS OF THE TRISTAR 29 December 1972. A burned-out bulb distracts three pilots, and a Lockheed TriStar descends unnoticed into the Everglades. Ninety-nine people die. Then the stories begin: the dead captain and flight engineer are said to be seen aboard other Eastern aircraft. The airline called it garbage. The crash is documented, the ghosts are not. 29 December 1972. A burned-out bulb distracts three pilots, and a Lockheed TriStar descends unnoticed into the Everglades. Ninety-nine people die. Then the stories begin: the dead captain and flight engineer are said to be seen aboard other Eastern aircraft. The airline called it garbage. The crash is documented, the ghosts are not. 44 OCT 1958 Paranormal 1958 PAR 4 POLLOCK TWINS POLLOCK TWINS - THE SISTERS WHO CAME BACK 1957. Two sisters are killed on their way to church in Hexham. Their father, who believes in reincarnation, insists they will return as twins. In 1958 identical twins are born, one with marks matching her dead sister's. Ian Stevenson called it one of his strongest cases. Nearly all of it rests on the parents. 1957. Two sisters are killed on their way to church in Hexham. Their father, who believes in reincarnation, insists they will return as twins. In 1958 identical twins are born, one with marks matching her dead sister's. Ian Stevenson called it one of his strongest cases. Nearly all of it rests on the parents. 623 JAN 1897 Paranormal 1897 PAR 6 GREENBRIER GHOST GREENBRIER GHOST - THE MOTHER, THE GHOST AND THE BROKEN NECK In 1897 Zona Shue's death in West Virginia was recorded as natural until her mother said Zona's ghost had told her she was murdered. The exhumed body had a broken neck, and her husband was convicted. The autopsy, not the ghost, convicted him, and the ghost story cannot be tested. In 1897 Zona Shue's death in West Virginia was recorded as natural until her mother said Zona's ghost had told her she was murdered. The exhumed body had a broken neck, and her husband was convicted. The autopsy, not the ghost, convicted him, and the ghost story cannot be tested. 51917 Paranormal 1917 PAR 5 COTTINGLEY FAIRIES COTTINGLEY FAIRIES - THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE CONFESSION Two cousins in Cottingley, Yorkshire, photographed 'fairies' in 1917 and 1920, and Arthur Conan Doyle published them as real. In 1983 the cousins admitted using paper cut-outs from a children's book. They disagreed about the fifth photograph, and both said they really had seen fairies. Two cousins in Cottingley, Yorkshire, photographed 'fairies' in 1917 and 1920, and Arthur Conan Doyle published them as real. In 1983 the cousins admitted using paper cut-outs from a children's book. They disagreed about the fifth photograph, and both said they really had seen fairies. 21922 Paranormal 1922 PAR 2 POVEGLIA POVEGLIA - THE PLAGUE ISLAND AND ITS ASYLUM Poveglia is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon with a documented history as a settlement, a quarantine station from 1793 and a hospital for the elderly from 1922 to 1968. The plague-pit death tolls and the mad-doctor legend trace to modern television, not to any record. Poveglia is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon with a documented history as a settlement, a quarantine station from 1793 and a hospital for the elderly from 1922 to 1968. The plague-pit death tolls and the mad-doctor legend trace to modern television, not to any record. 410 AUG 1991 Paranormal 1991 PAR 4 BACHELOR'S GROVE BACHELOR'S GROVE - THE MADONNA ON THE TOMBSTONE Bachelor's Grove is a small, heavily vandalised cemetery in a Cook County forest preserve near Midlothian, Illinois. Its ghost stories grew after the 1960s, when it was cut off and became a party spot. In 1991 a Ghost Research Society infrared photo seemed to show a translucent woman in an old-fashioned dress seated on a grave. Bachelor's Grove is a small, heavily vandalised cemetery in a Cook County forest preserve near Midlothian, Illinois. Its ghost stories grew after the 1960s, when it was cut off and became a party spot. In 1991 a Ghost Research Society infrared photo seemed to show a translucent woman in an old-fashioned dress seated on a grave. 51996 Paranormal 1996 PAR 5 BLACK-EYED KIDS BLACK-EYED KIDS - THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR Two pale children knock late at night and ask to be let in. They will not come in unless you invite them. Then you see their eyes, completely black. Unlike most legends, this one has a named source: journalist Brian Bethel, in a car outside a cinema in Abilene, Texas, in 1996. Two pale children knock late at night and ask to be let in. They will not come in unless you invite them. Then you see their eyes, completely black. Unlike most legends, this one has a named source: journalist Brian Bethel, in a car outside a cinema in Abilene, Texas, in 1996. 42001 Paranormal 2001 PAR 4 THE HAT MAN THE HAT MAN - THE SHADOW AT THE FOOT OF THE BED You wake and cannot move, and a tall dark figure in a brimmed hat is standing at the foot of the bed. Thousands of people who have never met describe him in the same words. Sleep paralysis explains much of it, but not why so many people see the same man in the same hat. You wake and cannot move, and a tall dark figure in a brimmed hat is standing at the foot of the bed. Thousands of people who have never met describe him in the same words. Sleep paralysis explains much of it, but not why so many people see the same man in the same hat. 413 OCT 1917 Paranormal 1917 PAR 4 FATIMA 1917 FATIMA 1917 - THE DAY THE SUN DANCED Fátima, Portugal, 13 October 1917. Three shepherd children say a lady from heaven has promised a miracle, and tens of thousands come to see it. At noon the rain stops and the crowd watches the sun spin, change colour and plunge towards them. Wet clothes dry in minutes. A miracle, a trick of the eye, or one of the great UFO cases? Fátima, Portugal, 13 October 1917. Three shepherd children say a lady from heaven has promised a miracle, and tens of thousands come to see it. At noon the rain stops and the crowd watches the sun spin, change colour and plunge towards them. Wet clothes dry in minutes. A miracle, a trick of the eye, or one of the great UFO cases? 41897 Paranormal 1897 PAR 4 BALLECHIN HOUSE BALLECHIN HOUSE - THE MAJOR, HIS DOGS AND THE 1897 INQUIRY Perthshire, Scotland, 1876 to 1897. Major Robert Steuart dies promising to return as a dog, and later households report knocking, voices and an unseen dog. The Society for Psychical Research rents the house in 1897, a guest attacks the inquiry in The Times, and its leader is later exposed as unreliable. The house was demolished in 1963. Perthshire, Scotland, 1876 to 1897. Major Robert Steuart dies promising to return as a dog, and later households report knocking, voices and an unseen dog. The Society for Psychical Research rents the house in 1897, a guest attacks the inquiry in The Times, and its leader is later exposed as unreliable. The house was demolished in 1963. 410 AUG 1901 Paranormal 1901 PAR 4 VERSAILLES 1901 VERSAILLES 1901 - THE OXFORD WOMEN WHO LOST THEIR WAY Versailles, 10 August 1901. Charlotte Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain of St Hugh's, Oxford, get lost looking for the Petit Trianon and meet men in green coats, a pockmarked man by a kiosk and a lady sketching on the grass. They come to believe they saw the gardens of 1789 and Marie Antoinette herself. Their 1911 book is a bestseller and the argument has never ended. Versailles, 10 August 1901. Charlotte Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain of St Hugh's, Oxford, get lost looking for the Petit Trianon and meet men in green coats, a pockmarked man by a kiosk and a lady sketching on the grass. They come to believe they saw the gardens of 1789 and Marie Antoinette herself. Their 1911 book is a bestseller and the argument has never ended. 41924 Paranormal 1924 PAR 4 MARGERY THE MEDIUM MARGERY THE MEDIUM - HOUDINI AND THE LIME STREET SEANCES 10 Lime Street, Boston, 1923 to 1941. Mina Crandon's séances convince doctors and academics and nearly win Scientific American's 1924 prize. Houdini sits with her, builds a box to control her and publishes an exposé. Later investigators catch objects in her lap, and in 1932 her dead brother's spirit thumbprints turn out to be her dentist's. 10 Lime Street, Boston, 1923 to 1941. Mina Crandon's séances convince doctors and academics and nearly win Scientific American's 1924 prize. Houdini sits with her, builds a box to control her and publishes an exposé. Later investigators catch objects in her lap, and in 1932 her dead brother's spirit thumbprints turn out to be her dentist's. 51874 Paranormal 1874 PAR 5 CROGLIN GRANGE CROGLIN GRANGE - ENGLAND'S FOUNDATIONAL VAMPIRE LEGEND 1874. Cumberland, England. Captain Fisher-Rowe tells writer Augustus Hare of a vampire attacking his family's tenant at Croglin Grange, predating Dracula by two decades. No independent source, folklore reference, or property record has ever confirmed the story, and a 2012 systematic search of contemporary Cumbrian folklore found no trace of it before Hare's own account. 1874. Cumberland, England. Captain Fisher-Rowe tells writer Augustus Hare of a vampire attacking his family's tenant at Croglin Grange, predating Dracula by two decades. No independent source, folklore reference, or property record has ever confirmed the story, and a 2012 systematic search of contemporary Cumbrian folklore found no trace of it before Hare's own account. 41992 Paranormal 1992 PAR 4 SALLIE HOUSE SALLIE HOUSE - THE NAMED GHOST WITH NO RECORD 1992 to 1994. Atchison, Kansas. Tony and Debra Pickman report escalating paranormal activity, including a fire caught on camera by a visiting TV crew. The house's legend centers on a girl named Sallie who died there. No birth, death, or medical record has ever confirmed she existed. The prior owner lived there three decades with no reported activity at all. 1992 to 1994. Atchison, Kansas. Tony and Debra Pickman report escalating paranormal activity, including a fire caught on camera by a visiting TV crew. The house's legend centers on a girl named Sallie who died there. No birth, death, or medical record has ever confirmed she existed. The prior owner lived there three decades with no reported activity at all. 526 JUL 1910 Paranormal 1910 PAR 5 WAVERLY HILLS SANATORIUM WAVERLY HILLS SANATORIUM - THE INFLATED DEATH TOLL 1910 to 1961. Louisville, Kentucky. A tuberculosis sanatorium widely marketed as having 63,000 deaths. Independent research using surviving physician records places the true figure closer to 5,000 to 8,000. The facility's later Woodhaven geriatric era, shut down by the state in 1982 for confirmed patient abuse, draws far less attention. 1910 to 1961. Louisville, Kentucky. A tuberculosis sanatorium widely marketed as having 63,000 deaths. Independent research using surviving physician records places the true figure closer to 5,000 to 8,000. The facility's later Woodhaven geriatric era, shut down by the state in 1982 for confirmed patient abuse, draws far less attention. 410 APR 1834 Paranormal 1946 PAR 4 LALAURIE MANSION LALAURIE MANSION - DOCUMENTED CRUELTY AND A 1946 LEGEND April 1834. New Orleans. A fire at Delphine LaLaurie's Royal Street mansion reveals seven enslaved people bound and severely abused. LaLaurie flees before prosecution. The documented 1834 record establishes real, sustained cruelty; the surgical-experiment and mutilation claims that dominate modern tours trace to a single 1946 book, not to any contemporaneous source. April 1834. New Orleans. A fire at Delphine LaLaurie's Royal Street mansion reveals seven enslaved people bound and severely abused. LaLaurie flees before prosecution. The documented 1834 record establishes real, sustained cruelty; the surgical-experiment and mutilation claims that dominate modern tours trace to a single 1946 book, not to any contemporaneous source. 518 APR 1949 Paranormal 1949 PAR 5 ST. LOUIS EXORCISM ST. LOUIS EXORCISM - THE REAL CASE BEHIND THE EXORCIST Cottage City, Maryland and St. Louis, Missouri, January to April 1949. A boy known as Roland Doe undergoes twenty to thirty Catholic exorcism rites, recorded night by night in a Jesuit's diary. The case became The Exorcist. In 2021 he was identified as Ronald Hunkeler, later a NASA engineer. Cottage City, Maryland and St. Louis, Missouri, January to April 1949. A boy known as Roland Doe undergoes twenty to thirty Catholic exorcism rites, recorded night by night in a Jesuit's diary. The case became The Exorcist. In 2021 he was identified as Ronald Hunkeler, later a NASA engineer. 611 JUL 1877 Paranormal 1878 PAR 6 WATSEKA WONDER WATSEKA WONDER - THE 1878 LURANCY VENNUM POSSESSION CASE July 1877 to May 1878. Watseka, Illinois. Thirteen-year-old Lurancy Vennum, facing asylum commitment for severe seizures, begins presenting consistently as Mary Roff, a young woman who died before Lurancy was born. An 1890 investigator confirmed the events occurred as described, while naming an early form of dissociative identity as the untested alternative. July 1877 to May 1878. Watseka, Illinois. Thirteen-year-old Lurancy Vennum, facing asylum commitment for severe seizures, begins presenting consistently as Mary Roff, a young woman who died before Lurancy was born. An 1890 investigator confirmed the events occurred as described, while naming an early form of dissociative identity as the untested alternative. 51883 Paranormal 1883 PAR 5 NIGHTMARCHERS NIGHTMARCHERS - HUAKAʻI PŌ, THE PROCESSIONS OF THE DEAD Hawaiian tradition: huakaʻi pō, processions of chiefs, gods and ancestors, travel old routes at night with drums and torches. Those caught in the path lie face down. In print since 1883, far older in oral form. Hawaiian tradition: huakaʻi pō, processions of chiefs, gods and ancestors, travel old routes at night with drums and torches. Those caught in the path lie face down. In print since 1883, far older in oral form. 41671 Paranormal 1671 PAR 4 PEEL CASTLE PEEL CASTLE - THE MODDEY DHOO Peel Castle, Isle of Man. A black spaniel lies by the guardroom fire; a drunk soldier takes the keys alone, returns speechless and dies three days later. George Waldron writes it down about 1726. Peel Castle, Isle of Man. A black spaniel lies by the guardroom fire; a drunk soldier takes the keys alone, returns speechless and dies three days later. George Waldron writes it down about 1726. 41910 Paranormal 1910 PAR 4 SANDRINGHAM SANDRINGHAM - THE ROYAL HOUSE AND ITS CORRIDOR GHOST Sandringham, Norfolk. The royal family's private home, not a ghost-tour castle. Its story is a quiet one: a downstairs bedroom, the death of a king, and a royal diarist's account that the Queen Mother arranged a private service after her staff said they couldn't bear to go near the room. Sandringham, Norfolk. The royal family's private home, not a ghost-tour castle. Its story is a quiet one: a downstairs bedroom, the death of a king, and a royal diarist's account that the Queen Mother arranged a private service after her staff said they couldn't bear to go near the room. 5- Paranormal - PAR 5 ANNABELLE ANNABELLE - THE REAL RAGGEDY ANN Monroe, Connecticut. The real Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll in a glass case at the Warren Occult Museum, not the porcelain horror from The Conjuring films. Her story of two young nurses, a séance and an attack on a boyfriend named Lou comes only from Ed and Lorraine Warren. No independent record of it has ever surfaced. Monroe, Connecticut. The real Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll in a glass case at the Warren Occult Museum, not the porcelain horror from The Conjuring films. Her story of two young nurses, a séance and an attack on a boyfriend named Lou comes only from Ed and Lorraine Warren. No independent record of it has ever surfaced. 319 MAY 1536 Paranormal 1536 PAR 3 TOWER OF LONDON TOWER OF LONDON - THE HEADLESS QUEEN AND THE RAVENS Tower of London. A real fortress with a real history of executions, torture and imprisonment, and real ravens with a paid keeper. Anne Boleyn was beheaded here on 19 May 1536. The story that her ghost walks the green carrying her head has no early written source at all. Tower of London. A real fortress with a real history of executions, torture and imprisonment, and real ravens with a paid keeper. Anne Boleyn was beheaded here on 19 May 1536. The story that her ghost walks the green carrying her head has no early written source at all. 51904 Paranormal 1904 PAR 5 ROBERT THE DOLL ROBERT THE DOLL - KEY WEST CLOTH DOLL AND SORRY NOTES Key West, Florida. Robert is a three-foot cloth sailor doll that belonged to painter Robert Eugene Otto, who kept him most of his life. He now sits in a case at the Fort East Martello Museum, where visitors leave letters apologising for photographing him without asking. The curse is a modern tradition. The Otto family never reported one. Key West, Florida. Robert is a three-foot cloth sailor doll that belonged to painter Robert Eugene Otto, who kept him most of his life. He now sits in a case at the Fort East Martello Museum, where visitors leave letters apologising for photographing him without asking. The curse is a modern tradition. The Otto family never reported one. 531 MAY 1477 Paranormal 1477 PAR 5 CHATEAU DE BRISSAC CHATEAU DE BRISSAC - THE GREEN LADY AND A MURDER THAT HAPPENED ELSEWHERE Brissac-Quincé, Maine-et-Loire. The château's Green Lady is said to be Charlotte de Brézé, killed by her husband Jacques on the night of 31 May 1477. The killing is on the court record, with a conviction and a later royal pardon. The record places it at the Château de Rouvres near Anet, not at Brissac, which the Brézé family owned. Brissac-Quincé, Maine-et-Loire. The château's Green Lady is said to be Charlotte de Brézé, killed by her husband Jacques on the night of 31 May 1477. The killing is on the court record, with a conviction and a later royal pardon. The record places it at the Château de Rouvres near Anet, not at Brissac, which the Brézé family owned. 51968 Paranormal 1968 PAR 5 ANCIENT RAM INN ANCIENT RAM INN - ENGLAND'S MOST HAUNTED, BY ITS OWNERS' ACCOUNT Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. A Grade II* listed late-medieval inn bought in 1968 by John Humphries, who filled it with stories of a pagan burial, children's bones, and an incubus. Ghost-hunt TV and paid vigils followed. The bones were never examined in public. Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. A Grade II* listed late-medieval inn bought in 1968 by John Humphries, who filled it with stories of a pagan burial, children's bones, and an incubus. Ghost-hunt TV and paid vigils followed. The bones were never examined in public. 519 SEP 1936 Paranormal 1848 PAR 5 RAYNHAM HALL RAYNHAM HALL - THE TOWNSHEND SEAT AND ITS LADY IN BROWN Raynham Hall, Norfolk, seat of the Townshends since the 1620s. A Brown Lady is in print by 1848. Colonel Loftus and Captain Marryat see her in second-hand accounts. Naming her Dorothy Walpole came later. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, seat of the Townshends since the 1620s. A Brown Lady is in print by 1848. Colonel Loftus and Captain Marryat see her in second-hand accounts. Naming her Dorothy Walpole came later. 41619 Paranormal 1619 PAR 4 BLICKLING HALL BLICKLING HALL - ANNE BOLEYN'S ANNIVERSARY COACH Blickling Hall, Norfolk. Each 19 May, Anne Boleyn is said to arrive in a coach with a headless driver, her head in her lap. The tale began with her father, Thomas. The present house was begun about 1619. Blickling Hall, Norfolk. Each 19 May, Anne Boleyn is said to arrive in a coach with a headless driver, her head in her lap. The tale began with her father, Thomas. The present house was begun about 1619. 312 OCT 1875 Paranormal 1875 PAR 3 CALVADOS CASTLE CALVADOS CASTLE - THE HAUNTING FLAMMARION RECORDED Calvados, Normandy, from October 1875. A family in an old castle endures months of violent blows, furniture moving on its own, running on the stairs, trumpet blasts, a locked organ playing and a woman crying for help. Exorcisms fail. The family sells up and leaves. Astronomer Camille Flammarion gave the case a chapter of its own. Calvados, Normandy, from October 1875. A family in an old castle endures months of violent blows, furniture moving on its own, running on the stairs, trumpet blasts, a locked organ playing and a woman crying for help. Exorcisms fail. The family sells up and leaves. Astronomer Camille Flammarion gave the case a chapter of its own. 513 FEB 1542 Paranormal 1829 PAR 5 HAMPTON COURT HAMPTON COURT - THE GHOST ON THE SECURITY CAMERA Hampton Court. Ghost stories give the palace Catherine Howard in the Haunted Gallery, Jane Seymour, and Sybil Penn after 1829. In 2003 CCTV catches a figure opening fire doors, and the papers call him Skeletor. The palace has never named any of them. Hampton Court. Ghost stories give the palace Catherine Howard in the Haunted Gallery, Jane Seymour, and Sybil Penn after 1829. In 2003 CCTV catches a figure opening fire doors, and the papers call him Skeletor. The palace has never named any of them. 418 SEP 1852 Paranormal 1852 PAR 4 WHALEY HOUSE WHALEY HOUSE - THE HOUSE ON THE HANGING GROUND Old Town San Diego. In 1852 James 'Yankee Jim' Robinson is hanged on this lot for stealing a rowboat. Five years later Thomas Whaley, who reportedly watched the hanging, builds his family home on the same spot. The US Commerce Department once listed it as a haunted house. Its real history of deaths and ruin needs no help. Old Town San Diego. In 1852 James 'Yankee Jim' Robinson is hanged on this lot for stealing a rowboat. Five years later Thomas Whaley, who reportedly watched the hanging, builds his family home on the same spot. The US Commerce Department once listed it as a haunted house. Its real history of deaths and ruin needs no help. 414 DEC 1910 Paranormal 1884 PAR 4 MONTE CRISTO MONTE CRISTO - AUSTRALIA'S MOST HAUNTED HOMESTEAD Junee, New South Wales. Christopher Crawley builds Monte Cristo in 1884-85 and dies there in 1910; his widow stays until 1933. The Ryans buy it in 1963 and run ghost tours. Closed in 2024, now for sale. Junee, New South Wales. Christopher Crawley builds Monte Cristo in 1884-85 and dies there in 1910; his widow stays until 1933. The Ryans buy it in 1963 and run ghost tours. Closed in 2024, now for sale. 51298 Paranormal 1298 PAR 5 CHILLINGHAM CHILLINGHAM - CASTLE WALL BONES AND BLUE FABRIC SCRAP Chillingham Castle, Northumberland. Edward I lodges in 1298. Pink Room talk. 1920s works cut a passage and find small bones and a scrap of blue fabric; the churchyard takes them. Flash photography later. Chillingham Castle, Northumberland. Edward I lodges in 1298. Pink Room talk. 1920s works cut a passage and find small bones and a scrap of blue fabric; the churchyard takes them. Flash photography later. 4- Paranormal - PAR 4 MYRTLES PLANTATION MYRTLES PLANTATION - THE GHOST WHO MAY NEVER HAVE LIVED St. Francisville, Louisiana. The Myrtles is sold as one of America's most haunted houses, built around Chloe, an enslaved woman said to have poisoned a birthday cake and killed the mistress and two children. Researchers who searched the records have never found her. The house does have real, documented deaths, which the tour mentions far less. St. Francisville, Louisiana. The Myrtles is sold as one of America's most haunted houses, built around Chloe, an enslaved woman said to have poisoned a birthday cake and killed the mistress and two children. Researchers who searched the records have never found her. The house does have real, documented deaths, which the tour mentions far less. 4- Paranormal - PAR 4 LITTLEDEAN HALL LITTLEDEAN HALL - THE GHOST OF CHARLES PYRKE Littledean Hall, Forest of Dean. Said by some to be the oldest lived-in house in Britain, with Saxon remains in its cellars and a Roman temple in its grounds. Its ghost has a name: Charles Pyrke, an eighteenth-century master of the hall said to have been murdered by his own manservant. Its best-documented residents are protected horseshoe bats. Littledean Hall, Forest of Dean. Said by some to be the oldest lived-in house in Britain, with Saxon remains in its cellars and a Roman temple in its grounds. Its ghost has a name: Charles Pyrke, an eighteenth-century master of the hall said to have been murdered by his own manservant. Its best-documented residents are protected horseshoe bats. 41716 Paranormal 1716 PAR 4 GLAMIS GLAMIS - THE SECRET ROOM AND THE MISSING WINDOW Glamis Castle, Angus. Childhood home of the Queen Mother, and Macbeth's title. Legend says a secret room hides a monster or a family secret, and that the windows counted from outside don't match the rooms inside. Guests once hung towels from every window to find it. The family has never shown a floor plan that settles it. Glamis Castle, Angus. Childhood home of the Queen Mother, and Macbeth's title. Legend says a secret room hides a monster or a family secret, and that the windows counted from outside don't match the rooms inside. Guests once hung towels from every window to find it. The family has never shown a floor plan that settles it. 31886 Paranormal 1886 PAR 3 BERRY POMEROY BERRY POMEROY - THE WHITE LADY AND THE BLUE LADY Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon. A Pomeroy castle with a ruined Seymour mansion inside, said to be haunted by a starved sister and a daughter who killed her child. The stories are Victorian, and the record has no trace of either woman. Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon. A Pomeroy castle with a ruined Seymour mansion inside, said to be haunted by a starved sister and a daughter who killed her child. The stories are Victorian, and the record has no trace of either woman. 41553 Paranormal 1553 PAR 4 SAWSTON HALL SAWSTON HALL - MARY TUDOR'S REFUGE AND ITS GREY LADY Sawston Hall, Cambridgeshire. Mary Tudor shelters here in July 1553 and escapes as a dairymaid while Northumberland's men burn the house. As queen she gives stone from Cambridge Castle to rebuild it. The priest holes survive. The grey lady is modern anecdote. Sawston Hall, Cambridgeshire. Mary Tudor shelters here in July 1553 and escapes as a dairymaid while Northumberland's men burn the house. As queen she gives stone from Cambridge Castle to rebuild it. The priest holes survive. The grey lady is modern anecdote. 42016 Paranormal 2016 PAR 4 RESURRECTION MARY RESURRECTION MARY - THE HITCHHIKER OF ARCHER AVENUE Archer Avenue, Justice, Illinois, from the 1930s. Drivers tell of a young woman in white who asks for a lift and vanishes at Resurrection Cemetery. Researchers have named two possible Marys. Neither fits. The ballroom she danced at burned in 2016. Archer Avenue, Justice, Illinois, from the 1930s. Drivers tell of a young woman in white who asks for a lift and vanishes at Resurrection Cemetery. Researchers have named two possible Marys. Neither fits. The ballroom she danced at burned in 2016. 51974 Paranormal 1974 PAR 5 SMURL HAUNTING SMURL HAUNTING - THE HAUNTED HOUSE IN WEST PITTSTON West Pittston, Pennsylvania, from 1974. Jack and Janet Smurl say their half of a duplex is plagued by smells, knocking and a demon. The Warrens arrive in 1986 and a book follows. Priests saw nothing, and the next tenant says the house was quiet. West Pittston, Pennsylvania, from 1974. Jack and Janet Smurl say their half of a duplex is plagued by smells, knocking and a demon. The Warrens arrive in 1986 and a book follows. Priests saw nothing, and the next tenant says the house was quiet. 519 APR 2012 Paranormal 2011 PAR 5 AMMONS HOUSE AMMONS HOUSE - THE GARY DEMON HOUSE AND THE BOY ON THE WALL Gary, Indiana, 2011-12. Latoya Ammons said her rented house was possessed. A caseworker and a nurse put in writing that her 9-year-old son walked backward up a hospital wall, a police captain became a believer, and a priest performed three exorcisms. The house was later bought and demolished by Zak Bagans. Gary, Indiana, 2011-12. Latoya Ammons said her rented house was possessed. A caseworker and a nurse put in writing that her 9-year-old son walked backward up a hospital wall, a police captain became a believer, and a priest performed three exorcisms. The house was later bought and demolished by Zak Bagans. 31882 Paranormal 1882 PAR 3 MORTON CASE MORTON CASE - DESPARD HANDKERCHIEF FIGURE IN CHELTENHAM Cheltenham, June 1882. Rosina Despard, 19, sees a tall woman in black on the stairs, face hidden in a handkerchief. Others see her for seven years. The SPR prints the case in 1892 under the name Morton. Cheltenham, June 1882. Rosina Despard, 19, sees a tall woman in black on the stairs, face hidden in a handkerchief. Others see her for seven years. The SPR prints the case in 1892 under the name Morton. 51956 Paranormal 1956 PAR 5 BATTERSEA POLTERGEIST BATTERSEA POLTERGEIST - SHIRLEY, DONALD, AND THE KEY 63 Wycliffe Road, Battersea, from January 1956. A key appears on sixteen-year-old Shirley Hitchings' bed, then knocks, moving furniture, and messages from "Donald," who claims to be Louis XVII. Harold Chibbett documents twelve years of it. Nothing was ever independently tested. 63 Wycliffe Road, Battersea, from January 1956. A key appears on sixteen-year-old Shirley Hitchings' bed, then knocks, moving furniture, and messages from "Donald," who claims to be Louis XVII. Harold Chibbett documents twelve years of it. Nothing was ever independently tested. 53 FEB 1958 Paranormal 1958 PAR 5 SEAFORD POLTERGEIST SEAFORD POLTERGEIST - SIXTY-SEVEN DISTURBANCES AT THE HERRMANN HOUSE Seaford, Long Island, February 1958. Bottles uncap themselves and objects fly in the Herrmann house. Police and Duke parapsychologists Pratt and Roll log 67 disturbances. Nobody is caught; no cause is proven. Seaford, Long Island, February 1958. Bottles uncap themselves and objects fly in the Herrmann house. Police and Duke parapsychologists Pratt and Roll log 67 disturbances. Nobody is caught; no cause is proven. 51938 Paranormal 1938 PAR 5 THORNTON HEATH THORNTON HEATH - FODOR CROCKERY CASE ON BEVERSTONE ROAD Thornton Heath, February 1938. Crockery flies at Alma Fielding's house. Nandor Fodor tests her for months as 'Mrs Forbes'. An X-ray finds objects hidden on her body. His Institute dismisses him that autumn. Thornton Heath, February 1938. Crockery flies at Alma Fielding's house. Nandor Fodor tests her for months as 'Mrs Forbes'. An X-ray finds objects hidden on her body. His Institute dismisses him that autumn. 613 NOV 1974 Paranormal 1974 PAR 6 AMITYVILLE AMITYVILLE - THE DEFEO MURDERS AND THE 28 DAYS Amityville, 13 November 1974. Ronald DeFeo Jr. shoots his parents and four siblings at 112 Ocean Avenue. A year later the Lutz family move in, and flee after 28 days. Their story becomes The Amityville Horror. DeFeo's own lawyer later said it was made up over many bottles of wine. Amityville, 13 November 1974. Ronald DeFeo Jr. shoots his parents and four siblings at 112 Ocean Avenue. A year later the Lutz family move in, and flee after 28 days. Their story becomes The Amityville Horror. DeFeo's own lawyer later said it was made up over many bottles of wine. 43 JUL 1840 Paranormal 1834 PAR 4 WILLINGTON MILL WILLINGTON MILL - THE HAUNTED MILL ON THE TYNE Willington Mill, Tyneside. From 1834 the Quaker Procter family logs footsteps, knocks and grey figures. On 3 July 1840 Edward Drury sees a grey woman leave a closet and collapses. His companion sees nothing. Willington Mill, Tyneside. From 1834 the Quaker Procter family logs footsteps, knocks and grey figures. On 3 July 1840 Edward Drury sees a grey woman leave a closet and collapses. His companion sees nothing. 18 JUL 1913 Paranormal 1913 PAR 1 PATIENCE WORTH PATIENCE WORTH - THE GHOST WHO WROTE NOVELS St. Louis, 8 July 1913. Pearl Curran's Ouija board names Patience Worth, a woman of the 1600s. Over 24 years Curran dictates about four million words of novels and poems. No real Patience has ever been traced. St. Louis, 8 July 1913. Pearl Curran's Ouija board names Patience Worth, a woman of the 1600s. Over 24 years Curran dictates about four million words of novels and poems. No real Patience has ever been traced. 41765 Paranormal 1765 PAR 4 HINTON AMPNER HINTON AMPNER - RICKETTS HOUSE SLAMMING DOORS, LATER DEMOLISHED Hinton Ampner, Hampshire, 1765 to 1771. Mary Ricketts hears doors slam, then voices and footsteps. Her brother John Jervis sits up, hears it and tells her to leave. A fifty-guinea reward finds no trickster. Hinton Ampner, Hampshire, 1765 to 1771. Mary Ricketts hears doors slam, then voices and footsteps. Her brother John Jervis sits up, hears it and tells her to leave. A fifty-guinea reward finds no trickster. 41716 Paranormal 1716 PAR 4 EPWORTH RECTORY EPWORTH RECTORY - WESLEY HOUSEHOLD AND OLD JEFFREY NOISES Epworth rectory, 1 December 1716. A maid hears groans. For weeks the Wesley family hear knocks, footsteps and smashing bottles. Emily names it Jeffrey. Samuel searches and keeps notes. Nobody is ever caught. Epworth rectory, 1 December 1716. A maid hears groans. For weeks the Wesley family hear knocks, footsteps and smashing bottles. Emily names it Jeffrey. Samuel searches and keeps notes. Nobody is ever caught. 41998 Paranormal 1998 PAR 4 MACKENZIE POLTERGEIST MACKENZIE POLTERGEIST - THE POLTERGEIST IN GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh. Bluidy Mackenzie's restless spirit is old lore. A 1998 break-in by a homeless man starts the modern poltergeist, by a tour company's account. No record of the break-in exists. Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh. Bluidy Mackenzie's restless spirit is old lore. A 1998 break-in by a homeless man starts the modern poltergeist, by a tour company's account. No record of the break-in exists. 31662 Paranormal 1662 PAR 3 DRUMMER OF TEDWORTH DRUMMER OF TEDWORTH - THE DRUM THAT KEPT ON BEATING Tidworth, Wiltshire, 1662. John Mompesson seizes a vagrant drummer's drum, and his house fills with drumming for a year. The drummer is tried for witchcraft and acquitted. Mompesson swears there was no cheat. Tidworth, Wiltshire, 1662. John Mompesson seizes a vagrant drummer's drum, and his house fills with drumming for a year. The drummer is tried for witchcraft and acquitted. Mompesson swears there was no cheat. 61993 Paranormal 1993 PAR 6 SCOLE EXPERIMENT SCOLE EXPERIMENT - NORFOLK CELLAR LIGHTS IN COMPLETE DARKNESS Scole, Norfolk, 1993 to 1998. A séance circle reports lights, voices and images on sealed film, always in total darkness. Three SPR investigators call some of it paranormal. Infrared is asked for and refused. Scole, Norfolk, 1993 to 1998. A séance circle reports lights, voices and images on sealed film, always in total darkness. Three SPR investigators call some of it paranormal. Infrared is asked for and refused. 41984 Paranormal 1984 PAR 4 TINA RESCH TINA RESCH - THE FLYING TELEPHONE PHOTOGRAPH Columbus, Ohio, March 1984. A Dispatch photographer catches a phone flying past Tina Resch, 14, while he looks away. Days later a TV camera left running films her pulling down a lamp. She says she was fooling. Columbus, Ohio, March 1984. A Dispatch photographer catches a phone flying past Tina Resch, 14, while he looks away. Days later a TV camera left running films her pulling down a lamp. She says she was fooling. 321 FEB 1762 Paranormal 1762 PAR 3 COCK LANE COCK LANE - SCRATCHING FANNY, SMITHFIELD, 1762 London, 1762. Knocks and scratches at a Cock Lane house are blamed on the ghost of Fanny Lynes. A committee including Samuel Johnson finds no spirit. William Parsons is convicted and pilloried in 1763. London, 1762. Knocks and scratches at a Cock Lane house are blamed on the ghost of Fanny Lynes. A committee including Samuel Johnson finds no spirit. William Parsons is convicted and pilloried in 1763. 25 SEP 1922 Paranormal 1886 PAR 2 WINCHESTER HOUSE WINCHESTER HOUSE - SARAH WINCHESTER'S SAN JOSE MANSION AND ITS LEGEND San Jose, 1886 to 1922. Sarah Winchester turns an eight-room farmhouse into a mansion of about 160 rooms. Building largely stops after the 1906 quake. The ghost-driven build story first appears in 1967. San Jose, 1886 to 1922. Sarah Winchester turns an eight-room farmhouse into a mansion of about 160 rooms. Building largely stops after the 1906 quake. The ghost-driven build story first appears in 1967. 11972 Paranormal 1972 PAR 1 PHILIP EXPERIMENT PHILIP EXPERIMENT - THE GHOST THEY MADE UP Toronto, September 1972. Eight psychical researchers invent a ghost called Philip and write his life. From late summer 1973 their table raps answers and slides round the room in good light, hands always on it. Toronto, September 1972. Eight psychical researchers invent a ghost called Philip and write his life. From late summer 1973 their table raps answers and slides round the room in good light, hands always on it. 223 AUG 1971 Paranormal 1971 PAR 2 BÉLMEZ FACES BÉLMEZ FACES - KITCHEN HEARTH FACES AND BONES UNDER FLOOR 23 August 1971, Bélmez de la Moraleda. María Gómez Cámara reports a face on her kitchen floor and more follow. Photos are sold within weeks. Tests disagree on paint and nobody has confessed. 23 August 1971, Bélmez de la Moraleda. María Gómez Cámara reports a face on her kitchen floor and more follow. Photos are sold within weeks. Tests disagree on paint and nobody has confessed. 41878 Paranormal 1878 PAR 4 ESTHER COX ESTHER COX - THE WRITING ABOVE THE BED Amherst, Nova Scotia, 1878. After a frightening assault, eighteen-year-old Esther Cox's home erupts: bedclothes fly, raps answer questions, and words appear on the wall above her bed: 'Esther Cox, you are mine to kill.' A doctor watches objects move. An actor moves in to expose it and writes a book instead. It ends after Esther is jailed over a barn fire. Amherst, Nova Scotia, 1878. After a frightening assault, eighteen-year-old Esther Cox's home erupts: bedclothes fly, raps answer questions, and words appear on the wall above her bed: 'Esther Cox, you are mine to kill.' A doctor watches objects move. An actor moves in to expose it and writes a book instead. It ends after Esther is jailed over a barn fire. 51 DEC 1967 Paranormal 1967 PAR 5 ROSENHEIM ROSENHEIM - LAW OFFICE INSTRUMENTS AND ANNEMARIE SCHABERL Rosenheim, Bavaria, 1967. In a law office, lights swing and explode, furniture moves and the phone keeps dialling the speaking clock on its own. Physicists bring in instruments and record readings they can't explain. It all seems to centre on a 19-year-old secretary, Annemarie Schaberl, and it stops after she leaves. Rosenheim, Bavaria, 1967. In a law office, lights swing and explode, furniture moves and the phone keeps dialling the speaking clock on its own. Physicists bring in instruments and record readings they can't explain. It all seems to centre on a 19-year-old secretary, Annemarie Schaberl, and it stops after she leaves. 419 SEP 1936 Paranormal 1936 PAR 4 BROWN LADY BROWN LADY - THE MOST FAMOUS GHOST PHOTOGRAPH Raynham Hall, Norfolk, 19 September 1936. Two Country Life photographers are shooting the staircase when one sees a misty figure coming down and shouts. The negative shows a pale, veiled woman on the stairs: the Brown Lady, the most famous ghost photograph ever taken. How it got onto the plate is still argued. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, 19 September 1936. Two Country Life photographers are shooting the staircase when one sees a misty figure coming down and shouts. The negative shows a pale, veiled woman on the stairs: the Brown Lady, the most famous ghost photograph ever taken. How it got onto the plate is still argued. 431 MAR 1848 Paranormal 1848 PAR 4 FOX SISTERS FOX SISTERS - HYDESVILLE RAPS BEGIN SPIRITUALISM Hydesville, New York, 31 March 1848. Sisters Maggie and Kate Fox find that knocks in their cottage answer questions. By 1849 they are giving paid demonstrations in Rochester and Spiritualism is born. In 1888 Maggie shows 2,000 people how she made the raps with her toes, then takes it back a year later. By then the movement was far bigger than the girls. Hydesville, New York, 31 March 1848. Sisters Maggie and Kate Fox find that knocks in their cottage answer questions. By 1849 they are giving paid demonstrations in Rochester and Spiritualism is born. In 1888 Maggie shows 2,000 people how she made the raps with her toes, then takes it back a year later. By then the movement was far bigger than the girls. 41966 Paranormal 1966 PAR 4 BLACK MONK BLACK MONK - PRITCHARD HOUSE AT 30 EAST DRIVE, PONTEFRACT 30 East Drive, Pontefract, August 1966. The Pritchards report chalky dust and pools of water. In 1968 it returns, throwing furniture and dragging Diane up the stairs. A hooded figure names it the Black Monk. 30 East Drive, Pontefract, August 1966. The Pritchards report chalky dust and pools of water. In 1968 it returns, throwing furniture and dragging Diane up the stairs. A hooded figure names it the Black Monk. 419 DEC 1820 Paranormal 1817 PAR 4 BELL WITCH BELL WITCH - THE VOICE ON THE TENNESSEE FARM Robertson County, Tennessee, 1817 to 1820. A voice haunts the Bell family farm, first as knocks in the walls, then as speech that mocks John Bell and his daughter Betsy. Neighbours come to hear it. In December 1820 John Bell dies, and the family blames the voice and a vial found in his room. Most of the detail comes from accounts written decades later. Robertson County, Tennessee, 1817 to 1820. A voice haunts the Bell family farm, first as knocks in the walls, then as speech that mocks John Bell and his daughter Betsy. Neighbours come to hear it. In December 1820 John Bell dies, and the family blames the voice and a vial found in his room. Most of the detail comes from accounts written decades later. 513 MAR 1970 Paranormal 1969 PAR 5 HIGHGATE VAMPIRE HIGHGATE VAMPIRE - CEMETERY PANIC AND OPENED VAULTS IN NORTH LONDON Highgate Cemetery, 1969-70. Tall grey figure on Swain's Lane, opened graves and vaults, a man arrested with a stake, a television crew, a fox still warm. Police: trespass. Highgate Cemetery, 1969-70. Tall grey figure on Swain's Lane, opened graves and vaults, a man arrested with a stake, a television crew, a fox still warm. Police: trespass. 41845 Paranormal 1845 PAR 4 ÉMILIE SAGÉE ÉMILIE SAGÉE - TEACHER SEEN IN TWO PLACES AT NEUWELCKE Livonia, 1845. At a girls' boarding school, French teacher Émilie Sagée is seen twice at once: writing at the board while a double beside her copies every move. The doubles keep happening and she loses her post. The story reached print in 1860 and rests almost entirely on one former pupil, Julie von Guldenstubbe. Livonia, 1845. At a girls' boarding school, French teacher Émilie Sagée is seen twice at once: writing at the board while a double beside her copies every move. The doubles keep happening and she loses her post. The story reached print in 1860 and rests almost entirely on one former pupil, Julie von Guldenstubbe. 427 FEB 1939 Paranormal 1929 PAR 4 BORLEY RECTORY BORLEY RECTORY - THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN ENGLAND Borley, Essex. A rectory with stories of a phantom nun and coach becomes 'the most haunted house in England' once Harry Price arrives in 1929. The Foysters report pleading messages on the walls and moving objects, and Price privately doubted some of it. The house burned in 1939, in a fire the insurers thought looked set, and was demolished in 1944. Borley, Essex. A rectory with stories of a phantom nun and coach becomes 'the most haunted house in England' once Harry Price arrives in 1929. The Foysters report pleading messages on the walls and moving objects, and Price privately doubted some of it. The house burned in 1939, in a fire the insurers thought looked set, and was demolished in 1944. 51852 Paranormal 1852 PAR 5 GEF THE MONGOOSE GEF THE MONGOOSE - TALKING MONGOOSE AT DOARLISH CASHEN, ISLE OF MAN Isle of Man, 1931. The Irving family at Doarlish Cashen say a voice in their walls calls itself Gef, a talking mongoose born in Delhi in 1852. Neighbours hear it, reporters find the family sane, and Harry Price and Nandor Fodor investigate. Gef never sits for a photograph, and Voirrey Irving never recanted. Isle of Man, 1931. The Irving family at Doarlish Cashen say a voice in their walls calls itself Gef, a talking mongoose born in Delhi in 1852. Neighbours hear it, reporters find the family sane, and Harry Price and Nandor Fodor investigate. Gef never sits for a photograph, and Voirrey Irving never recanted. 418 APR 1820 Paranormal 1812 PAR 4 BARBADOS COFFINS BARBADOS COFFINS - MOVING LEAD COFFINS IN CHASE VAULT, OISTINS Christ Church, Oistins. Between 1812 and 1820 the sealed Chase Vault is opened for family burials and the lead coffins are found thrown about. Lord Combermere attends. In 1820 the vault is emptied and left. Christ Church, Oistins. Between 1812 and 1820 the sealed Chase Vault is opened for family burials and the lead coffins are found thrown about. Lord Combermere attends. In 1820 the vault is emptied and left. 631 AUG 1977 Paranormal 1977 PAR 6 ENFIELD POLTERGEIST ENFIELD POLTERGEIST - HODGSON COUNCIL HOUSE DISTURBANCES IN NORTH LONDON August 1977 to 1979. Sustained unexplained physical disturbances at a council house in Enfield, North London, centred on the Hodgson family and the two daughters. Furniture movement, knockings, thrown objects, and a deep male voice through one girl were logged by police, journalists, and SPR investigators. Several points remain contested. August 1977 to 1979. Sustained unexplained physical disturbances at a council house in Enfield, North London, centred on the Hodgson family and the two daughters. Furniture movement, knockings, thrown objects, and a deep male voice through one girl were logged by police, journalists, and SPR investigators. Several points remain contested.