The Borley Rectory Investigation

Borley Rectory in Essex, England was called “the most haunted house in England” by psychic researcher Harry Price, who conducted extensive investigations there in the 1930s. The phenomena documented included phantom nuns, flying objects, mysterious messages, and ultimately a fire that destroyed the building under strange circumstances.

The Building

Borley Rectory:

• Built 1862
• Victorian Gothic
• Isolated location
• Essex countryside
• Multiple owners troubled

The Legend

Stories told of:

• Phantom nun
• Headless coachman
• Buried treasure
• Murder victims
• Ancient monastery

Early Reports

Before Price:

• Reverend Bull family
• Experienced phenomena
• Footsteps heard
• Nun seen
• Objects moved

Harry Price

The investigator:

• Famous ghost hunter
• Scientific approach
• Rented the rectory
• 1937-38 lease
• Extensive study

The Investigation

Price documented:

• Wall writings appeared
• Objects thrown
• Temperature drops
• Apparitions seen
• Strange sounds

The Wall Writings

Messages appeared:

• Asking for help
• “Marianne” addressed
• Requesting prayers
• Mass
• Pleading communications

Mrs. Foyster

Marianne Foyster:

• Rector’s wife
• Messages addressed to her
• Centre of activity
• Controversial figure
• Later doubts raised

The Phenomena

Reports included:

• Phantom footsteps
• Ringing bells
• Moving objects
• Locked doors opening
• Temperature anomalies

The Volunteer Observers

Price recruited:

• 48 official observers
• Rotated through building
• Documented everything
• Various experiences
• Extensive records

The Fire

February 27, 1939:

• Rectory burned
• Under mysterious circumstances
• Insurance claim
• New owner present
• Coincidence debated

The Excavation

After the fire:

• Price excavated cellar
• Found bones
• Female remains
• Possibly murdered nun
• Or something else

The Books

Price published:

• “The Most Haunted House in England” (1940)
• “The End of Borley Rectory” (1946)
• Bestsellers
• Controversy followed
• Legacy established

The Controversy

After Price’s death:

• Society for Psychical Research
• Investigated his methods
• Found issues
• Possibly fabricated
• Debate continues

Trevor Hall

Later researcher:

• Investigated Price
• Found contradictions
• Possible fraud
• “Search for Harry Price”
• Critical examination

The Site Today

Borley now:

• Rectory demolished
• Site remains active
• Still investigated
• Ghost tours nearby
• Legend continues

Significance

Borley Rectory is significant for:

• Most famous English haunting
• Price’s documentation
• Ongoing controversy
• Paranormal archetype
• Research milestone

Legacy

Borley Rectory became the template for the haunted house. Whether Price’s documentation was genuine or exaggerated, the case established many conventions of paranormal investigation and remains one of the most discussed cases in ghost hunting history.