In Pure Spirit

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The ghost at Lancaster’s Three Mariners

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The Three Mariners Inn is a popular and historic pub. It’s notable for having a gravity-fed cellar.

Image by Joe Penniston via Flickr

In the Three Mariners the cellar is above the pub, this means the casks need to be hefted upstairs but it means the beer and ale flows naturally downwards.

The pub is old, perhaps one of the oldest in the city. Before the name Three Mariners it was known as the Carpenter’s Arms; both names likely derive from the pub’s proximity’s to the River Lune and the ship’s carpenters or mariners who may have visited the building since the 13th century.

The pub stands on the cobbled remains of Bridge Lane – a road that would have been very busy until the New Bridge was built in 1788. Even today the pub enjoys a pleasant spot in Lancaster and is near popular tourist attractions such as Maritime Museum, the Priory, Lancaster Castle and the Judges’ Lodgings.

In its 600 year history the pub would have seen Henry VIII close the priory, the trial of the Pendle witches, the burning of Penny Street in 1643 during the civil war, the imprisonment of George Fox – founder of the Quakers – in the nearby castle, the construction of Penny’s hospital, Dalton Square, the Corvell Cross, the Buck Ruxton murders and so much more.

Unfortunately for the pub, the name Three Mariners made the news in 2006 after a vicious murder in the nearby underpass.

Hauntings

It is said that the Three Mariners is haunted. The popular story is that the ghost is in the toilets but people have reported sudden drops in temperatures and strange noises in the cellar as well.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been inside the Three Mariners? Love to hear what you thought of the pub. Do you think it’s haunted?

The Judges’ Lodgings: home of witch-hunter Thomas Covell

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The Judges’ Lodgings take their name from the courts of Lancaster Castle. The current castle and priory were founded by Roger de Poitou in 1086 (the same man responsible for the founding of Ashton Hall).

Judges' Lodgings
Image by Mike Dent via Flickr

The Castle hosted the Assize Courts and was responsible for many trials. These courts became infamous for handing out more death sentences than any other Court in England outside of London. The Assize Courts only happened twice a year, prisoners would be stuck in tiny cells for months, sharing with others, but between 1776 and 1975 the judges would stay in the building now known as the Judges’ Lodgings.

It is said that the Judges Lodgings are the oldest townhouse in Lancaster and is a Grade 1 listed building. It is currently a museum and has a fantastic collection of gorgeous Gillow furniture as well as a Museum of Childhood which has toys and games dating back to the 1700s.

It wasn’t always the Assize Judges who stayed in the building, though. Perhaps the most famous lodger was none other than the feared witch-hunter Thomas Covell who played a key roll in the Pendle Witch affair.

Thomas Covell stayed in the Judges’ Lodgings between 1590 and 1638. He had many responsibilities; Keeper of the Lancaster Castle, Country Magistrate and Coroner. It was his role as Keeper of Lancaster Castle that meant he was responsible for the interrogation, imprisonment and execution of anyone sentenced to death during his time. The Assize Courts did not reserve the death sentence just for murderers. Forgers were also commonly sentenced to death. Little wonder that they became known as The Hanging Judges of Lancaster.

In 1612 the Pendle Witches were arrested and it was Thomas Covell who held them until their trial began. The judges at the trial were Sir James Altham and Sir Edward Bromley. The prosecutor was a local magistrate called Roger Nowell and it was Nowell who had collected a number of the statements and confessions from the accused witches.

Thomas Covell was not well-liked. Records indicate that one of his contemporaries described him as “a beastly man”.

In Pure Spirit

The Judges’ Lodges are open to the public. Have you been inside? Would you recommend it?

What about ghost or psychic phenomena? There’s so much associated with the Pendle Witches that it is surprising there are so few tales of haunting and ghosts?

Albino body part witch trail fails

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Authorities is Tanzania have suspended trials of the witches accused of killing albinos in order to harvest their body parts for good luck charms.

Locals, however, feel that the suspended trials are a sign that the government is complict or actually supportive in the killings.

The murders began in 2007 but only reached the Kahama and Shinyanga high courts a few weeks ago. In just those few weeks the courts are citing a lack of funds.

Albino killing is similar problem in neighbouring Burundi where dozens have been kidnapped and then dismembered. Body parts are believed to reach several thousand dollars in gruesome black markets run by witch doctors.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Have the courts really run out of money? Is the Tanzanian government really supporting the witch doctors here?

Witchcraft blamed for poverty on the Kenyan Coast

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Mwamanongu Village water source, Tanzania. &qu...
Image via Wikipedia

Speaking at the Kenya Investment Authority strategy meeting the Provincial Commissioner Ernest Munyi blamed the lack of investment on witchcraft killings.

The Commissioner highlighted the problem of the murder of elderly people suspected of practising witchcraft as sending bad signals which scared investors away.

Charities have reported that the killing of elderly people in Kenya is sometimes an economic crime. Families are unable to support their elderly dependants and adopt excuses to facilitate their murder.

According to Munyi more than 900,000 people in the Coast province face starvation despite a flourishing touristic sector.  The Kenyan government has invested in services to de-silt local water supplies but hundreds of thousands still struggle for clean water.

In Pure Spirit

How much of a serious problem is this for Kenya? Do you the Commissioner was blaming the locals and their backwards way for the lack of successful investment in the region?

Crystal Cauldron witches thrown out of the Our Lady’s Social Club

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Witches coven, the Crystal Cauldron, had booked the Our Lady’S Social Club in the Dioceses of Shrewsbury to host their annual ball but where blocked by the Catholic church at the last minute.

Reverend John Joyce, told press: “Parish centres under our auspices let their premises on the understanding users and their organisations are compatible with the ethos and teachings of the Catholic church. In this instance, we aren’t satisfied such requirements are met.”

High Priestess Sandra Davis, of the Crystal Cauldron, only discovered the Church’s decision when she phoned to complete the £175 payment for the booking. She had already printed tickets for the event.

Davis, 61, was also able to communicate to the press; “I’m appalled. My congregation is shocked that in this day and age there can be such religious discrimination. We’re normal people who follow an earth-based religion and want to enjoy ourselves.

“We thought we were bridging the gap with other religions but misconceptions still exist, like we sacrifice animals. Does the church check everyone’s beliefs before allowing them in the club?”

Sandra aspires to turn the Crystal Cauldron from a pagan meeting place into a temple.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Should the Catholic Church not be able to regulate who uses their resources as they see fit?

Did they just handle this booking in a very bad way or is this simply religious discrimination?

Stripping a witchdoctor of his power

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Rendering a witchdoctor powerless
Image by GameWyrd via Flickr

The Kenyan Standard carries photographs of an alleged witchdoctor, Mr Chengo Dingo, being stripped of his powers.

Kanamai residents in the Kilifi District accused Mr Dingo of destroying marriages and wrecking businesses. In response the locals hired the servers of two ‘senior’ withdoctors; Safari Mohamed and Omar Mohamed to render Dingo powerless.

The witchdoctor was shaved, painted, made to straddle the more senior Mohamed and tehn carried around the village. He was declared free of evil powers.

The stripping of the witchdoctor’s power comes after a spate of witch and witchdoctor incidents in Kenya. Recently in South Africa a Transkei woman was shot and killed after being accused of witchcraft.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think of the ritual used to strip Dingo of his powers? Would it work? Did Mr Dingo ever have any witchdoctor powers in the first place?

Transkei witch gunned down

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In South Africa, a Transkei woman has been shot dead after she was accused of practising witchcraft.

Image by valkyrieh116 via Flickr

The murder occurred in Bityi, near Mthatha, and the South African Daily Dispatch reports that the 49-year old woman was shot four times.

Superintendant Mzukisi Fatyela told local press that the shooting happened at about 9:30pm on the Thursday night.

“Two balaclava-clad men entered the house and without saying a word opened fire on the woman, killing her instantly,” said Fatyela.

Transkei is in the eastern cape of South Africa. The name means “the area beyond the Kei River”. The area is becoming more popular with tourism and backpacker lodges are cheap and easily available. Both Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki were born in Transkei.

In Pure Spirit

Is your instinctual reaction tell you that this poor woman was shot because she was believed to be a witch? Or do you suspect the story is more complex than that?

Nine on trial for witchcraft

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Kisii Soapstone Art and Craft
Image by wwarby via Flickr

Nine women stand accused of witchcraft and face criminal charges in a court in Kenya.

The women from Kiagoro in the Kisii District of Kenya have been accused of intent to harm and witchcraft knowledge. It is claimed that they cast a spell on a local boy, which struck him dumb and forced him to walk from house to house for an entire night in April.

The nine women nearly escaped a lynch mob who set after them seeking just for the 11 year old boy.

The Kenyan magistrate granted each bail at Sh30,000.

The East Standard reports that this case follows a wake of recent attacks in the region where women have been lynched by villages accusing them of witchcraft.

In Pure Spirit

Should we worry that Kenyan villages take witchcraft as seriously as this? What would be worse; trying to impose western cultural values or doing nothing to stop the lynching?

Pendle Witch Camp replaces Shamania for 2009

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Summer solstice in Pendle this year will feature the Pendle Witch Camp but not a Shamania Festival.

Image by Gyrus via Flickr

The Pendle Witch Camp is due to be held in the field adjacent to last year’s event. Last year the events took place at Brown House Farm which is just off Giburn Old Road and this year it will be at Blacko.

The Pendle Witch Camp in 2009 will be significantly quieter than the Shamania festival of 2008. There will be no activities which require Pendle Council granting a license although organisers have not yet suggested they were facing difficulties in obtaining licenses.

There will be neither amplified music nor around-the-clock events but the Witch Camp will feature acoustic music and it is expected many of the attendees of the three-day event will remain active throughout the night.

This year the Pendle Witch Camp will run over the weekend of June 19th to the 22nd. Solstice this year will be at 5:45am on the 21st.

Adrian Lord, who will be helping to coordinate the Pendle Witch Camp, also announced that Shamania will enter suspended animation until 2010 at the earliest.

Writing on the Shamania website, he noted; “Having organised 3 Shamania Festivals, each one being slightly bigger and wetter, than its predecessor; I’m looking forward to a year without all the responsibility and hoping to do some dancing myself.”

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to either Shamania or the Pendle Witch Camp before? What was it like? Would you recommend it?

Do you think Pendle Council may have been reluctant to grant licenses this year?

Pendle Hill witch curse strikes down three film makers

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An illustration of Ann Redferne and Chattox, t...
Image via Wikipedia

A new documentary on Pendle Hill and the Pendle Witches was brought to a dramatic stop this week when three of the production crew were struck down with a violent illness. The incident happened during the filming of a séance.

Roy Basnett, the renowned broadcaster and ghost-hunter, and investigators from Pathfinder PI had been attempting to contact the spirits of the witches in a barn on the hill.

The scene was due to feature in Pendle’s Paranormal Road Map, a new documentary presented by Simon Entwistle.

Pendle’s Paranormal Road Map is being produced by GCH Entertainment who described the film footage as stunning and features members of the  17th Century Life & Times re-enactment group.

It is believed that the local Wellsprings restaurant or staff features in the documentary which is scheduled for an October DVD release. GCH Entertainment are in negotiations over television rights.

The Pendle witch trails are one of the most famous witch trails in British history. In 1612 twelve locals where accused with the murder of ten people through the use of witchcraft.

Only one of the twelve was found not guilty. One died in prison.

Half of the Pendle witches came from the Demdike and Chattox families. It is possible that the initial accusations stemmed from each family trying to out do the other on wealth generated from promising healing, begging or even threats.

In Pure Spirit

Have you ever been to Pendle Hill? What was it like?

Do you feel the Pendle Witch case is as significant as many people say it is?

What about the Pendle’s Paranormal Road Map documentary. Was the séance effected by the spirits of the witches? Or could this be a successful publicity stunt?

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