The Epworth Rectory Poltergeist

The children were extremely scared and speculated the phenomena were caused by local witchcraft, but modern psychic investigations point to Mrs Wesley, who was unhappy in het marriage, and daughter Hetty, who hated the rectory.

Reverend Wesley still did not hear nor see something unusual and he severely lectured the children or the servants who told him wild tales about a ghost who was walking and talking through the rooms of the rectory. ‘If there were any noises,’ he told them, ‘they were undoubtedly caused by the young men who come around in the evening!’ – Or maybe his daughters sat up late, waiting for their lovers, and made the noises to conceal something… or someone.

Thou Deaf & Dumb Devil!

And then there was this night when the reverend was awakened by nine loud and distinct knocks with a pause at every third stroke. They seemed to originate in the next room, so the reverend rose and went to see if he could discover Old Jeffrey, but he could perceive nothing. Reverend Wesley still thought it might be a person who was outside, and he relied upon his stout mastiff to rid them of the nuisance. But the dog, which at first had barked violently, now seemed more terrified than any of the children.

The Wesley’s began to believe that Samuel, the eldest son who was not at home, had met a violent death. So one night, after several deep groans had been heard, the reverend tried to communicate with the entity. ‘Thou deaf and dumb devil,’ he shouted, ‘why dost thou frighten these children!? Come to me, come to my study… I am a man!’

Old Jeffrey replied with some earnest knocking, but fell silent then. The reverend’s challenge was met the following evening when, as he opened the door to his study, it was flung back and shut with a terrible force. Reverend Wesley adjured the Poltergeist to speak… if it was his son Samuel, could he knock again? To his great comfort, he didn’t hear any knocking anymore.

Some time later, the Wesley family heard that Samuel and the two boys who did not stay at home were safe and well, and from now on the visitations of Old Jeffrey became more a matter of curiosity and amusement than alarm.

After almost eight weeks of Poltergeist activity, the disturbances stopped as suddenly as they had begun.

A Good Night’s Rest in the Epworth Rectory B & B

Was Old Jeffrey something like the externalization of pent-up emotions… or was he truly an angry spirit who was passing through the Epworth Rectory? The case never was satisfactorily closed.

Recently, a bed-and-breakfast was opened in the old Epworth Rectory, offering you a good night’s rest…

But I wonder…

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