Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Category: Occult

Occult / Occult Traditions / Witchcraft

Witchcraft In Middleton

Around 1630 a man named Utley, presumably from Middleton was accused of witchcraft, tried at Lancaster, found guilty and hanged. It was thought that he had bewitched to death Richard Assheton (before 1625 – 1630), first son of Sir Ralph Assheton Esq, Lord of Middleton and his wife Elizabeth Kaye.

Cryptozoology / Devil / Folklore / Jersey Devil / Legends / Occult / Witchcraft

Jersey Devil –The Origins

Over the last 250 years there have been several sightings of a creature that has become known as the Jersey Devil (or Leeds Devil). Described as being bipedal with hooves and wings, the Jersey Devil would apparently dry up the milk within cows by breathing upon them.

Apparitions / English Folktales / Folklore / Folktales / Hauntings / Occult / Occult Traditions / Witchcraft

Meg Shelton the Fylde Witch

Meg Shelton (Mag Shelton or Margery Hilton) the Fylde Witch (Fylde Hag) who died in 1705 is said to be buried beneath a large boulder in the grounds of St Anne’s Church, Woodplumpton. She was buried in a vertical position, head first with the boulder placed on top to prevent her from digging herself out of the grave, which apparently she had done twice previously.

Occult / Occult Traditions / Witchcraft

Hoo St Werburgh Witch Buried

On 14 March 2009 a funeral service and burial was held at Hoo St Werburgh parish church for the remains of a suspected witch, buried seven centuries ago and discovered in an archaeological dig in 2007. On 3rd March 2009, The Daily Mail printed the following article entitled ‘Teenage ‘witch’ decapitated 700 years ago to be given Christian funeral service.’

Book cover: The Element Encyclopedia of Vampires 8

Book Review / Folklore / Legends / Occult / Review

The Element Encyclopedia of Vampires, An A-Z of the Undead by Theresa Cheung

The book is a beautifully thick 685 page tome that promises to examine the dark depths of the vampire world, separating the myth from the chilling reality. Undoubtedly if you were attacked by an undead creature you could probably knock it out by throwing the book at it, but there are much better methods included inside.

Hauntings / Occult / Occult Traditions / Poltergiests / Witchcraft

The Lamb Inn

Demolished in 1905, The Lamb Inn became a centre of attention during the 18th century with an investigated and well reported poltergeist like haunting that lasted over a year. The Lamb Inn dated from 1651 and stood between Gloucester Land and Lawford Street. There is I believe nothing remaining of the old building now.

Folklore / Occult / Other Mysteries / Witchcraft

Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?

On 18th April 1943 four Stourbridge teenagers, Fred Payne, Tommy Willetts, Robert Hart and Bob Farmer discovered the remains of a woman inside a hollow Wych Elm (also known as Scots (Scotch) Elm or Ulmus glabra) in Hagley Wood. It has been suggested that ritualistic magic or even wartime espionage may have been behind this murder mystery that after sixty years is still a focus of interest.

0

Articles / Occult

Onychomancy

Onychomancy is the art of Divination using finger-nails. The future would reveal itself in a series of images that would appear on the finger-nails of a boy when the suns reflection on them is studied. The location of the images on the finger nail determined how soon the divined events would occur.