Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Category: Occult Traditions

Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Folktales / Witchcraft

Laird Harry Gilles

The following was published in ‘Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales’ by George Douglas (1901) but he cites ‘Folk-lore of the Northern Counties’by William Henderson’ (1879).’THE Laird Harry Gilles of Littledean was extremely fond of hunting.

Hauntings / Occult / Witchcraft

Belvoir Castle

Belvoir Castle is home to David Manners, 11th Duke of Rutland, Marquess of Granby. It has been the seat of the Dukes of Rutland for three hundred years and the home of the Manners family over for over five hundred. In ‘The Story of My Life, volumes 4-6’ (1900), Augustus J. C. Hare gives the following story of a haunt like experience at Belvoir.

Haunted Hotels / Haunted Pubs / Hauntings / Matthew Hopkins / Occult / Occult Traditions / Usual Suspects / Witchcraft

The Mistley Thorn Hotel

The Mistley Thorn Hotel dates from 1723 and was originally a coaching house. In an article by Emily Talbut entitled ‘The 14 most haunted places in Essex to visit this Hallowe’en’, (13 October 2014, Essex Chronicle) the Mistley Thorn Hotel is referred to as being haunted by the Witch Finder General, Matthew Hopkins, who was buried in Mistley on 12th August 1647.

Haunted Pubs / Hauntings / Matthew Hopkins / Occult / Occult Traditions / Usual Suspects / Witchcraft

The Red Lion, Manningtree

The Red Lion is a Grade II listed building and the oldest pub in Manningtree, dating back to 1605 and the time of Matthew Hopkins and his witch trials. According to the Red Lion’s website ‘The inn is also mentioned in a book of 1647 written by Matthew Hopkins on the scourge of witchcraft. Hopkins, a native of Manningtree, was a lawyer known as the Witch Hunter General.

Apparitions / Devil / Folklore / Hauntings / Legends / Witchcraft

Parish Church of St Nicholas, Canewdon

The Parish Church of St Nicholas in Canewdon dates from the 14th century and according to tradition and local legend, has associations with ghosts, witchcraft and the Devil. The following description of Canewdon was published on 13 October 2014 in the Essex Chronicle within an article by Emily Talbut entitled ‘The 14 most haunted places in Essex to visit this Hallowe’en’

English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales / Witchcraft

A Witch-Hare at Sedgefield

The following account of the story is extracted from ‘Legends Superstitions of the County of Durham’ by William Brockie (1886). ‘A similar incident* is said to have happened at the small market town of Sedgefield, about seventy years ago. A party out coursing hares raised one in a field near that place, towards which they were astonished to see that it ran direct.

Folklore / Witchcraft

To Counteract Witchcraft

The following account of the story is extracted from‘Legends Superstitions of the County of Durham’ by William Brockie (1886). ‘A case occurred in old Dundas Street, Monkwearmouth, twenty-four years ago, of a child believed to be witched, so that it was shrivelled up to anatomy.

English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales / Witchcraft

Leddy Lister

The following account of the story is extracted from‘Legends Superstitions of the County of Durham’ by William Brockie (1886). ‘A retired farmers wife at Hedworth, who went by the name of Leddy Lister, was commonly held by the people round about to be a witch.