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ALEX LOCKWOOD
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
Posts: 238
Location: UNITED KINGDOM
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 Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject: Divining a Royal Mystery |
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Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire
It was badly damaged during both Civil Wars - 1644-45 and 1648-49 by Parliamentarian forces - trying to capture the castle from the Royalists. It was forced to surrender on 24 March 1649, three months after Charles I's execution. Three days later Parliament ordered its demolition. What remains now is a rather sad ruin.
The most famous prisoner was King Richard II. On 30 September 1399, after a 22 year reign, a document was signed proclaiming that Richard had abdicated. His cousin Henry, Duke of Lancaster, took the throne as Henry IV. He surrendered the Crown to Henry in the Great Hall of the Tower of London.
Richard's final prison was Pontefract Castle, one of Henry's fortresses. Here the ex-king mysteriously died in January or February 1400. The 'official version' was that he starved himself to death.
According to the castle's custodian, Steve Coulson, there are no known sightings of Richard's ghost. When I visited a few years ago, I tried to work out from the gaunt remains, where Richard died.
I used the plan in the 1990 guidebook that I bought there, and intuition. I alighted upon the remains of the Constable Tower. I later passed a crystal pendulum over the plan, in conjunction with a 1734 engraving I own. [This is based on a 1560 Survey.] The conclusion was the same... .
Excavations in 1982-86 revealed that the Tower clearly dated from two periods. Documents say it was built by Henry IV 1405-12, but this clearly relates to the upper sandstone structure. Beneath is an earlier limestone one, built on a slightly different aligment.
Did Henry demolish the original tower out of guilt? Or to conceal evidence? He certainly publicly displayed Richard's body in Old St Paul's Cathedral, London [the one burnt in the 1666 Fire] to prove he hadn't killed him.
Coulson thinks that the ex-king may’ve been held in the Gascoine Tower, part of the original 12/13th Century fortifications.
The following site locates the Towers on an early 17th Century painting [just click on the link]:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lane/8771/pont-towers.jpg
But, even if Richard doesn't haunt Pontefract, he says there are two well-attested phantoms:-
“a monk walking from the remains of the kitchen towards the steps up to the ruins of the Queen's Tower. Strangely the monk is always seen walking from west to east, never in the opposite direction.”
“A girl, probably between 9 and 13 years of age, with long brown hair and ragged clothes, has been seen reflected in the mirror at the visitor's centre…. “ |
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HENUT-TEPY
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 79
Location: ENGLAND
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| Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 8:04 am Post subject: Re: Divining a Royal Mystery |
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Another fascinating walk through history, Alex.  Have you been back since? Or done any further 'dowsing' with the Castle? It wouldn't be surprising if King Richard had joined the 'ranks' of regal and noble ghosts. And I'm sure there are quite a few of those... I wonder what the story behind the sad little girl was? |
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thecactus
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 3196
Location: Northern Ireland
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| Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:05 am Post subject: |
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Looks like alex forgot to answer you sarah  |
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ALEX LOCKWOOD
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
Posts: 238
Location: UNITED KINGDOM
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| thecactus wrote: | | Looks like alex forgot to answer you sarah |
OOO...sounds like you're a bit sweet on Henut, Cactus! BTW, I've not returned to Pontefract. Or swung my pendulum over it again either (on a map that is)  |
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flossy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 4922
Location: UK tyne/wear (geordie land)
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:25 am Post subject: |
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| thecactus wrote: | | Looks like alex forgot to answer you sarah |
or shadow...they tend to post in 3's |
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ALEX LOCKWOOD
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
Posts: 238
Location: UNITED KINGDOM
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:50 am Post subject: |
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or shadow...they tend to post in 3's [/quote]
OK. I better come clean. You recall Shadow's posting about the Ouija incident in the caravan?
http://www.worldofghosts.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=4255&highlight=
He said there were four people present: him and his two sisters (Lizzie and Henut/Sarah). And a ''friend'' of his, who he named as Simon/The Whizz.
Well you know the adage ''the names have been changed"? That is exactly what he did. But only with one name, because 'Simon' was me. I suspect he did that because we later had a major falling out. (I won't say over what... . I'm not sure if he'll be so circumspect... .) The clue lies his comment:
"younger then and quite adventurous (or naive, depending on your view)."
Justin doesn't hold grudges lightly. He can be immature at times. And, so, we really have not been on good terms since... .  |
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thecactus
Joined: 07 Mar 2011
Posts: 3196
Location: Northern Ireland
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:33 am Post subject: |
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| ALEX LOCKWOOD, are you supposed to take any medication? |
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flossy
Moderator
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 4922
Location: UK tyne/wear (geordie land)
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:12 am Post subject: |
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well you's seem to get on ok in here 
are you sure theres nothing more to it? |
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D B Sweeney
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Posts: 2842
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 9:30 am Post subject: |
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I'm confused dot com
DB |
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HENUT-TEPY
Joined: 20 May 2011
Posts: 79
Location: ENGLAND
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