Story: Chris Halton
Earlier this week, Vanessa Mitchell, the owner of `The Cage`, in St Osyth allowed me to visit and film inside her home which has been subject of much media interest lately.
As many of you may know, this two bedroomed cottage was formerly used in the 16th century as a prison for witches and probably many other unfortunates, as well as criminals were imprisoned there.
The most famous alleged `witch` was a lady named as Ursula Kemp who was tried at Chelmsford Assizes (Court) in 1582 and was subsequently hung.
Ursula by accounts was a Midwife and Herbalist. One can only presume that she used herbs to assist in childbirth and probably to treat ailments for the poor of the parish.
It was so easy in those times to dispense of people you may have had a grudge with, and no doubt adding the petty gossip and malicious whispers that would have pervaded through the primitive beliefs of the period she was easy prey.
I set out to check each room of the house, and the room which held the prison is a modern rebuild of the original, and as such has nothing loosely related to the period of Ursula Kemp.
My initial inspection was during the hours of daylight, and in the lounge area and `cage` I felt no measurable activity.
The upstairs was a completely different experience.
As I stepped from the narrow staircase I was immediately hit with strong spiritual activity.
It was a very heavy and sickly feeling which permeated throughout the top floor rooms.
The worst was certainly the master bedroom which was believed by earlier investigators to contain
child spirits, and this was indicated by the presence of toys placed inside for the satisfaction of them.
I would have to say, I felt no child presence at this time but there appeared to be a spiritual link between the master bedroom and the side bedroom. The connection for me was the landing which had a strong core energy feeling which I felt was a portal into the property.
For me the negativity was coming from a male presence who may or may not have had a connection to the gaol, and certainly that of a woman who I could feel and sense in this area.
Later that night I filmed an investigation within the cottage and found an increase in activity inside the `cage`, but the upstairs proved much more active.The door-frame around the master bedroom was alive with a very strong presence that I could see as a mass of tiny red dots that moved from the door to inside the room and back again.
I took a series of pictures and captured a light anomaly twice inside the landing area.
At first I thought that this anomaly was a reflection from the mirror, and shot one onto the glass and one away from the glass with similar results. A stream of other pictures replicating exactly my earlier captures revealed no sign of this presence.
Without revealing too much at this stage, I have activity on cam which will be shared later.
The cottage is quite definitely haunted, and perhaps needs longer evaluation of the property to measure and quantify activity. I was only there barely three hours from 10pm to 1am before I left.
Outside the home is a small pathway which now leads down to what looks to be sheltered accommodation for the elderly.
Historically, this lane is known as, `Coffin Alley` because it is claimed that people who died incarcerated inside the prison were removed down the pathway in the dead of night presumably for burial in unconsecrated ground nearby in what were once fields.
And here was the most unusual capture of the night.
I took two photographs and in one I found what I can only describe as follows:
A male person to the right is leaning forward slightly towards the right as though he is carrying at one end a stretcher or sheet with what to me looks like a female with it`s head towards the figure carrying, and lying with it`s head to the right.The figure of the man looks like it is wearing a puffed or `mutton` shoulder shirt or jacket. This would be a fashion worn in the 1580`s by Elizabethan era people. The figure behind could be wearing late medieval peasant clothing.
Behind the male (and to the left) is a figure that looks female or a character wearing a short top. He/she looks like it is carrying in an upright position a sword or pole and following behind. You can clearly see a leg.
And possibly to the extreme left either another figure or a `shadow` of the carrying figure of a man.
Of course, I accept that others may have a different interpretation, but this looks to be a burial party removing a victim of the prison for burial nearby. This will be the first time that any such capture has been made, and for a paranormal film maker and investigator this is quite a capture.
My thanks to Vanessa for the experience, and if you want to visit `The Cage`, Vanessa can be contacted on 07854756231. Alternatively, you can reach her Facebook page at this address:
Earlier media references on this blog:
ST OSYTH WOMAN PLAGUED BY GHOSTLY WITCHES
NEWSPAPER REPORTER INVESTIGATES HAUNTED WITCHES PRISON
 |
| The Cage, St Osyth, Essex |
As many of you may know, this two bedroomed cottage was formerly used in the 16th century as a prison for witches and probably many other unfortunates, as well as criminals were imprisoned there.
The most famous alleged `witch` was a lady named as Ursula Kemp who was tried at Chelmsford Assizes (Court) in 1582 and was subsequently hung.
Ursula by accounts was a Midwife and Herbalist. One can only presume that she used herbs to assist in childbirth and probably to treat ailments for the poor of the parish.
It was so easy in those times to dispense of people you may have had a grudge with, and no doubt adding the petty gossip and malicious whispers that would have pervaded through the primitive beliefs of the period she was easy prey.
I set out to check each room of the house, and the room which held the prison is a modern rebuild of the original, and as such has nothing loosely related to the period of Ursula Kemp.
My initial inspection was during the hours of daylight, and in the lounge area and `cage` I felt no measurable activity.
 |
| On reaching the top of the narrow staircase I felt a sickly feeling energy |
The upstairs was a completely different experience.
As I stepped from the narrow staircase I was immediately hit with strong spiritual activity.
It was a very heavy and sickly feeling which permeated throughout the top floor rooms.
The worst was certainly the master bedroom which was believed by earlier investigators to contain
child spirits, and this was indicated by the presence of toys placed inside for the satisfaction of them.
I would have to say, I felt no child presence at this time but there appeared to be a spiritual link between the master bedroom and the side bedroom. The connection for me was the landing which had a strong core energy feeling which I felt was a portal into the property.
For me the negativity was coming from a male presence who may or may not have had a connection to the gaol, and certainly that of a woman who I could feel and sense in this area.
Later that night I filmed an investigation within the cottage and found an increase in activity inside the `cage`, but the upstairs proved much more active.The door-frame around the master bedroom was alive with a very strong presence that I could see as a mass of tiny red dots that moved from the door to inside the room and back again.
 |
| Click images to enlarge. |
I took a series of pictures and captured a light anomaly twice inside the landing area.
At first I thought that this anomaly was a reflection from the mirror, and shot one onto the glass and one away from the glass with similar results. A stream of other pictures replicating exactly my earlier captures revealed no sign of this presence.
Without revealing too much at this stage, I have activity on cam which will be shared later.
The cottage is quite definitely haunted, and perhaps needs longer evaluation of the property to measure and quantify activity. I was only there barely three hours from 10pm to 1am before I left.
Outside the home is a small pathway which now leads down to what looks to be sheltered accommodation for the elderly.
Historically, this lane is known as, `Coffin Alley` because it is claimed that people who died incarcerated inside the prison were removed down the pathway in the dead of night presumably for burial in unconsecrated ground nearby in what were once fields.
And here was the most unusual capture of the night.
I took two photographs and in one I found what I can only describe as follows:
A male person to the right is leaning forward slightly towards the right as though he is carrying at one end a stretcher or sheet with what to me looks like a female with it`s head towards the figure carrying, and lying with it`s head to the right.The figure of the man looks like it is wearing a puffed or `mutton` shoulder shirt or jacket. This would be a fashion worn in the 1580`s by Elizabethan era people. The figure behind could be wearing late medieval peasant clothing.
 |
| Click images to enlarge. (All images (c) 2012 Haunted Earth) |
Behind the male (and to the left) is a figure that looks female or a character wearing a short top. He/she looks like it is carrying in an upright position a sword or pole and following behind. You can clearly see a leg.
And possibly to the extreme left either another figure or a `shadow` of the carrying figure of a man.
Of course, I accept that others may have a different interpretation, but this looks to be a burial party removing a victim of the prison for burial nearby. This will be the first time that any such capture has been made, and for a paranormal film maker and investigator this is quite a capture.
My thanks to Vanessa for the experience, and if you want to visit `The Cage`, Vanessa can be contacted on 07854756231. Alternatively, you can reach her Facebook page at this address:
Earlier media references on this blog:
ST OSYTH WOMAN PLAGUED BY GHOSTLY WITCHES
NEWSPAPER REPORTER INVESTIGATES HAUNTED WITCHES PRISON
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