Ghostly apparitions and poltergeist activity have been a regular occurrence in Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Founded in 1879 in Manhattan and created by the same architect who designed New York’s city hall. Its tall stained windows and high set arches are said to hold a secret. It is believed that the Bishop Dubois was buried beneath the main archway at the entrance of the church. His ghost has been seen on a regular basis floating around the chapel, keeping an eye on the parish that he left behind many years ago.

Chelsea Hotel

Fame never dies, and this is clearly demonstrated amongst the list of famous ghostly faces which haunt the halls of the Chelsea Hotel. These include the writer Dylan Thomas, who died in his hotel room of alcohol poisoning in 1953, Sid Vicious, who has been reported to still linger in the lift of the hotel and Nancy Laura Spungen, the girl friend of Sid Vicious who was found stabbed to death in her hotel bathroom.

The Bridge Café

Gallus Mag, a six foot tall English woman, ran the tavern in 1794. This was back when it was a regular drinking spot for pirates and sailors. Gallus was not one for putting up with hassle from rowdy drunks in her bar. Armed with a truncheon in one hand and a revolver in her belt she would beat the offender over the head with her truncheon and drag them out of the bar with their ear in her teeth. She would then bite off their ear before tossing them out side. The ear biting thing is not the most disgusting thing that Gallus used to do, she would then add them to her ear collection that pickled in jars behind the bar as a warning to all potential rowdy customers. It is unknown what actually happened to Gallus Mag to cause her death but she is still seen in the Café today. Just make sure you behave yourself if you ever pay her café a visit.

Morris Jamel Mansion

Built in 1776 this southern style mansion is now a museum after having served as the centre of many historical events in American history.  There has been reported that at least five ghosts call Morris Jamel Mansion home, many of which manifesting on the second and third floors along with the balcony.

In 1964 a group of school children arrived that the mansion to receive a tour of the grounds. When they found that the house was locked they became restless and noisy as they awaited someone to come and open the door. They heard a noise coming from the balcony above them, looking up they saw a lady in a flowing purple gown who asked them to be quiet before disappearing through the closed doors of the balcony. When the curator arrived to let the children in they asked why the lady in the purple dress did not open the door for them. The curator told them that there was no lady in the house and realised that they must have seen the ghost of Madam Jamel herself, as the apparition they had seen matched her description perfectly.

The spirit of a young servant girl has been sighted upon the top floor of the house where the old servant’s quarters stood. The name of the girl is unknown but what is known is that she jumped out of the top window of the house after becoming romantically involved with one of the members of the Jamel family.

It seems that the ghosts in the Jamel mansion love interfering with school trips. When an enthusiastic history teacher ran up the stairs in an attempt to see the mansion from top to bottom a revolutionary soldier stepped out from one of the paintings hanging from the wall. she of course fainted on the spot upon setting eyes on him.

Bonnie and Clyde

Their official names were Clyde Champion Barrow and Bonnie Parker. When they met, Bonnie was already married to a convicted murderer. She was only 19, and Clyde was 21. Their brief affair together was based on killing sprees and robberies. In the four years they were together, it was believed that they had committed 13 murders, and several burglaries and robberies. Having lived viciously by the gun, the treacherous couple was gunned down in frenzy, by a posse of law enforcement on May 23, 1934.

Romeo and Juliet

(Image by Author, Verona 1998)

They were young, and their love seemed destined for tragedy. One hopes that their tender admiration for each other is one that will last. Instead, their testament to each other is met in death. Their story has been made famous by Shakespeare’s account of two star-cross’d lovers. Even in Verona, there is a picturesque house that many believe to be Juliet’s. Underneath her veranda, is a statue of the fair lady, and many rub her in the hopes of finding true love. So profound is the tale of their tragic love story, that it is one that has been told for centuries.

King Arthur and Guinevere

(Image by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, c.1855)

The queen of King Arthur was so exceptionally beautiful, that he could not resist her. Yet his lady had a roving eye. While she went to great lengths to gain the attention of her king, Guinevere would eventually stray. Her betrayal to King Arthur by his knight Sir Lancelot would cause the eventual downfall of King Arthur. Her disloyalty would end the Knights of the Round Table and Camelot when Sir Lancelot saved her from being burned at the stake. Some say Guinevere went to a convent having been ashamed of her actions. But no one is quite sure of what became of her.

Henry VIII and Kathryn Howard

Of all his wives, it is said that he loved Kathryn the most. By the time he took her as his wife, he was 49, overweight, and had an ulcerated leg. The young, beautiful Kathryn was a mere 19, but already seasoned. Kathryn doted on Henry and somehow managed to spring a new life in him. But not even a year into their marriage, rumors began to swirl of Kathryn’s infidelities, and she had many. It didn’t help that one of the men she was accused of having an affair with, was her personal secretary and had been spotted in her room late at night on many occasions. Evidence began to pile up against the Queen that she had been un-virtuous prior to marriage and after. She was eventually taken to the Tower and executed for such treason against the King.

Sid and Nancy

To say their love was unstable and tempestuous is an understatement. Often it was a violent on again off again, bitter romance. The pugnacious John Simon Ritchie was a fiery bassist for the Sex Pistols. Nancy Spungen was the fodder to his antics. With her he seemed quiet and contemplative. Without her, he was erratic and out of control. Their relationship largely revolved around drug abuse (mostly heroin). In an attempt to straighten him up, lead singer Johnny Rotten pleaded with Sid to be rid of his Nancy. It was to no avail. Under mysterious circumstances, Nancy was found on the morning of October 12, 1978 with a single stab wound to her abdomen. Shortly afterwards, Sid would follow her into death by overdosing on heroin. His ashes were scattered over Nancy’s grave.