Page 51 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

Ghosts and Phantoms 31

moved into the rectory with his family. It is
also interesting to record that the phenomena
reached new heights of activity when the
Reverend Lionel Algernon Foyster, a cousin of
the Bull family, took up residence in the Rec-
tory on October 16, 1930. The reverend
brought with him his wife, Marianne, and his
four-year-old daughter Adelaide. (Many
accounts of Borley Rectory refer to the Foys-
ters as Rev. B. and Marianne Morrison.)
The Foysters had lived there only a few
days when Mrs. Foyster heard a voice softly
calling, “Marianne, dear.” The words were
repeated many times, and, thinking her hus-
band was summoning her, she ran upstairs.
Foyster had not spoken a word, he told her,
but he, too, had heard the calling voice.
Once, Mrs. Foyster laid her wristwatch by The entity may or may not have been sug- The Borley Rectory—The
her side as she prepared to wash herself in the gesting that the Foysters once again bring Dr. Most Haunted House in
bathroom. When she completed her washing, Harry Price upon the scene. At any rate, that England. (FORTEAN
she reached for the watch and discovered that is exactly what they did. Advised by the Bull PICTURE LIBRARY)
the band had been removed. It was never sisters of the famed investigator’s interest in
returned. Reverend Foyster was quick to realize the Borley phenomena, Reverend Foyster
that the weird tales that he had heard about wrote to London to inform Price of renewed
Borley Rectory had all been true. He could activity in the rectory.
hardly deny them in view of such dramatic evi-
dence. He was not frightened, however, as he Price gained permission to stay in the rec-
felt protected by his Christian faith. He used a tory with two friends, and upon arrival, the
holy relic to quiet the disturbances when they researcher and his party once again examined
became particularly violent and remained the house from attic to cellar. The haunting
calm enough to keep a detailed journal of the wasted no time in welcoming the returning
phenomena that he and his family witnessed. investigator. While he was examining an
upstairs room, an empty wine bottle hurled
Marianne Foyster received the full fury of itself through the air, narrowly missing him.
the haunting’s attack from the beginning of The party was brought back down to the
their occupancy. One night, while carrying a kitchen by the screams of their chauffeur, who
candle on the way to their bedroom, she had remained behind to enjoy a leisurely
received such a violent blow in the eye that it smoke. The distraught man insisted that he
produced a cut and a black bruise that was vis- had seen a large, black hand crawl across the
ible for several days. A hammerhead was kitchen floor.
thrown at her one night as she prepared for During conversation, Mrs. Foyster dis-
bed. She received a blow from a piece of metal closed that she had seen the “monster” that
that was hurled down a flight of stairs. Anoth- had been causing all the eerie disturbances.
er time, she narrowly missed being struck by a Reverend Foyster showed Price the entry that
flat iron, which smashed the chimney of the he had made in his journal on March 28 when
lamp that she was carrying.
his wife had confronted the entity while
In addition to persecuting Mrs. Foyster, ascending a staircase. She had described it as a
the entity seemed determined to establish monstrosity—black, ugly, and ape-like. It had
contact with her. Messages were found reached out and touched her on the shoulder.
scrawled on the walls: “Marianne…please… Price later learned that others had seen the
get help.” creature on different occasions.

The Gale Enc y clopedia of the Unusu al and Unexplained