The Tower of London

The Tower of London

Grim, grey and awe-inspiring, the Tower has dominated the London landscape and the pages of history, since its construction by William the Conqueror in 1078 and today it is, perhaps, the most haunted building in England.

The Wakefield Tower is haunted by that most tragic of English monarchs, Henry VI, whose weak and ineffectual reign ended here with his murder “in the hour before midnight” on 21st May 1471, as he knelt at prayer. Tradition asserts that the knife with which he was “stikk’d full of deadly holes” was wielded by the Duke of Gloucester (later the infamous Richard III). On the anniversary of his murder, Henry’s mournful wraith is said to appear as the clock ticks towards midnight, and pace fitfully around the interior of the Wakefield Tower until, upon the last stroke of midnight, he fades slowly into the stone and rests peacefully for another year.

The massive White Tower is the oldest and most forbidding of all the Tower of London’s buildings and its winding stone corridors are the eerie haunt of a “White Lady” who once stood at a window waving to a group of children in the building opposite. It may well be her “cheap perfume” that impregnates the air around the entrance to St John’s Chapel, and which has caused many a Guard to retch upon inhaling its pungent aroma. In the gallery where Henry V111’s impressive and exaggerating suit of armour is exhibited, several Guards have spoken of a terrible crushing sensation that suddenly descends upon them as they enter but which lifts, the moment they stagger, shaking from the room. A guard patrolling through here one stormy night got the sudden and unnerving sensation that someone had thrown a heavy cloak over him. As he struggled to free himself, the garment was seized from behind and pulled tight around his throat by his phantom attacker. Managing to break free from its sinister grasp, he rushed back to the guardroom where the marks upon his neck bore vivid testimony to his brush with the unseen assailant.

A memorial on Tower Green remembers all those unfortunate souls who have been executed here over the centuries. Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are both said to return to the vicinity, whilst the ghost of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury returns here in a dramatic and alarming fashion. At the age of seventy-two she became an unwitting and undeserving target for Henry VIII’s petty vengeance. Her son, Cardinal Pole had vilified the King’s claim as head of the Church in England. But he was safely ensconced in France and so Henry had his mother brought to the block on 27th May 1541. When told by the executioner to kneel, the spirited old lady refused. “So should traitors do and I am none” she sneered. The executioner raised his axe, took a swing at her and then chased the screaming Countess around the scaffold where he, literally, hacked her to death. The shameful spectacle has been repeated several times on the anniversary of her death, as her screaming phantom continues to be chased throughout eternity by a ghostly executioner.

The Bloody Tower, the very name of which conjures up all manner of gruesome images, is home to the most poignant shades that drift through this dreadful fortress. When Edward IV died suddenly in April 1483, his twelve year old son was destined to succeed him as Edward V. However, before his coronation could take place, both he and his younger brother, Richard, had been declared illegitimate by Parliament and it was their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester who ascended the throne as Richard III. The boys, meanwhile, had been sent to the Tower of London, ostensibly in preparation for Edward’s Coronation, and were often seen playing happily around the grounds. But then, around June 1483, they mysteriously vanished, and were never seen alive again. It was always assumed, that they had been murdered on Richard’s instructions and their bodies buried, somewhere within the grounds of The Tower. When two skeletons were uncovered beneath a staircase of the White Tower in 1674, they were presumed to be the remains of the two little princes and afforded Royal burial in Westminster Abbey. The whimpering wraiths of the two children, dressed in white nightgowns, and clutching each other in terror have frequently been seen in the dimly lit rooms of their imprisonment. Witnesses are moved to pity and long to reach out and console the pathetic spectres. But, should they do so, trembling back slowly against the wall and fade into the fabric.

Returning to the White Tower, and the fearless Custody Guards who wander its interior in the dead of night, there is the eerie occasion when Mr Arthur Crick, decided to rest as he made his rounds. Sitting on a ledge, he slipped off his right shoe and was in the process of massaging his foot, when a voice behind him whispered, “There’s only you and I here”. This elicited from Arthur the very earthly response “Just let me get this bloody shoe on and there’ll only be you”!

A Ghost Finds Peace

A Ghost Finds Peace

In Kennet Valley in England, there is a village called Ramsbury. 75 years ago, there was an exceptionally haunted house.

Samuel and Mary Jane Bull had lived very happy lives in the village until Samuel passed away. Mary Jane dealt with it well, until she became sick. Her married daughter moved back home to take care of her sick mother. She also had to bring her husband and five children. The house was incredibly crowded.

One of the children claimed to see the apparition of Samuel's spirit. They would see him climb the stairs, seemingly trying to tend to his wife's needs. Apparently it had been happening for months and Mary Jane had come to love her deceased husband's visits. He sat on the side of her bed and offered a soothing hand.

Eventually they moved into a bigger house and Samuel's ghost was never seen again and Samuel was never seen again. Apparently he wanted them to move into a bigger house.

The Lady in White

12 days till Halloween!

The Lady in White

It was a full moon, and John, a workman, was hired to do some exterior repair work on a lighthouse. It was a calm quiet evening. Odd, considering that only a month previous a hurricane had slammed a ship against the rocky coast right below the lighthouse killing everyone except a baby. The baby was soon adopted, and everyone tried to forget the horrific scene.

John had almost finished his job, when he was distracted by the sound of a moan in the wind. It sounded like it had been blown from the shoreline. But there was no wind, the night was still.

Slightly freaked, he turned to continue to his task, but, before he turned around, he saw the image of a woman, wearing a white tattered dress. Her pathetic form floated towards him until he could see her very clearly. John fled to the bunkhouse, where his coworkers were relaxing.

When asked what was wrong, John explained what had just happened to him. All of the men had had experience out on the sea, and were familiar with all of the superstitions and legends of nautical life. They believed his story, and were scared themselves.

Over the next two months, the woman was seen again. The image haunted people due to her sad forlorn look. They all agreed at the terribleness of the woman's demise, and her eternity with a broken heart.

The news of the sightings soon spread to other communities. The lighthouse could not keep staffed. No one wanted to run into the ghost.

Others did whether they wanted to or not. Some also claimed to hear the moan like John had that night. A few were haunted by the horrible look in the phantom's eyes as she lifted her head and seemed to look pleadingly into their eyes. It seems that she is looking for help.

A few years later, the man who had taken the child from the mother's arms heard about the haunting. He would never forget having to pry the baby out of the mother's arms.

The man, and a few other people gathered to give the woman a memorial, in hopes of helping the woman cross over.

And for years, they thought it had worked.

And for many years it did, and still does. The woman is hardly ever seen now, and only when the moon is full in the sky.

Phantom Horseman at the Brandywine

16 days till Halloween!

The Phantom Horseman at the Brandywine

No one knows who he is, when he was first seen, or why he is still lingering at the Brandywine battlefield. He is always seen riding horseback in the middle of the battle field on fall nights. Some reports say that he has been seen crossing Chadds Ford in military clothes.

He has also been seen in the Brandywine Valley. People have seen him galloping through the trees and incredible speeds. His face is always pale and emotionless as his rides, always in a hurry.

There are also sightings of him crossing the road, where it crosses across the battlefield. Drivers have spotted the rider galloping towards them as they drive down the road. Drivers usually swerve out of the way startled at what they see. When they look in their review mirrors they are shocked at the lack of a horseman behind them.

Paranormal investigators believe that the ghost is General Mad Anthony Wayne. Apparently, he is looking for the bones from his body that were lost when his body was transported from Erie to his home town of Randor. The Brandywine was the worst loss of Wayne's career. He had received orders from George Washington, who had told him to hold on Chadd's River , that the British were coming. Washington expected Wayne to fight off the British at the Brandywine. When the battle comenced, Wayne and the other American soldiers but up a desperate fight, Wayne ran up and down the battle field, rallying his troops. He refused to admit the loss of a clearly loss battle.

Wayne had been haunted by that battle for the rest of his life. This is why many believe the ghost is Wayne, still fighting in the afterlife.

There are many other theories as to who the rider is. Some even claim that the ghost doesn't have a head. He is also no longer visible than twelve seconds, so it's hard to be sure. He is also said to be brandishing a saber. If the ghost is headless, who died of gout, it's probably not Wayne.

Some believe that there could be two ghosts haunting the Brandywine. It is hard to argue the paranormal activity there, no matter what the event that got the ghost there. His ride is a reminder of the bloody history of our nation's founding

The Myrtles Plantation

17 days till Halloween!

I forgot my sources at home, so I paraphrased a story on the Myrtles Plantation I found online. Here it is:

The Myrtles Plantation

Hand prints in the mirrors, footsteps on the stairs, mysterious smells, vanishing objects, death by poison, hangings, murder and gunfire -- the Myrtles Plantation in the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana holds the record of hosting more ghostly phenomena than just about any other house in the country. Long perceived as one of the most haunted house in America, the Myrtles attracts an almost endless stream of visitors each year and many of them come in search of ghosts.

Legend has it that the plantation house was built on Tunica Indian burial mounds in 1794, by General David Bradford. Supposedly General Bradford was the first to see a ghost at Myrtles - a naked Indian girl - who is still occasionally seen today. Eventually, the house belonged to Bradford's daughter Sara and her husband, Judge Clark Woodruffe.

Legend says that a slave woman named Chloe was owned by the Woodruffes, and was the Judge's reluctant mistress. Eventually, the Judge seemed to tire of Chloe and she feared what might become of her so she took to listening at keyholes to learn her possible fate. The Judge caught her one-day and had her ear cut off in punishment. Because of that, Chloe always wore a turban.

Eventually, Chloe devised a plan for insuring her place in the household. She would save the family from a mysterious ailment! So, Chloe poisoned the birthday cake of the eldest daughter with Oleander leaves, intending to nurse the family back to health after the leaves made them sick. Unfortunately, Sara and her two daughters died from the poison, only the Judge was spared since he had not eaten the cake.

Chloe was terrified and fled to the safety of the other slaves. But, the slaves knew hiding her could result in all their deaths, so they drug her out of hiding and hanged her in a tree. Her body was then weighted and thrown into the Mississippi River The ghost of a turbaned woman has been seen at the Plantation ever since.

Even if Chloe were the only ghost, surely that would be haunt enough to dissuade anyone from wanting to own the property. Instead, the ghosts were a bonus for the present owners, Teeta and John Moss. "There's a million old homes," Teeta told one interviewer. "But how many are haunted?" Mrs. Moss even believes Chloe helps keep her children safe. When she isn't looking after the Moss children, Chloe has been known to peek in on overnight guests, peering at them intently. No one knows who she is looking for.

The Chloe incident is not the only tragedy that the Myrtles has borne through the years. In fact, there have been at least 10 homicides or suicides on the property through the years. During the Civil War, a confederate soldier dragged himself through the front door where he died from his wounds. Legend says that he left an impression of his fallen body that could not be removed and that the spot even resisted cleaning, stopping mops before they could cross the area or filling the maids with dread as they approached.

In 1927, a man was killed during a robbery of the plantation, and it is said that his ghost roams the property, as well, ordering strangers to leave. The Woodruffe children have also been seen and heard on the property, laughing and playing. They have even been spotted perched in the chandeliers or peering at guests from the foot of their beds. Startled visitors to the Myrtles have also reported seeing a Voodoo priestess, chanting over a little girl. And, even odder still, some have seen a ballet dancer, complete with black tutu, who dances about a foot off the ground. Some folks haven't seen a whole ghost, but have seen disembodied hands or candles floating in midair.

Strange sounds also seem to abound at the Myrtles. The grand piano has been known to play by itself. People have heard crying babies. Others report the sound of a man staggering up the stairs in the dead of night and collapsing on the 17th stair. (This has been attributed to the ghost of William Winter, who staggered up the stairs as he was dying of a gunshot wound in 1871, and collapsed into her wife's arms on the 17th step.)

Today the Myrtles is a B & B. I'm sure they'd love to have you...

The 101 Ranch

Only 18 days till Halloween!

The 101 Ranch

It is said that you can hear cowboys singing over the hills and plains while the crickets croon in the night. Sometimes it is a pleasant melody, other times it's a ballad. There is more than one voice as well and the sound of clapping and laughter.

The sounds from the hoedown have been heard for half a century. Many a picnicker has heard these mysterious sounds along the 177 through Kay County, Oklahoma.

Locals have no doubt of the source of the mysterious singing. Most like living in ignorance of it however, due to the fact that they believe they are ghosts. The music and revelry always seems to come from the same place along the 177 in the exact place of where the 101 ranch once stood.

Today, it is a picnic area and Historic landmark because of the wild west shows that were held there in the early twentieth century. At its peaks it had a fully staffed school, general store, hotel, magazine and newspapers, cafe, meat-packing plant, and oil refinery and was the home to 3000 people.

In 1900, Wild West shows were very popular. By 1905, the 101 ranch had set up their own. The Miller brothers were on top. Their first show was a huge success and considered to be the most popular in the country. They were regulars at the White House. In the twenties they added silent films to their ranch. It managed to keep its popularity for about twenty years.

In 1927, the eldest Miller brother died of carbon monoxide. In 1929, The middle brother died in a car accident. The youngest brother tried to maintain the ranch, but two years later, the ranch was in financial ruin. In 1932, the ranch was torn apart and auctioned off.

As time went on, the shows lost their popularity. In 1952, the stories of the 101 ranch began.

Many people driving alone were some of the first to report the sounds of partying in the wind. Word got around about the strange sounds. People began going out on the 177 to attempt to hear the sounds. Eventually it became known as the phantom hoedown of Kay County. The sounds continue to this day, coming from where the stage once stood.

The party that began 82 years ago still coninues to this day, mourning the loss of their earthly years.

The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

So here's the story to go along with the picture, and a picture of the Building
The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

The Brown Lady is believed to be Dorothy Walpole Townshed. She was the sister of Sir Robert Townshed, the first prime minister of England. In 1712, Dorothy married Lord Charles at the age of 26, after his first wife died. The two had been childhood sweethearts. But, when Charles discovered the Dorothy had been the mistress of Lord Wharton, he had her imprisoned in her room. Different versions of the story have different versions of her demise; one being small pox, another being small pox, and the last falling down a flight of stairs.

When Charles's grandson came to be marquess in 1786, he became known for his extraordinary parties he held for other high society people. An added bonus for visitors would be trying to find Dorothy's ghost, who was said to be walking the grounds carrying a lamp. She has been seen in a brown dress, illuminating the dark halls of her former home. Her name came from the dress she is always seen in.

George IV went to Raynham in the early 1800's to stay at the weekend. In the middle of the night, he was awakened by a woman in a brown dress staring at him. He vowed to never return to Raynham Hall.

In 1835, Colonel Loftus, staying to Raynham over Christmas, saw the ghost twice in two days. The second time, he saw her on the stair case, carrying a lamp. He drew a sketch of her, which featured hollow eye sockets. A Captain Frederick Marryant also saw Dorothy, and followed her. She turned to face him, and smiled an evil grin, and he fired his gun at her. It went right through her and was lodged into a heavy door.

She disappeared for 91 years.

In 1926, she returned to the then Marquess Townshed, who was a child at the time. Ten years later, Lady Townshed hired a photographer to take pictures of the interior of Raynham. Indra Shira was the man they hired, and he did his job without incident. When he was developing the film, re saw that he had captured a ghostly figure of a woman descending the stairs. He had captured the Brown Lady. The photograph appeared in Life magazine on December 1, 1936. It shows a woman wearing a wedding gown and veil.

Some claim that Queen Elizabeth II has seen Dorothy several times as well. Apparently, when a cold rush of air strikes from nowhere at night is the signal of the appearance of the Brown Lady, and the Queen's dogs begin barking frantically. Also, in the 1950's, a famous race car driver sat up all night waiting with his dogs for the phantom to appear. He didn't see her, but the dogs, reacted to some kind of presence in the room.

Ghost Photo of the Week

I was sick this week so the ghost photo is a little late, but here it is:

This is probably one of the most famous ghost photos

ever taken. It is believed to be that of

The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

in England.

Queen Mary 7

19 days until All Hallows Eve!

A Canine Ghost

Apparently not all of the ghosts that remain on the Queen Mary are human. According to several reports, the sounds of an Irish Setter barking have been heard. Pets were allowed when the Queen Mary was an ocean liner, but he must be kenneled out on the sun deck unless you were a VIP.

There was an Englishman who used to bring his Irish Setter with him when he sailed the Queen Mary. The dog was trained and very well behaved, and loved to be walked around the deck in the evenings before he would be put back into his kennel.

One evening, the dog began howling and trying to escape from his cage. The man in charge of the kennel went to the dog trying to figure out what was wrong. He had a messenger sent to the dog's owner, hoping he would be able to calm the distraught canine. When the messenger returned, he reported that the owner was dead. He had died in his sleep. It seems that the dog was crying out in mourning of his owner.

These cries of anguish seem to resound to this day. Many people have heard the howl at night and have tried to find a source, to no avail. The dog cannot be reached.

Queen Mary 4, 5, and 6

Only 21 days till Halloween!

A Famous Ghost in Life and Death

There is one ghost that has been rumored to haunt the Queen Mary, who was more famous in life than in death. Winston Churchill, England's Prime Minister during the second world war was none to have made many trips on the ship during that time. He would be in the same room every time, which has now been named after him.

There has been many reports of the smell of cigars he would smoke. Many people have complained about the smell. Smoking is not allowed on the boat now and when they go to investigate the source, there isn't one.

Pig n' Whistle

The Pig n' Whistle is an English Pub resturant on the boat. This ghost seems to be a poltergeist. There have been reports of plates flying off of the wall. Pictures have flown from their hangers and the clock on the wall has been seen hanging upside down.

1st Class Ghost

There is a ghost of a well dressed man who is said to haunt the first class suites. The man usually has dark hair and wearing a suit that people say is about thirites attire.

It seems that someone caught the ghost on film. A tour guide was taking pictures of the inside of the boat and one photo, which was of the capitan's tinted mirror, and when the film was developed, a tall dark haired man in a suit appeared in the mirror. The man was wearing a thirties era suit like what had been reported, and the man looked nothing like the tour guide so it couldn't have been him.

Queen Mary 3

only 24 days till Halloween!

Too Many Cooks
Several of the cooking staff of the Queen Mary have seemed to continue their culinary careers upon the Queen Mary, even after their deaths. A presence has been felt in the kitchen, and there are quite a few stories that go along with it.

One story is that a cook was killed in a fight during the war. One version says it was due to the fact that the cook like to serve the passengers better food than the crew. The crew got angry and threw him in the oven. Another version says that a group of American troops, who had a potential mutineer on board, got into a fight in the kitchen, in which the cook was accidentaly pushed into the oven. He died from the burns.This may be why the cook remains behind, angry at what was done to him. His trick can be heard and his presence felt. However, there is no documented evidence saying that either event took place.

Another story claims that the ghost in the kitchen is that of Leonard "Lobster" Horbourough. He served on the Queen Mary for fifteen years, and died on the boats last voyage from heart failure and heat stroke. He was buried at sea. Since then, paranormal activity has been reported in the kitchen. The Queen Mary was his world, so it would make sense that he would stay behind. Maybe he decided to cook and fill the orders of all the other ghosts that seem to haunt the ship.

Queen Mary 2

Good evening, hope everyone is having a splendid evening. Only 25 more days till Halloween!

Another Queen Mary Ghost Story

The Swimming Pools

Probably one of the spookiest spots on the Queen Mary is the swimming pool. In fact, it is said to be a vortex between this world and the next. Many sightings have been reported in this area.

The first-class swimming pool seems to be a hot spot for ghostly encounters. Wet footprints appear even though there’s no water in the pool. These footsteps lead from the deck of the pool and into the changing rooms. Women in vintage bathing suits are occasionally seen diving by for a swim ,even though the pool has been closed for more than 30 years. The most popular one is the woman in the green bathing suit who has been said to dive into the pool and disappear. The first time I went on the ghost tour, the guide said the she had seen a hand reaching through the wall from inside the swimming pool, grabbing at another absolutely terrified guide. There have also been reports of seeing the spirit of a young girl carrying her teddy bear along with disembodied voices, laughter and splashing sounds. The changing rooms of the first class swimming pool is another haunted area. There seems to be a vortex of negative energy, or so several psychics have claimed. They believe that this is where the ghosts come and go on the boat. There is definitely a huge cold spot there.

I also went to the Queen Mary in June, and I can't remember my tour guides name, I think Peter, but he's had many experiences with the little girl. He was in the pool by himself one day, and felt a small hand in his. Frightened, as this was one of his first days there, he told her to go away. He said he could then hear crying, and quickly apologized. He now goes in every morning to tell the girl his tour times. This little girl has been known to show up in pictures, but seems to favor the quieter tours. The loud noises scare her away. shhhhh...

In the second class pool area the spirit of another little girl named Jackie is often been seen and heard. The girl drowned in the pool during the ship’s sailing days and doesn't seem to want to move on. Her voice and the sound of laughter has been captured in this area.

A Queen Mary Ghost Story 1

Only 26 more days till Halloween! This week, I think I'm gonna do a theme and write about the Queen Mary. As far as I know, ones of people look at my blog as of now so I can pretty much do whatever I want...

The Queen Mary
The Queen Mary's maiden voyage was on May 27, 1936. She was from the Cunard line and was the company's 534th job. She could hold about 1700 passengers, and a crew of 1200. She could sail from New York to England in about four days.

In 1939, the Queen Mary had just arrived in New York, when Hitler invaded Poland. The British government requested the use of the Queen Mary for transporting troops. She was painted gray, and set sail for Australia in 1940. While in the service, she transported about 800,000 passengers, as well as refugees and passengers. Winston Churchill made several trips on the Queen Mary.

After the war, she was converted back into a passenger liner. After 1001 transatlantic voyages and 3 million miles of sea, the Queen Mary sailed to Long Beach in 1967, where she remains today.

With all of this history, it's no wonder that the Queen Mary is considered to be one of the most haunted places on earth.

Let's start off with John Pedder:
John Pedder joined the Queen Mary in March of 1966. He was going to be a firefighter and a cleaner on three voyages.

On July 10, 1966 at approximately four in the morning, a man was found trapped in a water tight door. Seven or so minutes later, the door was released. He was given a shot of painkiller but it was useless. 18-year-old John Pedder was dead.

Hedder had been crushed by mechanical door 13. At around 7:15AM, the door was inspected by the chief engineer. It was working normally, the area was lit and it closed at the accurate pace.

The doctor came to look at him. There were injuries on his arms, pelvis, and chest. There was no bleeding, and no head injuries. He seemed to have died trying to squeeze through the door in the six seconds that it took for the door to close. There have been theories that he had been playing chicken with the door and another crew member.

He would soon become the most famous ghost on the Queen Mary as the 'Shaft Valley Specter.'
Passengers and tour guides have seen a young bearded man in blue coveralls in this area. He is normally seen walking the length of shaft alley and disappears at door number 13. Some people have also reported walking through door 13 and have had grease rubbed on their faces by an unseen hand.

So if you ever find yourself aboard the Queen Mary, keep a lookout.

Black Diamond Mine Preserve

Only 27 more days till Halloween! Today's story is a little short, but it's pretty good. It takes place at an old mine in the Bay Area.



The Black Diamond Mine Preserve

A couple got the shock of their lives when they parked outside of the Rose Hill Cemetery. They believed that the area would be private. They were wrong. When the looked out of their car, they saw a glowing woman gliding above the headstones. The couple sped away.

The cemetery is surrounded by two ghost towns. During the heyday of the mines, men and their sons would came from Wales to work in the mines. Unfortunately, the mine peaked out, and soon closed.

The towns surrounding the mine which had once been bustling, all but disappeared. The people buried in the cemetery, forgotten. Many pioneers had been buried there, some from mine disasters and the notorious black lung, as well as women who died from childbirth and children from typhoid fever of small pox.

Not all of those souls seem to have lived in peace. The cemetery has had many headstones stolen from it and many graves have been excavated. Psychics who have visited there have said that this desecration caused an uprising in ghostly energy. A seance war performed, in which the ghosts demanded the return of the headstones. A newspaper ad ran the next day, begging for the return of the markers.

Despite the return of many of the headstones, many are missing and over 100 graves have been exorcised. The activity continues to occur. It's as if the dead are angry with the living for desecrating what should have been their final resting place.

The White Witch of Rose Hall

Only 28 days until Halloween! We are only twenty nine days away from Halloween! Hope you're all finding costumes!

Today's story is not only not in California but not in the US. This story takes place in Jamaica.
The White Witch of Rose Hall

Annie Palmer was a serial killer, temptress, slaver torturer and a tyrant. She is Jamaica's best known ghost who, according to them, was done in by her evil deeds, or did they?...

Known as the "White Witch" she lived during the 18th century on a sugar plantation. She abused and and murdered three husbands, as well as many slave sympathisers. She also studied the ancient voodoo arts. This connection to the dark side could be why she is still among us.

The facts of this story are very hard to figure out, because of the infamous history behind it. There are several different versions of the story, all slightly different. They all agree on one fact and that was that she ran her plantation with a whip in one hand and a knife in the other. The 4'11" woman countered her height and gender with her own brand of punishment and violence in a lawless Jamaica.

Rose Hall spanned thousands of acres, close to the sea, but the house was built like a fortress. It still stands today. Annie arrived in Jamaica in 1790 to marry Rose Hall's owner, John Palmer. Some say that she had already killed two husband previously, some say they came after Palmer. Annie bored easily, and wanted to give wedding vows that made sure that death parted them. Some say that she longed for the Parisian lifestyle with outdoor cafes and sophistication and nightlife. Maybe she was a sadist. How she killed her husband is not exactly known, some say she poisoned him or stabbed him, then had the slaves take care of the body. Pirates were known to party on Jamaica's beaches, near to the plantation so when John disappeared no foul play other than on the pirates behalf was thought. Annie continued to kill.

Annie took slaves as lovers, but, like everything in her life, tired of them fast. She killed them and placed them in unmarked graves. Annie would push open the French doors on the second floor every morning to address the slaves. She would give the day's orders, including who would join her in bed that night. The men either died refusing her, or died after giving up. If Annie chose you, you were a dead man. All of the slaves lived in fear for their lives. Resistance led to torture. The only freedom away from Rose Hall was being sold or death.

During this time, Annie was working on her voodoo. She knew that women living alone were easy targets. Supposedly and according to legend, the slaves were the ones that taught Annie, while others say she learned from a Haitian voodoo princess. There are rumors that she killed her slave's babies to use their bones for rituals. It was during this time that she was giving the name 'The White Witch.' Her love of blood continued to grow. Her love of murder and seduction eventually was her undoing. According to the legend, a slave, who was engaged to the overseer's daughter, was the last of her lovers. The overseer was the most powerful slave on the plantation but had no control over Annie's murders. Annie murdered the daughter's fiance the first night in her bed, rather than messing with him for several days. Angry for revenge, the overseer entered Rose Hall, which was forbidden. Some versions of the story say that he practiced voodoo and that they entered a voodoo battle to the death, which he survived just enough to throw Annie over the balcony of the plantation, for all to see.

The house was abandoned after her death. It was damaged in a slave rebellion in 1831 during which all of the furniture was taken. No one wanted to live there because Annie's ghost was said to still control the grounds. A family bought the house in 1905, and got ready to move in, but changed their minds after a maid was shoved somehow out of an upstairs window to her death.

An American bought the house in the 1960's a put a lot of money into the house, making it a hotel. Tours are now offered through the house, and many have claimed to have strange experiences. Photos of paranormal events are displayed all over the dungeon. Some say that they have seen Annie at night riding a horse in a green velvet dress brandishing her whip. More commonly, Annie is said to manifest as hurried footsteps walking through the main entrance to the back house. There also whispered voices in the dungeon, tapping on the walls, and footsteps on the stairs. Old music has also been heard playing as well as the cries of babies. She also seems to enjoy turning the lights off and on.

Some say Annie never existed in this way. Some say she was a model wife. Mediums have tried to contact Annie. In 1978, a medium attempted to contact her in front of 8000 people. People left disappointed. Apparently Annie isn't a fan of crowds. A Greek psychic claimed to have recieved a message from a 'stout' woman who led him to a grave by the house. There, he found an incense burner and a voodoo doll. They believe that they belonged to Annie.

The house is now a Ritz-Carlton. The dungeon is a bar and gift shop. There is even a drink called Witches Brew, which jokingly to them, makes Annie more attracted to you. I'm sure running into Annie would sober you right up.

A Lover's Lane Story

Well only 29 more days until Halloween! I found a story in my collection that does not take place in California... So here it goes:

In 1912, a woman named Sylvia Scott was born in Indiana. She was the second born, and was adored by her mother. Her father and sister, not so much. When Sylvia was a teenager, her mother was put into an asylum, leaving poor Sylvia to fend for herself.

Sylvia, like Cinderella, was treated like a servant. Any suitors for her were quickly chased away. She became a very depressed adult.

When she was about 31, Sylvia was also admitted into a asylum. She died five years later. She was cremated, and her ashes were spread over the hill near their home. Sylvia Scott was dead, but her afterlife was just beginning.

In the winter of 1965, two high school sweet hearts drove up a deserted country road. They chose a secluded spot and stopped the car. They thought they were alone, but they thought they heard car doors slamming shut. The boy grabbed his flashlight and went to find the source of the slamming. He saw nothing, and returned to the car.

He suddenly saw a moving object. He thought he could see a girl walking, but she disappeared from sight not long afterward. He thought he was being silly, and had a laugh with the girl when he returned to the car.

Their laughter was short lived. From behind the car, they could see a figure of the female the boy had seen earlier. They could tell that she had dark hair, and was wearing a white shirt and checkered skirt. The apparition had no face, and was gliding above the road. The apparition then disappeared right before their eyes.

The boy started the car, and quickly drove away.

A few months later, another couple went to that exact spot. The girl was the sister of the previous girl. When they stopped the car, the girl screamed, claiming that she saw a ghost beside the car. The boy turned on the car, speeding away. The girl described the ghost to him, a woman with long hair, but no visible arms legs or face and was wearing a white shirt.

Two teenage boys hiking in the area and saw a 'foggy, white image' floating above the ground. They ran away quick.

Occupants of a house near the road began hearing strange noises in their home. Three years later, one member of the house hold watched as a white figure floated around their front yard before disappearing completely.

The sightings did not go unnoticed. A writer investigator and his nephew went to investigate. They reported that they could feel a 'concussive sensation' in their ears. Seconds later, the bright white apparition appeared near them and floated by before disappearing again.

Amazed at what they had seen, they began inquiring about the history of the area.It didn't take long for them to hear about the sad tale of Sylvia Scott. They were told that when she was a teenager, she had loved to wear white blouses and very often wore a checkered skirt. She had dark hair as well.

It's as if Sylvia is now having the carefree existence she did not have in her lifetime.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Happy October!

Only 30 days till Halloween!

Okay, so I know that all of my stories have been from California, and today is not an exception, but seeing as that's where I'm from, can ya blame me?

This one will be shorter, due to the fact that it's late and I'm very tired...

This place is actually in the town that I went to high school and currently college in, though I have not been there.
The Hotel La Rose

The Hotel La Rose was built in 1907. It was built by two Italian men, who had actually built the train station in Santa Rosa, which was the only building to survive the 1906 earthquake.

The Hotel La Rose never stopped selling red wine during the prohibition. It was in the middle of wine country, what do you expect?

Around this time, a family of three checked into the hotel. They were given a floor on the second story. It was two small for their tastes, so the parents stayed in that room, and had the boy put up in a room two stories above them.

Every night, the little boy came down to say good night to his parents. On the third night, two men came into the parents room and murdered the mother and father. The men had broken into the wrong room. The little boy came down a short time later, where he found his parents dead.

Members of the staff claim that the boy still haunts the stairs and halls, ever searching for his slain parents. Many people have been woken in the middle of the night from the sound of crying. Another person who stayed at the hotel claims that the spirit is happy, not sad.

Who knows?