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The Haunting of Borley Rectory: The Story of a Ghost Story
Marianne Foyster, Harry Price and the most haunted house in England - the perfect read for Halloween.
‘Borley Rectory is perhaps the definition of an old haunt, still exerting an extraordinary grip on the popular imagination… Balanced, surprising and strangely moving’ Mark Gatiss
In 1928, Eric and Mabel Smith took over a lonely parish on the northern border of Essex. When they moved into Borley Rectory, Mrs Smith made a gruesome discovery in a a human skull. Soon the house was electric with ghosts. Within the year, the Smiths had abandoned it and the Rectory became notorious as the ‘most haunted house in England’.
When Reverend Lionel Foyster moved in he experienced a further explosion of poltergeist activity with an increasing violence directed at his attractive young wife. Marianne was a passionate and sensuous woman isolated in a village haunted by ancient superstition and deep-rooted prejudice. She would be accused not only of faking the ghosts but of adultery, bigamy – and even murder.
The haunting, sensationally reported in the tabloid press, gripped the nation. It was investigated by Harry Price, a self-made ‘psychic detective’. This was the case that would make Price’s name as the most celebrated ghost-hunter of the age. He recorded the evidence of 200 witnesses to over 2,000 supernatural incidents. This surely confirmed that not only did ghosts exist but, finally, here was proof of life after death.
With the tension of a thriller and the uncanny chills of a classic English ghost story, Sean O’Connor brings the story of Borley Rectory to vivid life as an allegory for an age fraught with anxiety, haunted by the shadow of the Great War and terrified of the apocalypse to come.
‘Borley Rectory is perhaps the definition of an old haunt, still exerting an extraordinary grip on the popular imagination… Balanced, surprising and strangely moving’ Mark Gatiss
In 1928, Eric and Mabel Smith took over a lonely parish on the northern border of Essex. When they moved into Borley Rectory, Mrs Smith made a gruesome discovery in a a human skull. Soon the house was electric with ghosts. Within the year, the Smiths had abandoned it and the Rectory became notorious as the ‘most haunted house in England’.
When Reverend Lionel Foyster moved in he experienced a further explosion of poltergeist activity with an increasing violence directed at his attractive young wife. Marianne was a passionate and sensuous woman isolated in a village haunted by ancient superstition and deep-rooted prejudice. She would be accused not only of faking the ghosts but of adultery, bigamy – and even murder.
The haunting, sensationally reported in the tabloid press, gripped the nation. It was investigated by Harry Price, a self-made ‘psychic detective’. This was the case that would make Price’s name as the most celebrated ghost-hunter of the age. He recorded the evidence of 200 witnesses to over 2,000 supernatural incidents. This surely confirmed that not only did ghosts exist but, finally, here was proof of life after death.
With the tension of a thriller and the uncanny chills of a classic English ghost story, Sean O’Connor brings the story of Borley Rectory to vivid life as an allegory for an age fraught with anxiety, haunted by the shadow of the Great War and terrified of the apocalypse to come.
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
64 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 13, 2023
“The Most Haunted House in England" was one of my strange fascinations as a child, so I jumped at the chance to read this! The story of Borley Rectory heavily influenced the likes of The Amityville Horror, The Haunting of Hill House and The Shining. But this book is much more than just a story about an isolated haunted house. It’s epic in scale. Sean O’Connor has done an impressive amount of research.
It covers multiple centuries, seemingly hundreds of people and spans the globe. It explores the haunting of Borley Rectory and how a story evolves. It focuses on what made the tabloids, the history of the area, the people who lived there, spiritualism and religion, and Harry Price, famed ghost hunter.
“She confirmed that the window in the dining room at the Rectory had been bricked up by their father because they hadn’t wanted to see the nun leaning over the gate outside and staring in at the window when they were eating.”
This book delivers the shenanigans. Bells ringing, mysterious footsteps, objects thrown, ghostly nuns, phantom coaches, wall-writings, dark figures standing over beds, seances, and skulls found in cupboards. While most can be explained, I feel there’s too many things happening over too many years for it to all be a hoax. Some events made me smirk, while others gave me goosebumps.
“Adelaide suggested that there were other children, who hid behind the curtains in her bedroom. As she went past them, they would hit her. After months of the Foysters comforting themselves that the children were not affected by the strange phenomena, disturbingly it now seemed to be the children who were being targeted.”
The level of detail is astounding. Sean fully explores the lives of those who lived in the Rectory and others who had connection to it. It’s as much about those who lived there, and about being haunted by the past, as it is about ghosts and legends. Sean's film background means he knows how to capture drama.
“The strange household at Borley Rectory - the rector, his wife, her lover, her emotionally disturbed friend, the teenage maid and two motherless children - looked forward with some trepidation to the return of Harry Price, the most famous ghost hunter in England.”
Some may argue there’s too much detail, particularly when giving context for the era – I found myself wondering what German engineering and aircraft races had to do with a haunted residence in rural England. Despite this, the book succeeded as a form of time travel.
It caters for both sceptics and believers, and the pictures were great. I found certain sections unexpectedly touching; like Dodie Bull’s diary entries, Marianne Foyster’s abandoned children, and the Rectory fire. One of the most emotionally-charged passages is saved for last - an "acknowledgements" you don’t want to skip.
The Haunting of Borley Rectory leaves no stone unturned (or mysteriously thrown). It’s the book to finally put the story to rest - the definitive work, and one to make you question those noises at night. While many suggest a hoax, others say it’s one of the greatest examples of paranormal activity in history – either way, it makes a hell of a story.
“However far or fast the running, one can never really escape the ghosts that haunt the dark corners of the past or the shadows of one’s own nature.”
It covers multiple centuries, seemingly hundreds of people and spans the globe. It explores the haunting of Borley Rectory and how a story evolves. It focuses on what made the tabloids, the history of the area, the people who lived there, spiritualism and religion, and Harry Price, famed ghost hunter.
“She confirmed that the window in the dining room at the Rectory had been bricked up by their father because they hadn’t wanted to see the nun leaning over the gate outside and staring in at the window when they were eating.”
This book delivers the shenanigans. Bells ringing, mysterious footsteps, objects thrown, ghostly nuns, phantom coaches, wall-writings, dark figures standing over beds, seances, and skulls found in cupboards. While most can be explained, I feel there’s too many things happening over too many years for it to all be a hoax. Some events made me smirk, while others gave me goosebumps.
“Adelaide suggested that there were other children, who hid behind the curtains in her bedroom. As she went past them, they would hit her. After months of the Foysters comforting themselves that the children were not affected by the strange phenomena, disturbingly it now seemed to be the children who were being targeted.”
The level of detail is astounding. Sean fully explores the lives of those who lived in the Rectory and others who had connection to it. It’s as much about those who lived there, and about being haunted by the past, as it is about ghosts and legends. Sean's film background means he knows how to capture drama.
“The strange household at Borley Rectory - the rector, his wife, her lover, her emotionally disturbed friend, the teenage maid and two motherless children - looked forward with some trepidation to the return of Harry Price, the most famous ghost hunter in England.”
Some may argue there’s too much detail, particularly when giving context for the era – I found myself wondering what German engineering and aircraft races had to do with a haunted residence in rural England. Despite this, the book succeeded as a form of time travel.
It caters for both sceptics and believers, and the pictures were great. I found certain sections unexpectedly touching; like Dodie Bull’s diary entries, Marianne Foyster’s abandoned children, and the Rectory fire. One of the most emotionally-charged passages is saved for last - an "acknowledgements" you don’t want to skip.
The Haunting of Borley Rectory leaves no stone unturned (or mysteriously thrown). It’s the book to finally put the story to rest - the definitive work, and one to make you question those noises at night. While many suggest a hoax, others say it’s one of the greatest examples of paranormal activity in history – either way, it makes a hell of a story.
“However far or fast the running, one can never really escape the ghosts that haunt the dark corners of the past or the shadows of one’s own nature.”
December 27, 2022
Moving into Borley Rectory in 1928, Eric and Mabel Smith discovered a human skull in a cupboard. Subsequent events suggested the house might be haunted. Within a year, the family had moved out. Reverend Lionel Foyster and his young wife then moved in and became aware of what appeared to be poltergeist activity. Reported in the tabloid press, the house attracted the attention of ghost hunter Harry Price and the events that followed gave the house its reputation as the most haunted house in England.
The most exciting thing about a supposedly haunted house must be the possibility that it might actually be haunted. However, in this book, Sean O’Connor shows that the ghost stories were probably just that – stories. I’ve been aware of the tales surrounding Borley Rectory for many years and had always assumed that at least some of the sightings and phenomena must have some basis in fact. In this highly detailed and thoroughly researched account, Sean O’Connor reveals that while some events – such as the four sisters who allegedly saw a ghostly nun crossing the garden – could be put down to spooky shadows and youthful enthusiasm – other accounts, like the echoing footsteps in upper rooms of the house when no-one was actually upstairs, sound feasible. Some incidents, like flying pebbles and other objects were most likely the result of Harry Price’s slight-of-hand antics and his desire to promote his own reputation. As the Borley Report (published in 1956) pointed out, there was little evidence to back up Price’s claims and much to suggest several people played tricks on friends and visitors, keeping up the pretence of ‘spiritual’ activity for reasons best known to themselves.
What is most interesting about this book are the lives of the individuals who lived in the house and their various shenanigans and possible reasons for wanting everyone to believe it really was haunted. Though the pace of the book slows a little at times, it is nevertheless a fascinating account of what is most probably not the most haunted house in England.
The most exciting thing about a supposedly haunted house must be the possibility that it might actually be haunted. However, in this book, Sean O’Connor shows that the ghost stories were probably just that – stories. I’ve been aware of the tales surrounding Borley Rectory for many years and had always assumed that at least some of the sightings and phenomena must have some basis in fact. In this highly detailed and thoroughly researched account, Sean O’Connor reveals that while some events – such as the four sisters who allegedly saw a ghostly nun crossing the garden – could be put down to spooky shadows and youthful enthusiasm – other accounts, like the echoing footsteps in upper rooms of the house when no-one was actually upstairs, sound feasible. Some incidents, like flying pebbles and other objects were most likely the result of Harry Price’s slight-of-hand antics and his desire to promote his own reputation. As the Borley Report (published in 1956) pointed out, there was little evidence to back up Price’s claims and much to suggest several people played tricks on friends and visitors, keeping up the pretence of ‘spiritual’ activity for reasons best known to themselves.
What is most interesting about this book are the lives of the individuals who lived in the house and their various shenanigans and possible reasons for wanting everyone to believe it really was haunted. Though the pace of the book slows a little at times, it is nevertheless a fascinating account of what is most probably not the most haunted house in England.
October 27, 2022
I had read, and enjoyed, other books by Sean O'Connor, so this immediately caught my eye and seemed the perfect choice for my Halloween read. O'Connor has mainly written historical true crime books before this, but he makes the transition to solving the mystery of Borley Rectory seamlessly. This is a tale of a house with a reputation of being the most haunted in Britain and the author relates its history well, highlighting the tales of those who lived there and also focusing on the famous ghost hunter, Harry Price.
Like so many of these haunted houses, the beginnings lie in human problems. In this case, a few minor stories aside, the rumours seem to have begun with the death of Rector, Harry Foyster, in 1927. His sisters felt sure his wife had killed him and by the time the Reverend and Mrs Eric Smith arrived from India in 1929, to take up residence, the rumours had escalated. Reports of ghostly goings-on hit the news in the summer of that year and, from that point on, with the arrival of Harry Price, they only got worse.
Whether you believe in such things or not, this will surely make you feel somewhat creepy as winter comes on and the evenings get darker. Bells ringing, keys falling, stones thrown. A house that is large, cold and rambling, with dark, candle-lit passages, many rooms unusable and a virtually constant stream of those investigating the phenomena arriving on the doorstep. Seances, exorcisms, writing appearing on the walls and a changing family which seem to just increase the activity. The author tells the tale of this ghost story well, looking at how the house defined so many of those involved in its history. O'Connor is definitely on my 'must buy' author list and I look forward to reading more by him.
Like so many of these haunted houses, the beginnings lie in human problems. In this case, a few minor stories aside, the rumours seem to have begun with the death of Rector, Harry Foyster, in 1927. His sisters felt sure his wife had killed him and by the time the Reverend and Mrs Eric Smith arrived from India in 1929, to take up residence, the rumours had escalated. Reports of ghostly goings-on hit the news in the summer of that year and, from that point on, with the arrival of Harry Price, they only got worse.
Whether you believe in such things or not, this will surely make you feel somewhat creepy as winter comes on and the evenings get darker. Bells ringing, keys falling, stones thrown. A house that is large, cold and rambling, with dark, candle-lit passages, many rooms unusable and a virtually constant stream of those investigating the phenomena arriving on the doorstep. Seances, exorcisms, writing appearing on the walls and a changing family which seem to just increase the activity. The author tells the tale of this ghost story well, looking at how the house defined so many of those involved in its history. O'Connor is definitely on my 'must buy' author list and I look forward to reading more by him.
April 10, 2024
A well-researched and detailed history of the infamous
"Most Haunted House in England". Sean O'Connor presents all the "evidence" to let you make up your own mind. Some parts were incredibly captivating and engaging, then other parts felt completely unrelated to the book during which I'd zone out a little. I was possibly more interested in one of its inhabitants, Marianne, than the house itself. But nonetheless a mostly interesting read. 3 stars
"Most Haunted House in England". Sean O'Connor presents all the "evidence" to let you make up your own mind. Some parts were incredibly captivating and engaging, then other parts felt completely unrelated to the book during which I'd zone out a little. I was possibly more interested in one of its inhabitants, Marianne, than the house itself. But nonetheless a mostly interesting read. 3 stars
June 26, 2023
Not my usual genre of book nor my regular subject matter but I was interested to discover how an old rectory became famous as the most haunted house in England.
Sadly this book was not for me. Maybe I am just too unbelieving on the subject of ghosts, but I did find the evidence of the phenomena highly improbable at best and quite ridiculous for the most part.
It was repetitive and spent far too long going into the history of the period which did not seem that relevant to the case. I am glad to be finished so I can move onto something I will enjoy.
Sadly this book was not for me. Maybe I am just too unbelieving on the subject of ghosts, but I did find the evidence of the phenomena highly improbable at best and quite ridiculous for the most part.
It was repetitive and spent far too long going into the history of the period which did not seem that relevant to the case. I am glad to be finished so I can move onto something I will enjoy.
February 21, 2024
Borley Rectory in a remote Essex village was given the moniker of the most haunted building in England. O'Connor tells its story. Brilliantly written, the author sets out the facts and leaves it up to the reader to decide what they believe.
December 28, 2022
Sean O'Connor has written an excellent account of the Borley Rectory story.
As a teenager, I was a believer in the haunting, but as I have got older and have read more on the subject, I'm more inclined to think the haunting had more to do with the humans who lived in the rectory and in the surrounding area.
This is a well-written and informative book about this famous case. Well worth a read if you have an interest in investigating the paranormal or if you just have an interest in history in general.
As a teenager, I was a believer in the haunting, but as I have got older and have read more on the subject, I'm more inclined to think the haunting had more to do with the humans who lived in the rectory and in the surrounding area.
This is a well-written and informative book about this famous case. Well worth a read if you have an interest in investigating the paranormal or if you just have an interest in history in general.
December 31, 2024
I'm not sure how I feel about this book, it was certainly comprehensive, but I didn't really like reading all the hearsay about the women who lived in the house.
December 25, 2022
It doesn't really matter if the haunting is real or fake, this book is a terrific read.
It contains a cast of colourful, eccentric, sometimes disturbing characters, set against a vivid backdrop of a bygone England ; superbly researched and wonderfully written.
Mister O'Connor is a five star writer as his previous books have proved. More please!
It contains a cast of colourful, eccentric, sometimes disturbing characters, set against a vivid backdrop of a bygone England ; superbly researched and wonderfully written.
Mister O'Connor is a five star writer as his previous books have proved. More please!
May 25, 2024
Long known as the most haunted house in England, Borley Rectory allegedly played host to all manner of psychic phenomena and its companion church - still standing - is said by some to have become a new home to the rectory ghosts.
Sean O'Connor's fascinating book really is the definitive account of the characters and events surrounding Borley, and sometimes debunks long-held theories and events that reflected an atmosphere that many held to be oppressive in the extreme. As a result of exhaustive research, Sean O'Connor exposes the truth behind the legends, going into minute detail on the characters of key players such as ghost hunter Harry Price and Marianne Foyster, both of whom were said to have manufactured a good deal of the evidence.
For what it's worth, I take the view that both were guilty as charged for some of the activity, but do believe the rectory was haunted well before Price appeared on the scene.
Whatever, it's an enthralling read and an easy 5 stars.
Sean O'Connor's fascinating book really is the definitive account of the characters and events surrounding Borley, and sometimes debunks long-held theories and events that reflected an atmosphere that many held to be oppressive in the extreme. As a result of exhaustive research, Sean O'Connor exposes the truth behind the legends, going into minute detail on the characters of key players such as ghost hunter Harry Price and Marianne Foyster, both of whom were said to have manufactured a good deal of the evidence.
For what it's worth, I take the view that both were guilty as charged for some of the activity, but do believe the rectory was haunted well before Price appeared on the scene.
Whatever, it's an enthralling read and an easy 5 stars.
May 6, 2023
I like a truth life ghost story and this seemed really interesting. Unfortunately I struggled with the book. It was very detailed, perhaps too much for my liking. I thought it might give more information from recent times, but a lot of the story was from the early 1920's and I have to admit getting a little bogged down with all the information. I loved the idea behind the book and Borley Rectory sounded very interesting, but I didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped.
October 18, 2022
Sean O' Connor is more known for his true crimes books and excellent they are. Here however he shifts focus and looks at Borley Rectory. He covers it's history, it's ghostly goings on and gives us a wonderful history of all the families who lived there. Love all his books but this might be his best yet.
January 12, 2024
This book should have been titled "a detailed history of borey". I don't normally write reviews like this but the level of detail really detracted from the book. If you want a book about a haunted house this is not it. The haunting element is quite minimal to the book.
If you want to know who set foot in the house and all their background info this is for you.
Quite disappointed DNF.
If you want to know who set foot in the house and all their background info this is for you.
Quite disappointed DNF.
January 17, 2023
So much more than a ghost story, this book is the amazing story of the life and times of a house and the many characters affected by what happened or may have happened there. A fascinating and entertaining book and highly recommended.
November 4, 2023
Halloween 🎃 reading…perfect!
November 2, 2025
Very enjoyable read about a famously haunted rectory (now demolished). Not far from where I live.
One of the quoted passages at the start of the book sums it up really, the story is far more about the inhabitants of the Rectory, their neighbours and all those being concerned with it than anything paranormal. Fascinating.
One of the quoted passages at the start of the book sums it up really, the story is far more about the inhabitants of the Rectory, their neighbours and all those being concerned with it than anything paranormal. Fascinating.
November 15, 2024
Very well researched, full exploration of the story of the hauntings. Not a scary ghost story, much more of a history. Really interesting
April 27, 2023
4.5
A rather brilliant book. Thoroughly researched, really well written, it pieces together the story of Borley in a convincingly fair way.
No ghost story is really about ghosts, and so it seems with the 'most haunted house in Britain '.
A proper mystery with amazingly complex characters, motivations and socio economic factors in play too.
Really really enjoyable.
A rather brilliant book. Thoroughly researched, really well written, it pieces together the story of Borley in a convincingly fair way.
No ghost story is really about ghosts, and so it seems with the 'most haunted house in Britain '.
A proper mystery with amazingly complex characters, motivations and socio economic factors in play too.
Really really enjoyable.
February 18, 2023
Finally an authoritative study that completes the Borley picture
For any follower of the haunting of Borley Rectory this is an absolute “must read”. Sean O’ Connor has magnificently pieced all the gaps together into an engaging and informative whole. I have read a great deal on Borley Rectory but in this fine study the dots connected and unanswered questions were finally answered. It flows brilliantly and it’s ending is exactly where it needed to be. Sean’s recent visit to Borley creatively links past and present.
For any follower of the haunting of Borley Rectory this is an absolute “must read”. Sean O’ Connor has magnificently pieced all the gaps together into an engaging and informative whole. I have read a great deal on Borley Rectory but in this fine study the dots connected and unanswered questions were finally answered. It flows brilliantly and it’s ending is exactly where it needed to be. Sean’s recent visit to Borley creatively links past and present.
February 7, 2023
I've been reading books about Borley on and off since I was a 12 or 13-year-old kid obsessed with The X-Files and the subsequent boom in paranormal-related media. I even visited the place a couple of times (my parents must have thought I was an odd kid).
This has been a hugely enjoyable read. Most of the books about Borley focus on the hauntings without really offering much on the personalities involved in the story or their possible motivations (there has been a lot written about Marianne Foyster, and Harry Price). This does that and presents the story in the context of what Britain was like at the time.
It has been meticulously researched, it's very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This has been a hugely enjoyable read. Most of the books about Borley focus on the hauntings without really offering much on the personalities involved in the story or their possible motivations (there has been a lot written about Marianne Foyster, and Harry Price). This does that and presents the story in the context of what Britain was like at the time.
It has been meticulously researched, it's very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 9, 2023
Incredibly balanced and well-researched. Resists the urge to portray Harry Price or Marianne Foyster as wholly good or bad. Great read!
January 15, 2023
When I was 9 years old, I bought a book called "Marvels & Mysteries: Ghosts". I was obsessed with the book, particularly the lengthy section on Borley Rectory. Dubbed "The Most Haunted House In England", Borley Rectory became a media sensation when ghost hunter Harry Price was called in to investigate the seemingly countless occurances of paranormal phenomena experienced by several occupants and hundreds of eye-witnesses. The investigation would be steeped in controversy, leading to revelations of extra-marital affairs amongst those living there, fraudulent evidence and even the possibility of murder. Of all the famous hauntings in the history of psychical research, Borley Rectory has always been my favourite and Sean O'Connor's pain-stakingly researched book THE HAUNTING OF BORLEY RECTORY - THE STORY OF A GHOST STORY is one of the greatest books on the paranormal ever published. O'Connor goes to great lengths to detail the lives and times of the many occupants of the house and the experiences they had while abiding there. I've just finished reading it and it blew me away. Creepy, thought-provoking and historically fascinating, I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in a good old-fashioned ghost story.
December 27, 2023
This book is described as the definitive account and as far as descriptions go - that’s pretty damn accurate. This is more than just telling the story of a haunted house, it’s an extensive history into the area and the families who passed through and were connected with Borley Rectory. It’s also a really fascinating insight into the socioeconomic factors of the time and the countries ultimate resurgence in obsession with the paranormal and spiritualism after it seems to - excuse the choice of words - die off for a while. It’s also an intriguing look at Harry Price whose objectivity definitely takes a shift on realising the profitability of hauntings! If you are expecting something along the lines of The Amityville Horror then you will be quite disappointed as this is an unbiased, factually dense book that’s definitely not indulging in sensationalist scares. I’d say this is an absolute must for any hardcore Borley fans or those interested in parapsychology rather than simple ghosties and things that go bump in the night…..although….it does have some of those too 😉 or does it?
October 14, 2023
Title was misleading this is less haunting more general history.
November 2, 2023
Too much unnecessary waffle. DNF.
March 27, 2024
Enjoyed this a lot of background information not found in other books well worth a read.
November 18, 2024
Low spirits: the public, declares Harry Price, spook tec, prefers bunk to debunking. Sean O’Connor, ex-show runner of two British soaps (Archers, EastEnders) is well-placed to write this non-fiction in novel form, loaded as it is with subplots, digressions and background, and one fears at times that like a “continuing drama”, it may never end.
I’m going to break it to you gently. Ghosts probably don’t exist. There I’ve said it. Not, anyway, in the white sheet/woowoo/something nasty at the turn of the stair way. Any evidence for them is flaky - the testimony of the credulous, or if more respectable, the unaccompanied; the nasty feeling a slightly loopy maid or great uncle gets in an old house; strange bangs and pieces of flying crockery that might be a ghost or might equally be a prank or an old house settling for the night. No one’s successfully photographed or filmed a spook, spectre, spriggan - although there are some hilarious fakes and frauds, particularly from the early 20th century - still less captured one and made it help with homework or the dishes.
Any evidence of supernatural activity at Borley Rectory, a place more excitable minds cannot seem to let go of even more than 80 years after its destruction by fire, was irretrievably contaminated by the activities of Price, a deceitful old plop with books to sell, and the Rev Eric Smith and his wife, predecessors to the more widely-known Foysters, who were desperate for the bishop to move them from a decrepit and ugly house with no running water or electricity, and a parish of yokels who resented them for their Indian origins.
Ah yes, the Foysters. Even the name sounds a bit fraudulent. But forget things that go bump in the night - what’s far more interesting is the story of Marianne and Lionel, an elderly clergyman and his vivacious and much younger wife. He was old, ill and somewhat dull company for a young woman who was intelligent, travelled and seems to have had a wicked sense of humour, as well as a liking for anything in trousers. Perhaps a cassock was more of a turnoff than she’d thought when marrying him, for O’Connor thinks he was probably gay. And their relationship was almost certainly un mariage blanc. Marianne married him for security too, as she’d been a divorced mother as a teenager, her son left to be raised by her parents when she left her first husband. She admitted many years later, as a widow, that the phenomena were mostly her creations, done to distract attention from the affair she was having with their lodger, an unpleasant and manipulative man by this account, and she also thought the incidents she couldn’t explain might have been her husband’s practical jokes as he was known to enjoy them.
And Price of course, found with his pockets full of rocks on one occasion by a newspaper reporter.
Add to this stories spread by previous occupants of the house, which had taken root with superstitious locals - the monastery or convent for example is entirely fictitious - a remote location with poor transport links at a time when broadcasting was in its infancy and a rural populace bred for generations to be hostile and suspicious of outsiders, as well as a badly-designed house detested by many of its occupants (it faced the wrong way so prevailing winds and poor fittings made it extremely draughty and it wasn’t fitted with expansion joints, so as the building cooled in the evening it would often creak alarmingly) and you’ve pretty much got all the ingredients needed.
Once we’ve dispatched the remaining flimsy evidence, it’s better to focus on the story of Marianne, who emerges as by far the most interesting - if not likeable - character. Her options constrained by lack of money, education and class, she mustered all her resources impressively to carve out the life she wanted regardless of the opinions of others, many of whom were simply vicious-minded knuckle draggers.
Soapily, O’Connor (in a direct reverse of the technique employed by the fraudulent Price in his books) takes us up the credulous path, plotting it out as the reader can feel that he believes all the hokum and is taken in by the ghoulies (given the length of the book this risks being irritating). But in a dénouement worthy of the best East Enders duh-duh-duh, in the final part of the tale he swings round to reveal that its human agency all the time. Of course, we knew that, didn’t we, but as with everything connected to the Borley machine, if you didn’t have the drama you’d be left with very little. Bit obvious maybe, but there is no ghost in the machine.
I’m going to break it to you gently. Ghosts probably don’t exist. There I’ve said it. Not, anyway, in the white sheet/woowoo/something nasty at the turn of the stair way. Any evidence for them is flaky - the testimony of the credulous, or if more respectable, the unaccompanied; the nasty feeling a slightly loopy maid or great uncle gets in an old house; strange bangs and pieces of flying crockery that might be a ghost or might equally be a prank or an old house settling for the night. No one’s successfully photographed or filmed a spook, spectre, spriggan - although there are some hilarious fakes and frauds, particularly from the early 20th century - still less captured one and made it help with homework or the dishes.
Any evidence of supernatural activity at Borley Rectory, a place more excitable minds cannot seem to let go of even more than 80 years after its destruction by fire, was irretrievably contaminated by the activities of Price, a deceitful old plop with books to sell, and the Rev Eric Smith and his wife, predecessors to the more widely-known Foysters, who were desperate for the bishop to move them from a decrepit and ugly house with no running water or electricity, and a parish of yokels who resented them for their Indian origins.
Ah yes, the Foysters. Even the name sounds a bit fraudulent. But forget things that go bump in the night - what’s far more interesting is the story of Marianne and Lionel, an elderly clergyman and his vivacious and much younger wife. He was old, ill and somewhat dull company for a young woman who was intelligent, travelled and seems to have had a wicked sense of humour, as well as a liking for anything in trousers. Perhaps a cassock was more of a turnoff than she’d thought when marrying him, for O’Connor thinks he was probably gay. And their relationship was almost certainly un mariage blanc. Marianne married him for security too, as she’d been a divorced mother as a teenager, her son left to be raised by her parents when she left her first husband. She admitted many years later, as a widow, that the phenomena were mostly her creations, done to distract attention from the affair she was having with their lodger, an unpleasant and manipulative man by this account, and she also thought the incidents she couldn’t explain might have been her husband’s practical jokes as he was known to enjoy them.
And Price of course, found with his pockets full of rocks on one occasion by a newspaper reporter.
Add to this stories spread by previous occupants of the house, which had taken root with superstitious locals - the monastery or convent for example is entirely fictitious - a remote location with poor transport links at a time when broadcasting was in its infancy and a rural populace bred for generations to be hostile and suspicious of outsiders, as well as a badly-designed house detested by many of its occupants (it faced the wrong way so prevailing winds and poor fittings made it extremely draughty and it wasn’t fitted with expansion joints, so as the building cooled in the evening it would often creak alarmingly) and you’ve pretty much got all the ingredients needed.
Once we’ve dispatched the remaining flimsy evidence, it’s better to focus on the story of Marianne, who emerges as by far the most interesting - if not likeable - character. Her options constrained by lack of money, education and class, she mustered all her resources impressively to carve out the life she wanted regardless of the opinions of others, many of whom were simply vicious-minded knuckle draggers.
Soapily, O’Connor (in a direct reverse of the technique employed by the fraudulent Price in his books) takes us up the credulous path, plotting it out as the reader can feel that he believes all the hokum and is taken in by the ghoulies (given the length of the book this risks being irritating). But in a dénouement worthy of the best East Enders duh-duh-duh, in the final part of the tale he swings round to reveal that its human agency all the time. Of course, we knew that, didn’t we, but as with everything connected to the Borley machine, if you didn’t have the drama you’d be left with very little. Bit obvious maybe, but there is no ghost in the machine.
June 27, 2025
Borley rectory, dubbed ‘the most haunted house in England’, achieved its notoriety in the years between the First and Second World Wars. As O’Connor notes, in England at the time, most old houses had their ghosts. Borley had a dead nun and a ghostly carriage. Until the rector and his wife called in Harry Price, when poltergeist activity suddenly became violent. The rectory almost immediately became a place for sightseers.
As this book proves, what made Borley famous was not so much its ghostly occupants but a strange tangle of intriguing characters, who might have had different reasons for pushing the haunting, local tensions, understated racism, complicated tangles of professional jealousy, and showmanship bordering on fraud.
O'Conner deftly contextualises the story, implying that whatever happened at the Rectory, this story developed, and gained the attention it did, because of when it happened.
At times the narrative drifts and the frame means there's some repetition. The chapter devoted to details of Marianne Foyster's life after she left Borley, doesn't add anything. Price initially thought she was faking the phenomena. She insisted she wasn't. Knowing how many men she had sex with or how many children she adopted and passed off as her own to snare lovers and husbands, doesn’t really solve anything. Her story is strange, it undermines her credibility, but it doesn't prove her guilt.
While O'Connor leads the reader through the story, something has gone missing. It's the story of a story. But was Harry Price, Ghost Hunter, a fraud? Or was his reputation tarnished by those who resented his success? Were successive Rectors and their wives manipulating local stories for their own ends? Were the locals playing tricks on the rectors to get rid of them. Was there ever a nun? Let alone her ghost.
By the time the book reached the 'Afterword' I expected O'Connor to offer his opinion. He’s raised all these issues. Instead, he tries to be impartial and even handed. A little this, a little that, possibly some of the other.
This is probably inevitable, but it is ironic.
As O’Connor’s narrative details, the end of the 19th century saw a rise in 'spiritualism' in Britain. During and after the mass slaughter of the ‘Great War’, interest in Spiritual Mediums was almost inevitable. At the same time, between the wars, there was a growing attempt to put ‘psychical research’ on to a scientific footing. Humans had believed in an afterlife for centuries. If the reality of ghosts and poltergeists could be scientifically proven, then they were indisputable proof that there was an afterlife.
As O'Connor makes clear, Borley rectory was a test case for ‘the scientific method’. Price had made a name for himself ‘debunking’ the mediums. The hauntings could be documented, analysed. Human agency could be ruled out. Facts could be established. They would be beyond dispute.
For the scientific method to work, the question ‘Do Ghosts Exist’ has to be a binary proposition. As O’Connor’s narrative amply demonstrates, it could never be that simple.
To take just one example. The man who did more than anything to make Borley famous, Harry Price, was accused of faking some of the Poltergeist activity. He was guilty of fudging the details to make his books more interesting. His scientific methods simply were not very ‘scientific'. There were rational, mundane explanations for almost everything. Almost.
Was Borley rectory haunted? If you want an answer to that question, then this book will not provide it. But it does tell a fascinating story of the people involved and shows why 'human agency' would never be ruled out.
As this book proves, what made Borley famous was not so much its ghostly occupants but a strange tangle of intriguing characters, who might have had different reasons for pushing the haunting, local tensions, understated racism, complicated tangles of professional jealousy, and showmanship bordering on fraud.
O'Conner deftly contextualises the story, implying that whatever happened at the Rectory, this story developed, and gained the attention it did, because of when it happened.
At times the narrative drifts and the frame means there's some repetition. The chapter devoted to details of Marianne Foyster's life after she left Borley, doesn't add anything. Price initially thought she was faking the phenomena. She insisted she wasn't. Knowing how many men she had sex with or how many children she adopted and passed off as her own to snare lovers and husbands, doesn’t really solve anything. Her story is strange, it undermines her credibility, but it doesn't prove her guilt.
While O'Connor leads the reader through the story, something has gone missing. It's the story of a story. But was Harry Price, Ghost Hunter, a fraud? Or was his reputation tarnished by those who resented his success? Were successive Rectors and their wives manipulating local stories for their own ends? Were the locals playing tricks on the rectors to get rid of them. Was there ever a nun? Let alone her ghost.
By the time the book reached the 'Afterword' I expected O'Connor to offer his opinion. He’s raised all these issues. Instead, he tries to be impartial and even handed. A little this, a little that, possibly some of the other.
This is probably inevitable, but it is ironic.
As O’Connor’s narrative details, the end of the 19th century saw a rise in 'spiritualism' in Britain. During and after the mass slaughter of the ‘Great War’, interest in Spiritual Mediums was almost inevitable. At the same time, between the wars, there was a growing attempt to put ‘psychical research’ on to a scientific footing. Humans had believed in an afterlife for centuries. If the reality of ghosts and poltergeists could be scientifically proven, then they were indisputable proof that there was an afterlife.
As O'Connor makes clear, Borley rectory was a test case for ‘the scientific method’. Price had made a name for himself ‘debunking’ the mediums. The hauntings could be documented, analysed. Human agency could be ruled out. Facts could be established. They would be beyond dispute.
For the scientific method to work, the question ‘Do Ghosts Exist’ has to be a binary proposition. As O’Connor’s narrative amply demonstrates, it could never be that simple.
To take just one example. The man who did more than anything to make Borley famous, Harry Price, was accused of faking some of the Poltergeist activity. He was guilty of fudging the details to make his books more interesting. His scientific methods simply were not very ‘scientific'. There were rational, mundane explanations for almost everything. Almost.
Was Borley rectory haunted? If you want an answer to that question, then this book will not provide it. But it does tell a fascinating story of the people involved and shows why 'human agency' would never be ruled out.
January 13, 2023
I was born and brought up in Suffolk about 20 miles from Borley Rectory, and the strange stories about it were well known locally.
I remember driving out one summer evening with some friends to do some 'ghost hunting' around the church and graveyard - we spooked ourselves of course but saw and heard nothing.
Sean O'Connor has written a really engrossing and level headed account of the hauntings, and I really enjoyed reading this in front of the fire on a winter evening. His research is excellent, especially around the lives of the people most involved. I thought I knew the story well, but his book has filled in numerous gaps.
Last time I drove through the village (a couple of years ago) it was impossible to park and I feel that is pretty much intentional. Even the church car park had a locked barrier across it. Locals are apparently fed up with disrespectful visitors canoodling on gravestones or trying to hold seances in the church. And who can blame them, but I guess it shows the pull of the place in folklore. The Rectory has long since burnt down but the rumours aren't going to go away any time soon.
I remember driving out one summer evening with some friends to do some 'ghost hunting' around the church and graveyard - we spooked ourselves of course but saw and heard nothing.
Sean O'Connor has written a really engrossing and level headed account of the hauntings, and I really enjoyed reading this in front of the fire on a winter evening. His research is excellent, especially around the lives of the people most involved. I thought I knew the story well, but his book has filled in numerous gaps.
Last time I drove through the village (a couple of years ago) it was impossible to park and I feel that is pretty much intentional. Even the church car park had a locked barrier across it. Locals are apparently fed up with disrespectful visitors canoodling on gravestones or trying to hold seances in the church. And who can blame them, but I guess it shows the pull of the place in folklore. The Rectory has long since burnt down but the rumours aren't going to go away any time soon.
November 4, 2023
When I saw this book on the library shelves, I was at first sceptical. There have been many books about Borley Rectory written over the years, so what could a new book add? My interest in the subject led me to borrow it, and I'm glad I did, because this is quite possibly the best Borley book yet: a thorough and extensive exploration of the ghosts and their reasons for existence. O'Connor's even-handed approach sees him exploring the case from every possible angle, many of them new. He sees the haunting in terms of politics, society, history, gender and many other angles I hadn't previously considered in relation to it. His research is extensive, his arguments fair, his style accessible and intelligent. Yes, this is a pretty heavy book thanks to the sheer amount of background detail he's included, some of which is quite extraneous, but that didn't stop me loving and appreciating its quality.
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